Surgical drape adapted for use with radiological equipment

Abstract

A surgical drape provides a volume to accommodate radiological equipment such as a C-arm x-ray device without pulling the bottom of the drape up which could otherwise interrupt the sterile field. In one preferred embodiment, the space is created with pleated or gathered section, which receives the equipment as it is brought up laterally without lifting any portion of the material overall. A different embodiment of the invention includes a tunnel or tent formed in the material, generally without pleating. In this case, the tunnel or tent extends from the bottom of the drape to or above a patient-contacting configurations, additional material may be included to form a slit to further shroud the radiological equipment when positioned for a medial-lateral exposure. As yet a further option to all embodiments, the bottom edge of the drape may include an adhesive, integral weights, or both, to keep the bottom edge in close proximity, or actually adhered, to the floor, to further prevent lifting.

1 . A surgical drape for use with a piece of radiological including a C-arm, 
 the drape comprising:    a sheet of flexible material having a top edge, a bottom edge, a patient-facing side, a physician-facing side, and a vertically oriented mid-section bounded by opposing vertically oriented side sections; and    wherein the mid-section includes sufficient additional material on the physician-facing side to receive an upwardly moving C-arm without substantially lifting the bottom edge of the sheet.    
   
   
       2 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , wherein the material extending outwardly from the vertical plane on the physician-facing side is in the form of a pleated section.  
   
   
       3 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , wherein the material extending outwardly from the vertical plane on the physician-facing side is in the form of a tent at least including side panels.  
   
   
       4 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , wherein the material extending outwardly from the vertical plane on the physician-facing side is in the form of a flap.  
   
   
       5 . The surgical drape of  claim 4 , wherein the flap is rolled up or folded and retained against the sheet when not extended.  
   
   
       6 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom edge is weighted to further prevent the equipment from lifting the sheet as the equipment is raised.  
   
   
       7 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom edge further includes a floor-contacting adhesive to further prevent the equipment from lifting the sheet as the equipment is raised.  
   
   
       8 . The surgical drape of  claim 1 , further including material to form at least two equipment-receiving spaces, one on either side of the area of adhesive.