Ohio Medical Instrument Company, Inc.

Integra Ohio, Inc.

Donald A Lincoln

James L Day

A three-pin skull clamp [] includes a C-shaped frame [] which partially encircles the head [] of the patient, with a spring-loaded single skull pin assembly [] located at one end of the frame [] and adapted to engage the head [] of the patient with a desired engagement force, and two spaced skull pins [] mounted to a rocker arm [] located at an opposite end of the frame []. Each of the rocker arm skull pins [] resides in operative contact with an indicator cap [] held by a spring-loaded pin carrier assembly [], the indicator cap [] being movable relative to the rest of the pin carrier assembly [] in response to the engagement force applied to the corresponding skull pin [] by the head [] of the patient. By visibly comparing the positions of the indicator caps [] relative to their respective pin carrier assemblies [], one can readily determine whether the engagement forces are equally distributed between the two rocker arm skull pins []. If the indicator caps [] show significantly unequal load distribution, the rocker arm [] can be pivotally adjusted to produce a rocker arm orientation which results in a more equal load distribution on the two spaced rocker arm skull pins [

Skull clamp with load distribution indicators

A three-pin skull clamp includes a C-shaped frame which partially encircles the head of the patient, with a spring-loaded single skull pin assembly located at one end of the frame and adapted to engage the head of the patient with a desired engagement force, and two spaced skull pins mounted to a rocker arm located at an opposite end of the frame. Each of the rocker arm skull pins resides in operative contact with an indicator cap held by a spring-loaded pin carrier assembly, the indicator cap being movable relative to the rest of the pin carrier assembly in response to the engagement force applied to the corresponding skull pin by the head of the patient. By visibly comparing the positions of the indicator caps relative to their respective pin carrier assemblies, one can readily determine whether the engagement forces are equally distributed between the two rocker arm skull pins. If the indicator caps show significantly unequal load distribution, the rocker arm can be pivotally adjusted to produce a rocker arm orientation which results in a more equal load distribution on the two spaced rocker arm skull pins.

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Wrentham, MA, United States of America

Donald A Lincoln