Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8162955 | Registering intraoperative scans A device and method for registering a patient's hip, wherein the device includes markers and positioning elements which can be placed on characteristic points of the hip, and once placed on characteristic points of the hip, data for registering the hip can be ascert... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8147503 | Methods of locating and tracking robotic instruments in robotic surgical systems In one embodiment of the invention, a method is disclosed to locate a robotic instrument in the field of view of a camera. The method includes capturing sequential images in a field of view of a camera. The sequential images are correlated between successive views. ... | 04/03/2012 |
| 8142447 | Mechanical actuator interface system for robotic surgical tools Robotic surgical tools, systems, and methods for preparing for and performing robotic surgery include a memory mounted on the tool. The memory can perform a number of functions when the tool is loaded on the tool manipulator: first, the memory can provide a signal v... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8137362 | Cranial burr hold plug and insertion tool A cranial burr hole plug with an insertion tool and method of implantation is provided. The burr hole plug includes a shell; a collet interlocked within the shell; a clamp compressing the collet around an elongated medical device exiting the skull of a patient, such... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8118818 | Method and device for computer assisted distal locking of intramedullary nails A method and a device for computer assisted distal locking of intramedullary nails comprising the steps of: A) establishing a virtual geometric representation of an intramedullary nail (1); B) acquiring a first medical image (28) using a radioscopic un... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8114097 | Flexible instrument A robotic medical system comprises a catheter having an elongated shaft with a plurality of flexible segments spaced apart along the catheter, and a drive unit coupled to the catheter. The catheter may have a plurality of cables respectively terminating at the flexi... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8109942 | Computer-aided methods, systems, and apparatuses for shoulder arthroplasty A method for performing shoulder arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty is provided. The method includes generating navigational reference information relating to position and orientation of a body part forming at least a portion of the shoulder joint. The reference infor... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8105339 | Image guided spinal surgery guide system and method for use thereof A guide is disclosed for use in performing spinal surgery to prepare across a spinal disc and adjacent vertebrae an implantation space. The guide is associated with a computer controlled surgical navigation system employing an energy-detecting array to track positio... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8105338 | Sterile surgical adaptor A sterile adaptor, a sterile drape with the integrated sterile adaptor, and a telerobotic surgical system including the sterile drape with a drape interface are provided. The adaptor, drape, and system allow for draping portions of a telerobotic surgical system to m... | 01/31/2012 |
| 8100919 | Surgery equipment holding device A surgery equipment holding device including a holder for holding surgical equipment, a bar connected to the holder, a brake which operatively engages the bar for stopping movement of the bar, and a pair of switches for switching being an active state and an inactiv... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8092471 | Position measuring apparatus A position measuring apparatus, for use in an assisting apparatus for surgical opertions, includes a position indicating apparatus for indicating a position and a direction of a tool, and three-dimensional position measuring apparatus for measuring a position and a ... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8088129 | Method and apparatus for magnetically controlling motion direction of mechanically pushed catheter The movement of a catheter through a medium, which may be living tissue such as a human brain, is controlled by mechanically pushing a flexible catheter having a magnetic tip through the medium and applying a magnetic field having a magnitude and a direction that gu... | 01/03/2012 |
| 8083753 | Robotic trajectory guide A surgical alignment device is disclosed that is controlled remotely through the use of an actuator, where the actuator in turn controls at least one local adjustment device. The alignment device is suited for neurosurgery, although it is not exclusively limited to ... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8057487 | Methods and apparatus for guiding a needle A needle is guided to a target along a pre-determined needle insertion trajectory. A method that utilizes a fluoroscope can be used to locate the target. The target can be an internal structure within the human body. A device can be used with the fluoroscope to aim ... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8052695 | Adjustable instruments for use with an electromagnetic localizer A system for tracking the position of an instrument relative to an area of interest. The system includes an instrument and an instrument guide mounted to the instrument. The instrument guide carries a first localizer proximate the instrument. The first localizer is ... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8048088 | Surgical manipulator for a telerobotic system The invention is directed to manipulator assembly (2) for holding and manipulating a surgical instrument (14) in a telerobotic system. The assembly comprises a base (6) fixable by passive or power driven positioning devices to a surface, such as... | 11/01/2011 |
| 8038685 | Anchoring apparatus and methods for use An apparatus for securing an implantable lead within tissue of a patient includes a base adapted to be secured to a patient's skull adjacent a craniotomy. The base has an upper surface and a lower surface with a central passage therebetween. The central passage is a... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8029516 | Bracing of bundled medical devices for single port entry, robotically assisted medical procedures Medical devices robotically manipulated by a medical robotic system for performing a medical procedure on a patient are bundled together as a bundled unit and inserted into the patient through a single entry port. Bracing of the bundled unit at the surgical site so ... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8012160 | System and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument The invention is directed to a system and method for releasably holding a surgical instrument (14), such as an endoscopic instrument configured for delivery through a small percutaneous penetration in a patient. The instrument comprises an elongate shaft (... | 09/06/2011 |
| 8012159 | Putamen grid The present invention makes a grid array, for use in the transplantation of materials into the brain, in the shape of a predetermined structure, such as the putamen, based on anatomic analysis the structure. Alternatively, a smaller grid array is used which only inc... | 09/06/2011 |
| 7993353 | Medical tracking system with universal interface An improved marker system, components and method for use with a medical navigation system, wherein the marker system includes interchangeable tracking marker holders and fastener bases for attaching the marker holders to instruments or body parts that are to be trac... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7981122 | Adjustable surgical platform and surgical instrument using same In one aspect, the present invention relates to a surgical instrument for providing an access to a target of interest of a living subject. In one embodiment, the surgical instrument has a bearing member, a shaft member and a probe. The bearing member has a first end... | 07/19/2011 |
| 7947050 | Surgical instrument coupling mechanism A medical system and an integrated drape assembly for a medical system is provided. The medical system comprises a surgical instrument that carries a distal tool configured for performing a medical procedure on a patient, a drive unit configured for controlling the ... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7947051 | Surgical instrument coupling mechanism A medical system and surgical instrument adapter are provided. The medical system comprises a surgical instrument carrying a distal tool configured for performing a medical procedure on a patient, an adapter having a clam-shell configuration configured for removably... | 05/24/2011 |
| 7918861 | Flexible instrument A medical instrument assembly and robotic medical system are provided. The medical instrument assembly comprises an outer probe having an elongated shaft, an inner probe having an elongated shaft, coaxially disposed within the outer probe shaft, and a driver interfa... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7896889 | Trajectory guide with angled or patterned lumens or height adjustment This document discusses trajectory guides that include an instrument guide with at least one lumen angled with respect to an orthogonal or other through-axis. In one example, patterned lumens on the instrument guide provide a mirror image pattern of trajectory axes ... | 03/01/2011 |
| 7892243 | Surgical manipulator The present invention provides a surgical manipulator which is capable of manipulating a surgical or medical tool in up to six degrees of freedom. The manipulator has a haptic interface and an associated position sensing system. A controller is provided that can be ... | 02/22/2011 |
| 7879045 | System for guiding instruments having different sizes A system and procedure for using the system are disclosed for guiding instruments of varying sizes. The instruments can be guided into various portions of the anatomy for performing a procedure, providing a treatment, measuring a physiological response, or the like.... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7875039 | Support assembly for a tracking assembly and mounted transrectal ultrasound probe Provided herein are devices and methods for supporting and positioning a tracking assembly for mounting variously configured medical devices for prostate imaging, biopsy, and other therapeutic applications. In one aspect, a support assembly provides multiple degrees... | 01/25/2011 |
| 7867242 | Instrument for guiding stage apparatus and method for using same This documents describes among other things a normalizing stage apparatus, tools and methods. One example includes a base that defines a trajectory. A first stage is moveably coupled to the base and the first stage moves along the trajectory. A second stage is movea... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7867241 | Flexible instrument A medical instrument assembly and robotic medical system are provided. The medical instrument comprises an outer probe having an elongated shaft, an inner probe having an elongated shaft coaxially disposed within the outer probe shaft, and actuating elements. The ro... | 01/11/2011 |
| 7857821 | Surgical universal positioning block and tool guide A positioning block (10) for use in total knee replacement surgery, permitting five degrees-of-freedom movement relative to a bone element (39) to which it is fixed. The positioning block (10) comprises a rotational mounting element (14) ... | 12/28/2010 |
| 7854738 | Robotically controlled medical instrument A medical instrument assembly comprises an elongated shaft, a tool carried by the distal end of the elongated shaft for performing a medical procedure on a patient, a plurality of controllably bendable sections spaced along the elongated shaft and disposed proximal ... | 12/21/2010 |
| 7837694 | Method and apparatus for surgical instrument identification Systems and methods for identifying surgical instruments by use of radio-frequency identification tags (RFID) are disclosed. In the systems and methods, each of a plurality of surgical instruments is provided with at least one RFID transponder tag storing identifica... | 11/23/2010 |
| 7833231 | Device for immobilizing a primary instrument and method therefor Devices and methods provide accurate targeting, placement, and/or stabilization of an electrode or other instrument(s) into the brain or other body organ, such as to treat severe tremor or other neurological disorders. Targeting is performed using any form of image-... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7828809 | Device for immobilizing a primary instrument and method therefor Devices and methods provide accurate targeting, placement, and/or stabilization of an electrode or other instrument(s) into the brain or other body organ, such as to treat severe tremor or other neurological disorders. Targeting is performed using any form of image-... | 11/09/2010 |
| 7824417 | Guide for a medical device The invention provides a puncturing guide (1, 16) for guiding a puncturing needle into a target site within the body of a patient. The puncturing guide (1, 16) comprises a base plate (2, 17), a needle guide (3, 18), a retainer (4, 19 | 11/02/2010 |
| 7819885 | Multi-component telepresence system and method The present invention provides systems and methods for performing robotically-assisted surgical procedures on a patient. In particular, a three-component surgical system is provided that includes a non-sterile drive and control component, a sterilizable end effector... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7819884 | Robotically controlled medical instrument A medical instrument assembly comprises a shaft, a tool carried by the distal end of the shaft for performing a medical procedure on a patient, an end effector, a threaded housing in which the threaded distal shaft end is configured for being screwed, and a first th... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7815651 | Device for immobilizing a primary instrument and method therefor Devices and methods provide accurate targeting, placement, and/or stabilization of an electrode or other instrument(s) into the brain or other body organ, such as to treat severe tremor or other neurological disorders. Targeting is performed using any form of image-... | 10/19/2010 |
