Surgical table base with high stiffness and adjustable support members with force feedback

• Main Authors: Timm, Richard William, Soundararajan, Vijay
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 14.03.2023
• Subjects: CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES; DIAGNOSIS; FUNERAL DEVICES; HAND TOOLS; HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONTECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING ORPROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; MANIPULATORS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; SURGERY; TRANSPORT OR ACCOMODATION FOR PATIENTS; TRANSPORTING

Apparatus and methods for providing a surgical table base with sufficient stiffness and adjustable support members with force feedback are described herein. In some embodiments, a base for a surgical table includes a base body to which other components of a surgical table can be coupled. A surgical table, and optionally a patient supportable by the surgical table, and any equipment to be carried by the surgical table, collectively representing a table load to be carried by the base body to support the surgical table on a surface. The base further includes a support assembly coupled to the base body to support the base body on the surface. The support assembly includes at least four support members. Each support member has a surface-engaging end and can transmit a portion of a total load represented by the weight of the base and the table load through the surface-engaging end to the surface. The surface-engaging ends of any three of the four support members define a plane. One of the support members is adjustable to move the one support member relative to a plane defined by the three of the other support members and thereby to change the portion of the total load carried by one of the support members. The base further includes a load sensor operably coupled to the support assembly and disposed to detect the portion of the total load carried by one of the support members.