Self-propelled Patient Transport System

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This patent describes a self-propelled patient transport system designed to move patients efficiently between preparation, diagnosis, and therapy stations in a medical facility. The system consists of a specialized patient table that can be loaded onto and unloaded from an automated, self-guided support vehicle. The system includes control mechanisms to ensure precise positioning for treatments, integrated monitoring equipment for patient safety, and features for high throughput of patients with minimum manual intervention by medical staff.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Automated transport of patients between rooms and departments in hospitals for imaging (e.g., CT, X-ray), surgery, or radiotherapy.
• Efficient movement and positioning of patients for advanced therapies, such as proton or photon beam treatments.
• Minimizing manual handling for patients with limited mobility or requiring delicate repositioning.
• Streamlining patient flow in high-volume medical centers, especially those with costly and busy diagnostic or therapy equipment.
• Providing safer and automated patient transfers in infectious disease units by reducing staff-patient contact.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Increases patient throughput, enabling more patients to be diagnosed and treated with the same equipment in less time.
• Reduces the workload and physical strain on medical staff by automating patient transport and precise positioning.
• Improves patient comfort and safety through gentle handling and integrated monitoring during transport and procedures.
• Minimizes transfer times and eliminates repetitive repositioning, reducing overall patient stress and hospital bottlenecks.
• Supports precise patient alignment for therapies requiring exact positioning, such as radiation treatments, thus improving treatment outcomes.
• Allows for seamless integration with existing hospital workflows and equipment, providing flexibility for various medical procedures.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The present invention provides a self-propelled patient transport system (2), comprising: a) a patient table (6,6a,6b); b) one self-propelled support vehicle (14) having means for loading or unloading a patient table; c) a patient diagnosis and/or therapy station (10,12); and d) a control means (28,30) for controlling the operation of the at least one self-propelled support vehicle (14); wherein e) a patient disposed on the patient table is presentable at the patient diagnosis and/or therapy station (10,12) by controllably moving the support vehicle (14); and f) said means for unloading a patient table (6,6a,6b) are provided to unload the patient table from the support vehicle (14) into a determined position within the patient diagnosis and/or therapy station and/or said means for loading the patient table (6,6a,6b) are provided to load the patient table (6,6a,6b) from that determined position into a determined position on the support vehicle (14). By having the concept of the support vehicle which receives end discharges the patient table the patients can be prepared in a slot-like chain according the treatment schedule chosen for the diagnosis and/or therapy section which allow a high throughput of patients. The high throughput is not only a benefit for the provider, such as a hospital or a medical institute, but also for the patients since more patients can be treated within the operating time of the diagnosis and/or therapy section.