Recommendations on Standards for the Design of Medical Diagnostic Equipment for Adults with Disabilities, Advisory Committee Final Report

5.2.1.4 Transfer Surface Size Recommendations for Imaging Equipment (M301)

The Committee recommends a transfer surface size on imaging equipment be a minimum of 28 inches long by a minimum of 28 inches deep. Where the 28 inches minimum depth is technically infeasible, the depth may be no less than 21 inches. The transfer surface must be located so the 28-inch long dimension is parallel to the patient scanning/imaging side of the table.

Rationale for the recommendation

The Committee agreed to this proposal to compensate for the unique aspects of the transfer surface in diagnostic equipment. Patients access diagnostic imaging tables from one of the long sides of the table. Some imaging equipment have narrow tables due to functional necessity. When patients transfer on the long side, table depth may be equal to the transfer surface depth. Lack of table depth beyond the transfer surface increases the potential for patients to “overshoot” the table during transfer, falling off the side opposite transfer. To facilitate transfers and to mitigate this fall hazard, the Committee proposes the inclusion of transfer supports (M301.3).

For equipment with bores, both long sides of the imaging table may be available for transfer subject to room layout and other imaging components. Many x-ray system tables and all DXA tables have part of the equipment support located on one of the long sides making that side of the table unavailable for patient transfer. For these types of equipment, patient transfer is only on the other side of the table.

All X-ray tables meet the 28-inch table width. However, because of physical design constraints such as bore size, not all tables used with equipment with bores meet the 28 inch width criteria but all meet the 21-inch minimum.

Manufacturers must determine the location of the transfer surface to facilitate the patient’s transfer and positioning for the clinical functions of the diagnostic procedure.

Figure 5.2.1.4 Schematic of Transfer Surface Size for Diagnostic Imaging Equipment
(SOURCE:  GE Healthcare)