APPARATUS FOR RADIOLUCENT PATIENT POSITIONING AND METHOD OF USING THE APPARATUS

摘要

A positioning system is provided that effectively engage the patient's neck/shoulder area so as to enable the caudally migration of the patient's neck/shoulder(s). An instance of the system includes a puller member for engaging a patient's neck/shoulder area and applying a pulling force thereupon. A support member is provided that is joined to the pulling member at a location away from where the engagement portion of the pulling member contacts the patient during normal use. The support member and the joining thereto are operational to enable the pulling member to adjustably maintain a substantially fixed vertical elevation that aligns the engagement portion of the pulling member to effectively engage the patient's neck/shoulder area; and, the support member also has a variable shuttle member that is adjustably joined to a guide member for adjusting the removable joining position of the support member along a length of a guide member. This guide member is configured to have a substantially parallel orientation relative to a longitudinal axis of the engagement portion of the pulling member such that the pulling member is operable for being positioned relative to the patient and effectively engage the patient's neck/shoulder area so as to enable the caudally migration of the patient's neck/shoulder(s). A method for using the apparatus is also included.