Patient lift and transfer device

1. A method of transporting a patient from a bed to a hospital table, comprising:

positioning a first side of a transfer device adjacent the bed, the transfer device having a base with wheels and support columns, slide frames attached to upper portions of the support columns, carriages slidably supported by the slide frames, and a table assembly carried by said carriages including separable upper and lower tables surrounded by respective upper and lower belts;

adjusting a height of the slide frames to a height of the bed;

moving the table assembly from a home position centered over the base to a first extended position at the first side of the transfer device with the upper and lower tables in forcible contact and the upper and lower belts counter-rotating to place the table assembly between the patient and the bed, while keeping the base stationary;

separating the upper and lower tables with the table assembly in the first extended position to lift the patient above the bed on the upper table while the lower table remains resting upon the bed;

moving the table assembly from the first extended position to the home position while supporting the patient on the upper table, keeping the upper and lower tables separated, with the lower table laterally supporting the transfer device and without any part of the base extending under the bed;

moving the transfer device on its wheels from the bed at a first location to the hospital table at a second location while supporting the patient on the upper table and keeping the upper and lower tables separated;

positioning a second side of the transfer device adjacent the hospital table;

moving the table assembly from the home position to a second extended position at the second side of the transfer device while supporting the patient on the upper table, keeping the upper and lower tables separated, with the lower table laterally supporting the transfer device and without any part of the base extending under the hospital table;

lowering the upper table into forcible contact with the lower table while keeping the base stationary; and

moving the table assembly from the second extended position to the home position with the upper and lower tables in forcible contact and the upper and lower belts counter-rotating to offload the patient onto the hospital table, while keeping the base stationary.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the table assembly moves to or from the home position at a speed that matches an eversion rate of the counter-rotating belts.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the lower table and the upper table have a common lengthwise axis when the lower and upper tables are in forcible contact and when the lower and upper tables are separated; and

the lower and upper tables have left and right sides, and a leading edge of each side of the lower and upper tables is symmetric along the common lengthwise axis of the lower and upper tables.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper belt has a width which extends substantially the full length of the table assembly.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the lower belt drives the upper belt when the upper and lower tables are in forcible contact during said moving of the table assembly from the home position to the first extended position and during said moving of the table from the second extended position to the home position.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising driving the lower belt with a drive mechanism located outside of the table assembly.