1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of X-raying and a device for holding an X-ray film cassette while an X-ray of a part of the body of either a human being or of an animal is being taken in an operating room environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the operating theater it is frequently necessary to produce an X-ray or other medical image of a part of a human or animal patient that is about to undergo or is actually undergoing surgery. Such medical imaging allows for earlier diagnoses and more complete assessments as to the surgical site and the surgeon is better able to assess a favorable outcome for the surgical intervention.
With current conventional procedures and equipment, X-raying or other medical imaging procedures performed, e.g., while a patient is still under surgical anesthesia, requires the transport of the patient to an imaging facility thereby compromising surgical field sterility and risking injury to the anesthetized patient. The condition of the patients in the operating theater, however, renders it virtually impossible to move them once they have assumed the desired position on the operating table, either due to the fact that they require immediate surgery, they are anesthetized, or because they would experience severe pain if they were moved. In these circumstances, medical imaging procedures must be performed while the patient remains in the operating room. Thus, there exists a need for medical imaging to be performed while an anesthetized or otherwise immovable surgical patient lies on an operating table. Such a system affords the surgeon instant feedback as to the success of the surgery and with less likelihood of surgical field contamination. Further, such a system would provide a standard frame of reference between a body tissue and position sensing surgical aids.
Usually, the X-ray film (or other medical imaging medium) is in a cassette and it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to position the part of the body of the patient that is to be X-rayed between the source of the X-rays and the cassette that holds the film. Thus, there also exists the need for a portable medical imaging film cassette holder that will enable the positioning of the film relative to the medical imaging apparatus and the patient to be imaged that does not require substantial movement or physical repositioning of the patient in the operating room. Currently available systems such as those marketed by AliMed, Inc. of Dedham, Mass. do not provide satisfactory results in this regard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide such a portable imaging film cassette holder device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method of medical imaging employing the device of the invention.