Patent US5871017A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5871017A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Relative motion cancelling platform for surgery
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1997-10-15
•
Granted: 1999-02-16
•
Expires: 2017-10-15
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for open-heart surgery includes a platform (20) to support the surgeon's hand (or an instrument) and a cam (30) for reciprocating the platform oscillation around a hinge (12). The cam is shaped so that the pattern of the platform oscillation follows the beating heart's motion. The platform motion triggers a momentary-contact switch on each cycle. The switch drives a pacer, which paces the heart to beat in synchrony. The platform rate is set slightly above the un-paced heart beat rate; this keeps the heart in close synchrony with the platform oscillation and stabilizes its motion. The platform and heart move together, relative motion is canceled, and the surgeon need not compensate. The platform is mounted (10) on an adjustable support and a laser beam is used to angularly align the platform to the heart oscillation. A capacitive sensor (21) detects the heart-to-platform distance, which is used to generate an audible tone proportional to the distance; the tone is used to adjust the platform oscillation amplitude and/or phase for minimum variation of the heart-platform distance.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul W. Mayer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 08:21
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/60; A61B17/00; A61B2017/00681; A61B2017/00694; A61B2017/00703; A61B17/02; A61B2017/0237; A61B2017/0243; A61B34/00; A61B34/70; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/92; Y10S128/923
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for supporting a surgical tool during a surgical operation on an organ moving in oscillation, comprising in combination: means for supporting a surgical tool; means for positioning said means for supporting adjacent the oscillating organ; and means for causing reciprocation of said means for supporting in a platform oscillation which is in synchronicity with the oscillation of the moving organ, wherein relative motion between the oscillating organ and the means for supporting is at least partially canceled.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for supporting a surgical tool during a surgical operation on an organ moving in oscillation, comprising in combination: means for supporting a surgical tool; means for positioning said means for supporting adjacent the oscillating organ; and means for causing reciprocation of said means for supporting in a platform oscillation which is in synchronicity with the oscillation of the moving organ, wherein relative motion between the oscillating organ and the means for supporting is at least partially canceled.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the oscillating organ is a heart and further including a means for pacing the heart to beat in a constant rhythm and means for synchrony of the reciprocation of said means for supporting and the means for pacing such that the means for supporting and the paced-heart oscillate in synchrony.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further including means for adjusting one or more of the amplitude, phase or pattern of the oscillation of said means for supporting to correspond to the amplitude of the oscillation of the moving organ.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting further includes means for sensing the relative amplitudes of oscillation of said means for supporting and the organ.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said means for adjusting includes means for indicating the degree of difference between the oscillations of the said means for supporting and the organ.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further including means for indicating the degree of alignment or non-alignment of the direction of oscillation of said means for supporting with the direction of oscillation of the moving organ.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the surgical tool is a human hand on the arm of the person conducting the surgical operation and said means for supporting comprises a platform for supporting said arm.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said means for pacing is triggered by the oscillation of said means for supporting.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said means for causing reciprocation comprises a rotary cam having a profile adapted to the pattern of the organ oscillation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said means for supporting comprises a platform coupled to said means for positioning by a hinge, said means for causing reciprocation comprises a rotary cam having a profile adapted to the pattern of the organ oscillation, and said means for adjusting comprises means for moving said cam toward and away from said hinge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said means for sensing includes a capacitor plate connected to said means for supporting.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting include means for outputting a signal representative of the distance between the said organ and the means for supporting.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means for outputting includes a capacitor plate on said means for supporting adjacent the oscillating organ.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means for adjusting adjusts the oscillation of said means for supporting according to the signal output by said means for outputting.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means for adjusting causes adjustment of the oscillation amplitude of said means for supporting.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means for adjusting causes adjustment of the oscillation phase of said means for supporting.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said means for adjusting causes adjustment of the oscillation pattern of said means for supporting.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for indicating comprises an auditory signal generally proportional to the distance signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the point on the oscillating organ at which the surgical operation is intended to be performed oscillates in a line comprising a direction of oscillation and wherein said means for positioning includes means for angularly adjusting the means for supporting so as to align with the direction of oscillation of the oscillating organ.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein said means for angularly adjusting includes means for indicating when the direction of oscillation of the means for supporting is aligned with the direction of indication of the oscillating organ.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 20, wherein said means for indicating alignment includes a laser.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said means for synchronizing includes means for triggering a pacing circuit according to the oscillation of said means for supporting.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 22, including means for adjusting the means for triggering relative to the phase of the oscillation of said means for supporting.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein said means for pacing causes the heart to beat faster than it would if not paced.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
54 words
A device facilitating work by a human hand on a surface moving in a surface motion, the device comprising: a hand-supporting platform; means for positioning said platform adjacent the surface; and means for producing a platform motion substantially matching the surface motion; whereby relative motion between the platform and the surface is substantially reduced.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
54 words
A device facilitating work by a human hand on a surface moving in a surface motion, the device comprising: a hand-supporting platform; means for positioning said platform adjacent the surface; and means for producing a platform motion substantially matching the surface motion; whereby relative motion between the platform and the surface is substantially reduced.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The device according to claim 25, wherein the means for producing a platform motion includes a surface-platform distance sensor and a platform actuator.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
The device according to claim 26, comprising means coupled to the distance sensor for outputting an auditory signal generally proportional to the distance between the platform and the surface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
34 words
The device according to claim 25, further comprising means for angular adjustment of the platform and of means for indicating whether or not the platform motion and the surface motion are in angular alignment.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2925814A
Cited
US4051841A
Cited
DE2352026A1
Cited
US4804054A
Cited
US4899730A
Cited
US5016642A
Cited
EP0456103A2
Cited
US5443077A
Cited
US5276429A
Cited
WO1995001757A1
Cited
DE9410964U1
Cited
US5603321A
Cited
US5692907A
Cited
US5727552A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-15 | 2002-08-17 | 2003-02-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-15 | 2006-08-17 | 2007-02-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-15 | 2010-08-17 | 2011-02-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |