Relative motion canceling platform for surgery

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