Cardiography Imaging Aids
A cardiography imaging aid in the form of a breast sling is disclosed that provides for the ergonomically repositioning a breast during diagnostic imaging. The breast sling is a breast support designed to lift and hold the breast away from the chest wall so that an imaging probes may be easily placed against the chest wall. The breast sling holds the breast away to permit the imaging taking operator to obtain cardiographic images without incurring ergonomic injury that would otherwise occur to the operator's hands and wrist as a consequence of the accumulating strain resulting from repetitive lifting and holding experienced by the operator during multiple patient exams.
This application claims priority to and herein incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/777,872 filed Mar. 1, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention pertains to the field of cardiac imaging devices to assist during diagnostic image taking processes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCardiography measurements require breast repositioning to obtain diagnostic images from ultrasound and x-ray devices. Securing a repositioned breast during the image taking process is necessary to obtain sufficiently resolved and focused images to be diagnostically discernable. Patients are often required to hold their own breasts during the diagnostic imaging procedure, and many are unable or refuse to do so. Image taking technicians, for example, a majority of sonographers, often suffer career-ending muscular-skeletal disorders of the hands and wrists to reposition large, pendulous breasts of patients unwilling or unable to self-position their breasts. Accordingly, the quality of the diagnostic image is lessened as a consequence of operator injury.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA cardiography imaging aid or breast sling in the form of a stirrup device is used for the ergonomic securing and repositioning of a breast during a diagnostic imaging procedure. The breast sling is a breast support designed to lift and hold the breast away from the chest wall so that an imaging probes may be easily placed against the chest wall. The breast sling holds the breast away to permit the image taking operator to obtain cardiographic images without incurring injury that would otherwise occur to the operator's hands and wrist as a consequence of the accumulating strain resulting from repetitive lifting and holding experienced by the operator during multiple patient images. The breast sling ergonomic device reduces injuries caused by weight of the left or right breast on the operator's wrist and hand. The breast stirrup also avoids the patient being awkwardly required to self-position their breast during the imaging taking process.
The breast sling is designed to be used during x-ray, echocardiography, or other image acquiring exams to support the left or right breast of a patient to alleviate the weight of the breast being repositioned on the operator's hand and wrist. Suspending the breast by the breast sling or stirrup allows better access to the image-taking window, improves image quality, as the operator's hands are free to securely position the imaging probe against the chest wall.
Other cardiographic imaging aids include a cardiac wedge configured to support the patient in a prescribed position for improved line-of-site views available to an imaging transducer and to provide ergonomic assistance to medical personnel operating the imaging transducer. The cardiac wedge may include a preformed wedge having contours complimentary to receiving a patient on the left lateral decubitus position, or a contour-adjustable wedge adapted to receiving a patient either on the left or the right lateral decubitus positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The cardiography stirrup or breast sling device is recommended for use in echocardiography exams to remove the weight of a large female breast off of the wrist of the sonographer. Embodiments of the breast sling may be used on all patients who present with breast configurations that present ergonomic difficulties to the image taking technician or awkwardness to the patient for breast self-positioning, especially those having a bra cup size of D or larger.
The breast sling provides ergonomic relief to the image-acquiring technician and reduces inconvenience to the patient during the image acquisition process. For example, in Ultrasonography processes, the breast sling serves to lift away and securely hold the left breast so that the ultrasonographer's hands are free to more precisely position and hold an ultrasound transducer in the region of the chest best suited to secure a finely resolved diagnostic ultrasound image of the heart. The breast stirrup's or sling's breast repositioning and support of the patient's breast avoids the strains that otherwise would be imposed to the sonographer's hands and wrists, and avoids the patient having to awkwardly hold her breast during the exam.
Embodiments of the breast sling include a concave cut out to contour to the patient's chest. The sling will support any size of breast comfortably for during the diagnostic imaging process and may be made of low-cost, disposable materials for single use procedures. Alternatively, the breast sling may be made of more durable materials for multiple uses. The breast sling is easy to apply and cost effective to use.
Cardiac sonographers are particularly at risk for work related musculoskeletal disorders of the hands and wrists. This disposable device is designed to be used during echocardiography exams to support the left breast of patients with large, pendulous breasts. Suspending the breast allows better access to the acoustic window, improving image quality and alleviating the weight of the breast from the sonographer's hand and wrist.
The breast support or sling is made of soft fabric, for example volura, to provide patient comfort during exam procedures. The softer fabric is flame bonded or fused by a heat process to a stiffer fabric to allow the breast to be supported without the fabric rolling up under the breast. The fabric may be nylon that is heat sealed to 1/16 inch closed cell foam to provide a stiffer composition to the breast supporting middle section of the sling. The sling includes a concave cut out to contour to the patient's chest. The breast support sling will support any size of breast but is best suited to a cup size of “D” or larger. Alternate embodiments of the breast sling or breast support may be disposable to ensure no cross contamination between patients. Other embodiments are made from washable fabric for laundering between each patient use. The Velcro straps are strong enough to support heavy, pendulous breasts.
Instructions for Methods to Use the Breast Support for Echocardiography:
1. Place the concave side of the support against the chest wall of the patient and underneath the breast.
2. Wrap the strap of the support around the patient's neck and secure the strap with the Velcro® tabs.
3. Adjust the strap as appropriate to the anatomy of the patient to ensure that the breast is elevated off of the sonographer's scanning arm.
Other devices used separately or in conjunction with the breast sling includes a patient support cushion or cardiac wedge 30 having a curved region illustrated in
The fixed contoured cardiac wedge 30 and the adjustable contoured cardiac wedge 80 assists the patient in maintaining the decubitus position as necessary for various imaging and diagnostic procedures. By providing support for the patient while in the decubitus position, the patient's abdominal and chest wall muscles are able to relax, reducing fatigue and strain for the patient. Ribs then spread apart or expand more easily to provide a greater “between the ribs” imaging window to the heart. Relaxation of the abdominal and chest musculature also allows easier intercostal access for imaging devices such as ultrasound transducers, and reduces the strain associated with the force engaged against the sonographer's hand. Furthermore, the support cushions or wedges 30 and 80 elevates the dependent portion of the chest wall, while in the decubitus position, providing improved acoustic access for imaging, such as viewing the apex of the heart with an ultrasound transducer during echocardiography. The elevation of the dependent portion of the lateral chest wall, while in the decubitus position, provides ergonomic benefit to the imaging operator, eliminating the need to encumber their hand that holds the ultrasound transducer between the patient's chest and the examination table. This ergonomic benefit reduces the risk for work-related injury to the hand and wrist for the sonographer, and provides improved image accuracy and comfort for the patient.
The preformed shape of the cardiac wedge 30 allows the patient while in the left lateral decubitus position, is elevated approximately 5″ in an alternate embodiment on the wedge 30. The firm density of the curvilinear rise 36 behind the patient provides support, allowing the abdominal and chest muscles to relax, thereby providing easier imaging access for positioning the transducer between the patient's ribs. The tapering 7″ wide 45-degree angled portion at the front of the device affords access for the sonographer's hand and the handle of the transducer, without conflicting with the exam table beneath the device. The pre-formed cardiac wedge 30 presents multiple sloping surfaces to provide wedging action that aids in the elevation of the adjacent ribs to provide a better viewing angle to an imaging device and ergonomically assist an operator in acquiring an image of a region-of-interest (ROI). The removable section 44 may be approximately 8″×12″ to create a “bridge” for accessing the dependent portion of the chest, which would otherwise be inaccessible for imaging.
While the particular embodiments of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the breast sling may be reconfigured to breast repositioning of obese males or males who otherwise present breast configurations that present ergonomic difficulties to the image taking technician or awkwardness to the patient for breast self-positioning. The breast sling may also be configured for the ergonomic immobilization of other organs and body regions to better obtain an image of clinical interest, or for uses by medical personnel other than image acquisition, for example, examining the skin near the chest or abdominal wall. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the particular embodiments.
Claims
1. A cardiography imaging aid device comprising:
- a strap having a first member with a catch, a middle member having a hook and connected with the first member, the middle member further having a curvature configured to brace a breast,
- wherein the middle member contacts and lifts the breast when the hook is engaged with the first member's catch.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the catch is a Velcro® patch.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the hook is a Velcro® loop
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the middle member comprises closed cell foam.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the breast is a left breast.
6. A cardiography imaging aid device comprising:
- a substantially pyramidal-shaped pillow having a curved region,
- wherein the pyramidal-shaped pillow is placed beneath the rib cage of a patient lying in a decubitis position on a platform supports the rib cage by wedge action conferred by the pyramidal shaped pillow between the patient's rib cage and the curved region to increase the viewing angle available to a medical imaging device.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the pyramidal-shaped pillow comprises an internal region filled with non-compressible foam.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein the pyramidal-shaped pillow comprises an exterior surface coated with hardenable plastic.
9. The device of claim 6 wherein the pyramidal-shaped pillow comprises an internal region filled with plastic micro beads.
10. The device of claim 9 wherein the pyramidal-shaped pillow comprises an exterior surface coated with hardenable plastic.
11. A cardiography imaging aid device comprising:
- a pillow having user-adjusted contours,
- wherein the contours of the pillow are adjusted and engaged against the rib cage of a patient lying in a decubitis position to elevate the rib cage by wedge action conferred by the user-adjustable contours to increase the viewing angle available to a medical imaging device.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the pillow is filled with Styrofoam microbeads.
13. The device of claim 13 wherein the pillow is enclosed within a fabric.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 28, 2007
Publication Date: Oct 11, 2007
Inventors: Joan Baker (Kirkland, WA), Carolyn Coffin (Lake Forest Park, WA), Susan Murphey (Lake Forest Park, WA)
Application Number: 11/680,168
International Classification: A47C 20/00 (20060101);