HEAD SUPPORT APPARATUSThis invention relates to a head support apparatus. In particular, it relates to a head support apparatus for use in medical procedures.
In certain medical procedures, such as for example those involving eye treatment, it is of considerable importance to the success of these procedures that the patient's head be held in a fixed position and that this position can be adjusted as required. For instance, in photorefractive kereflectromy (PRK), which involves laser technology, the positioning and holding of the patient's head is performed by the practitioner.
Fixing the patient's head in a precise position during medical procedures such as PRK is required:(1) For initial work on the eye using the laser;(2) To ensure that the laser beams are focussed on the correct location of the eyeball; and (3) So that the patient's head may be returned to exactly the original position following interruption of the treatment such that the eye will be in the same position relative to the laser beam.
It is thus very desirable to provide a head support apparatus which can hold a patient's head in a fixed position and can also adjust that position as required, thereby leaving the practitioner's hands free for other purposes.
According to the invention there is provided a head support apparatus comprising at least one inflatable member for supporting a patient's head, the or each inflatable member being disposed on a support frame.
The support frame is preferably generally "U" shaped having a pair of spaced apart substantially vertical side walls and a base wall.
In one embodiment of the invention, the head support apparatus comprises three inflatable members, each member being fixed to a respective wall of the support frame on the inner surface thereof and substantially along the length of the respective wall.
In another embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises one inflatable member extending between the side walls of the support frame, the inflatable member preferably being generally dumb-bell shaped. The dumb-bell shaped inflatable member is preferably fixed to the support frame such that each head of the dumb-bell engages with a respective side wall and the base wall of the support frame.
The support frame is preferably fixed to a base frame. The base frame may comprise a base plate having a support arm extending generally vertically therefrom to the support frame. The support arm preferably has a conventional adjustable mechanism for adjusting the position of the support frame.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a head support apparatus according to the invention; andFigure 2 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a head support apparatus according to the invention.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts, there is shown therein a head support apparatus 10 according to the invention. The head support apparatus 10 comprises at least one inflatable member 20 in the form of an air bag disposed within a support frame 30. The support frame 30 is generally "U"-shaped having a pair of spaced apart substantially vertical side walls 31a and 31b and a base wall 32.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the head support apparatus 10 has three inflatable members 20, each fixed by conventional means to a respective wall 31a, 31b, 32 of the support frame 30 on the inner surface thereof and substantially along the length of each wall. Each inflatable member 20 is inflated independently of the other members. The fixation and location of a patient's head is achieved by inflating each member 20 to the desired level. Inflation is carried out using simple hand-operated pumps 50, such as those used with blood pressure cuffs. However, it will be appreciated that the members 20 may be inflated by any suitable inflation means.
In the apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, the patient's head is placed between the inflatable members 20 fixed on the vertical side walls 31a, 31b.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the inflatable member 20 has the configuration of a dumb-bell and extends between the side walls 31a and 31b. The dumb-bell shaped member 20 is fixed to the support frame 30 such that when inflated each head 21a, 21b of the dumb-bell engages with the side walls 31a and 31b, respectively, and with the base wall 32 of the support frame 30 as shown. A hand operated pump 50 is used to inflate the member 20 to the required level, thereby allowing the patient's head to be located in the desired position.
In the apparatus 10 shown in Figure 2, the patient's head is placed on the inflatable member 20 between the heads 21a, 21b of the dumb-bell.
The arrangements shown in Figures 1 and 2 are suitable for use in medical procedures where the patient is in essentially a horizontal position.
In the embodiments illustrated, the support frame 30 is fixed to a base frame 40, which comprises a base plate 41 having a support arm 42 extending generally vertically therefrom to the support frame 30.
The support arm 42 has a conventional adjustable mechanism 43 for adjusting the height of the support frame 30. It will be appreciated that the base frame 40 may be any suitable means for anchoring the support frame 30, such as for example, an adjustable chair.
The invention thus provides a head support apparatus which allows fixation and location of a patient's head in a medical procedure in a simple and convenient manner, thereby leaving the practitioner's hands free for other purposes during the procedure.