DR. MARK R KEETON, M.D.
Radiology at Green St, Salt Lake City, UT

6882878, Apr 19, 2005

Dec 15, 2003

10/736189

Berndt P. Schmit - Salt Lake City UT, US
Mark Keeton - Salt Lake City UT, US
Ben Babusis - Salt Lake City UT, US

A61B005/05

600415, 600421, 600422, 324318

A restraining apparatus and method for limiting motion on the macro and micro scale during MRI and CT scans, by providing a custom fit, while also improving patient comfort. The restraining apparatus includes a disposable component, including castable and expandable sleeves used to fix the patient into a coil. The castable sleeve encircles the limb of a patient, and is filled with a quickly casting material. The cast material is patient compatible and preferably designed to augment imaging. The resulting cast is MRI compatible, safe and rapid setting, which will decrease the time to set up a patient for scanning, thereby further improving MRI productivity. The expandable sleeve encircles the castable sleeve and is inflatable such that the expandable sleeve conforms to the inner dimensions of a particular MRI coil, CT scanner, or other imaging device. Alternatively, the apparatus includes a castable sleeve for casting around a flex/wrap or surface coil. The surface coil is first cast around the limb of a patient, then the patient is fixed to the magnet.

2002007, Jun 20, 2002

Dec 15, 2000

09/738423

Berndt Schmit - Salt Lake City UT, US
Mark Keeton - Salt Lake City UT, US
Ben Babusis - Salt Lake City UT, US

A61B005/055

600/410000, 128/869000, 600/422000, 128/878000

A restraining apparatus and method for limiting motion on the macro and micro scale during MRI and CT scans, by providing a custom fit, while also improving patient comfort. The restraining apparatus includes a disposable component, including castable and expandable sleeves used to fix the patient into a coil. The castable sleeve encircles the limb of a patient, and is filled with a quickly casting material. The cast material is patient compatible and preferably designed to augment imaging. The resulting cast is MRI compatible, safe and rapid setting, which will decrease the time to set up a patient for scanning, thereby further improving MRI productivity. The expandable sleeve encircles the castable sleeve and is inflatable such that the expandable sleeve conforms to the inner dimensions of a particular MRI coil, CT scanner, or other imaging device. Alternatively, the apparatus includes a castable sleeve for casting around a flex/wrap or surface coil. The surface coil is first cast around the limb of a patient, then the patient is fixed to the magnet.

2006017, Aug 3, 2006

Jan 31, 2006

11/342574

Robert Van Wyk - Largo FL, US
Berndt Schmit - Seattle WA, US
Mark Keeton - Salt Lake City UT, US
Ben Babusis - Sammamish WA, US

A61F 5/00

602006000, 602005000

Herein described is an apparatus and method for stabilizing, restraining and positioning a patient during human medical or veterinary procedures, for example, diagnostic imaging procedures, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerized Tomography scanning procedures, or therapeutic procedures, such as stereotactic radiosurgery. The restraining apparatus of the present invention, comprised of a castable sleeve and optional expandable element, sufficiently immobilizes the patient so as to eliminate motion artifact and motion degradation, to thereby provide improved imaging and/or therapy results.