Interventional MR surgical table

Abstract

There is described method and apparatus for supporting a patient's body in a MR scanner, including supporting it to rotate about its longitudincal axis and cant about a point on the longitudinal axis. Also provided are method and apparatus for supporting a patient's head and neck and using a surgical head-holder. Yet another embodiment of the invention provides method and apparatus for attaching first and second stirrups to a member supporting the patient. According to yet another embodiment, the invention provides for keeping two or more different members for supporting a patient's body during a medical procedure conducted in conduction with an MR scanner, wherein each member is adapted to be detachably inserted into a bore of the MR scanner, and wherein each member provides for a different patient support functionality, selecting one of the different members for use in a medical procedure, positioning a patient's body on the selected member, and engaging the member with the MR scanner such that the member is disposed at least in part in a bore of the scanner.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method, comprising: 
 supporting a patient's body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore; and    rotating the member about its longitudinal axis while the member is inside the bore, so that the patient's body is rotated about the body's longitudinal axis while in the bore of the MR scanner.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to    claim 1    wherein the member is supported in the bore on a mechanism that supports the member for rotation about the longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to    claim 2    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         4 . A method, comprising: 
 supporting a patient's body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis and a recess on one end substantially underneath the patient's head and neck and including a surgical head-holder supporting the patient's head above or within the recess; and    positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore.    
     
     
         5 . The method according to    claim 4    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         6 . A method, comprising: 
 supporting a patient's body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore; and    canting the member about a point along its longitudinal axis while the member is inside the bore, so that the head or feet of a patient may be raised or lowered with respect to one another while in the bore of the MR scanner.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to    claim 6    wherein the member is supported in the bore on a mechanism that supports the member for canting.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to    claim 7    further including canting the member using a hydraulically driven component.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to    claim 7    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising: 
 supporting a patient's body on an elongate member with a substantially planar surface, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore; and    attaching first and second stirrups to the elongate member on one end and putting the feet of the patient in the stirrups.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to    claim 10    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising: 
 keeping two or more different members for supporting a patient's body during a medical procedure conducted in conjuction with an MR scanner, wherein each member is adapted to be detachably inserted into a bore of the MR scanner, and wherein each member provides for a different patient support functionality;    selecting one of the different members for use in a medical procedure;    positioning a patient's body on the selected member; and    engaging the member with the MR scanner such that the member is disposed at least in part in a bore of the scanner.    
     
     
         13 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient's body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    a mechanism inside a bore of a MR scanner adapted to support and rotate the the member about its longitudinal axis, so that the patient's body is rotated about the body's longitudinal axis while in the bore of the MR scanner.    
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to    claim 13    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient's body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis and a recess on one end substantially underneath the patient's head and neck and including a surgical head-holder supporting the patient's head above or within the recess; and    the elongate member supported at least in part within a bore of a MR scanner.    
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to    claim 15    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient's body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    the member positioned inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore; and    a mechanism adapted to cant the member about a point along its longitudinal axis, so that the head or feet of a patient may be raised or lowered with respect to one another while in the bore of the MR scanner.    
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to    claim 17    further including a hydraulically driven component adapted to drive the mechanism.  
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to    claim 18    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.  
     
     
         20 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 an elongate member with a substantially planar surface supporting a patient's body, the elongate member having a longitudinal axis;    positioning the member inside a bore of a MR scanner so that at least a portion of the patient's body is inside the bore; and    first and second stirrups attached to the elongate member on one end.    
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to    claim 20    wherein the member is freely detachable from the mechanism and removed from the bore.