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

M301.2.2 Transfer Surface Size

Subcommittee Recommendation: (Also agreed to by the full committee).

A. The minimum size of the transfer surface is 28 inches wide minimum and 21 inches deep minimum and is located such that the long dimension of 28 inches is be located parallel to the patient scanning/imaging table side at a location designated by the equipment manufacturer.

B. When the transfer surface is located as described above in “A”, the width of the patient scanning/imaging table (side to side) at the designated transfer location should be 28 inches minimum or the maximum possible/practicable, but in all cases a minimum of 21 inches. Note: Alternate means of temporarily widening the table at the designated transfer location during transfer may be feasible.

Rationale: Diagnostic imaging equipment is accessed by all individuals from one of the long sides of the table. Dependent on room layout and other ancillary equipment, both long sides of equipment with a bore tables may be available for transfer. However, many X-Ray system tables and all DXA tables will have part of the imaging equipment support located on one of the long sides and only all transfers are made from the other.

Because diagnostic imaging equipment uses tables for imaging and the tables are always accessed from their long sides, all current equipment meets the 28 inch minimum width and also meets the 21 inch minimum depth for item “A”.

All X-Ray tables meet the 28 inch table width for item “B”. However, because of considerations such as bore size, not all tables used with equipment with bores meet the 28 inch width criteria from “B” (but they do all meet the 21 inch minimum).

The subcommittee created the additional 28 inch table width criteria in “B” because the transfer surface in diagnostic imaging equipment is different than that of exam tables or chairs. With an exam table or chair there is additional table or chair “beyond” the transfer depth. However, with some imaging equipment, due to the transfer from the long side of the table, there may not be any more table beyond the transfer depth.

The subcommittee understands the potential practical limitations that may be encountered on tables used with equipment with bores and therefore only had the 28 inch width criteria for “B” be located at the manufacture designated transfer location.

The possible narrowness of some diagnostic imaging tables was addressed by the subcommittee by their recommendations for M301.3 for transfer supports. The subcommittee sees their recommendations for M301.2.2 transfer surface size and M301.3 to work together to facilitate independent transfers.

Below is a schematic to help illustrate the proposed requirements.

Figure 5.3-8: Schematic of Transfer Surface Size for Diagnostic Imaging Equipment