Picker International, Inc.

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Z-kat, Inc.

Dale A Messner

Patrick A Dayton

John D Schellenberg

Michael Steckner

Edwin Gonzalez

Sethumadavan Sanjay-Gopal

Bernard J Czarkowski

Joseph Prudic

Ruhul Quddus

Devices and methods are provided for shutting down a magnet system. The device includes a portable housing, a communication unit, and a switch on the portable housing. The portable housing encloses a field shutdown initiation circuitry. The communication unit is disposed at least partially in the portable housing and the communication unit is configured to establish communication between the field shutdown initiation circuitry and the magnet system. The switch is configured to turn on the field shutdown initiation circuitry to initiate a magnet field shutdown in the magnet system.

Portable device for emergency magnetic field shutdown

A detector unit (,) for an image guided surgery system (,) is provided. It includes an adjustable stand (,) having a plurality of receivers (,) mounted thereto such that the detector unit (,) has a predefined finite field of view (,) in which it detects radiant energy. It further includes at least one light source (,) mounted to the adjustable stand (,) in fixed relation to the receivers (,). The at least one light source (,) projects visible light in a predetermined pattern to mark a location of the field of view (,).

Auto positioner

A microscope calibrator includes a housing supporting a series of focusing targets each situated at a predetermined distance from one another. Attributes of the microscope are determined by focusing the microscope on one ore more of the focusing targetrs and determining a location of the microscope with respect to the focusing targets focused upon. The position of the focusing targets are determinable by virtue of a local reference frame target attached to the microscope calibrator or by using a tracked probe to communicate the location of each point focused upon by the microscope on each of the focusing targets.

Microscope calibrator

A microscope calibrator probe includes a handle, a tool head connected to the handle, a viewable target connected to an end of the tool head opposite the handle, and three or more position signaling devices disposed on the handle for tracking the probe in an image guided surgery system. The tool head includes a bend of approximately 90 degrees to provide easy placement of the viewable target on an object being viewed below a microscope. Other angles for the bend are also acceptable. A precise location of the object being viewed is determined by sensing a location the three or more position signaling devices disposed on the handle with respect to an operating room reference frame and knowing an offset between the position signaling devices and a bottom surface of the viewable target in contact with the object. Additionally, the viewable target includes a viewable aperture for calibrating a line of sight of the microscope and a means for indicating a rotational sense of the viewable target.

Localizing and orienting probe for view devices

A tool calibrator includes two portions shaped to slidably engage and secure a tool in a desired position. The tool is secured by a series of staggered V shaped grooves on each of the two portions having a known geometrical relationship with a diameter of a tool head of the tool. The tool calibrator further includes at least one position signaling device for communicating a location of the tool calibrator in an operating room or other area. A position and direction of a tip of the tool is determined by comparing a location of the tool secured within the tool calibrator to the location of each of the two portions. Further, based on the location of each of the two portions, the diameter of the tool head is calculated.

Growing community of inventors

Uniontown, OH, United States of America

Dale A Messner