US Patent 6857778 Surgical scanning system and process for use thereof

A surgical scanning system includes a scanner supported on a carrier movable relative to an operating room table. The carrier engages a guide that is collinear with the long axis of an operating room table. The relative movement between an operating room table and a scanner along a guide decreases the likelihood of collision therebetween. The ability to collect a scan of a patient while on an operating room table increases the likelihood of a successful surgical outcome.