Medtronic, Inc.

Image-guided Neurologics, Inc.

Other

Gerald W Mills

Matthew S Solar

Thomas I Miller

John David

Raghu Raghavan

Martin Lee Brady

James Grant Skakoon

Charles Loeb Truwit

A microcoil is manufactured by rolling a trace unit in such a way as to form at least one winding. The trace unit is comprised of a conductive trace attached to a flexible insulating film. A preferred embodiment of the microcoil contains both a first winding and a second winding electrically connected and spaced apart by ajoining portion. The microcoil may be used for internal magnetic resonance imaging of patient by attaching the microcoil to a catheter.

Microcoil construction

A method for forming a microcoil includes attaching a conducting trace of conductive material to a film of insulating material and affixing an attaching trace of conductive material to the film, wherein the attaching trace is electrically isolated from the conducting trace of conductive material. The method also includes operably coupling the attaching trace to a mandrel prior to rolling of the mandrel and rolling the mandrel with the attaching trace attached thereto to circumferentially wrap the conducting trace of conductive material more than one revolution around a longitudinal axis of rolling. The attaching trace remains electrically isolated from the conducting trace after rolling the mandrel.

Method of forming microcoil with conducting trace and attaching trace

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 neurosurgery. The alignment device includes an insertion guide that is coupled to the local adjustment device, the insertion guide being used to guide a device such as a catheter into a patient. The alignment device may also be coupled to a control module such as a microcomputer that controls the orientation of the insertion guide in response to inputs from the surgeon as to a location of interest within the patient.

Robotic trajectory guide

A microcoil is manufactured by rolling a trace unit in such a way as to form at least one winding. The trace unit is comprised of a conductive trace attached to a flexible insulating film. A preferred embodiment of the microcoil contains both a first winding and a second winding electrically connected and spaced apart by a joining portion. The microcoil may be used for internal magnetic resonance imaging of patient by attaching the microcoil to a catheter.

An introducer is described that is coupled to a patient, specifically a patient's skull. The introducer may include an advancer that is remote from the patient, the advancer communicating with the introducer by means of a cable system. The introducer may also include a local position sensor that indicates the position of the primary medical device being introduced. The introducer may also include a frameless reference system that locates the primary medical device relative to a table that the patient is fixed to.

Medical device introducer

A surgical alignment device is shown 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 neurosurgery. The alignment device includes an insertion guide that is coupled to the local adjustment device, the insertion guide being used to guide a device such as a catheter into a patient. The alignment device may also be coupled to a control module such as a microcomputer that controls the orientation of the insertion guide in response to inputs from the surgeon as to a location of interest within the patient.

Method of manufacturing a microcoil construction

A medical device is provided comprising a MRI compatible cranial drill having a removable sterilizable drill bit and a sterile barrier. The sterile barrier has an interior portion, a proximal end, a distal end, a proximal opening at the proximal end and an opening at the distal end. The opening at the distal end further comprises an aperture. The drill is insertable into the proximal opening, the aperture being constructed and arranged to seal around the drill bit such that the drill is enclosed in the interior portion of the sterile barrier and only a portion of the sterile drill bit extends exteriorly of the barrier. In one embodiment, the medical device includes a MRI compatible adjustable depth stop which limits and defines depth of penetration of the drill. In one embodiment the present invention provides a method for providing access to a body of a surgical patient, which includes providing a medical device comprising in combination a MRI compatible drill and a sterile drill bit, providing a locking trajectory guide, mounting the trajectory guide on the patient's body, selecting a predetermined depth and adjusting the depth stop to the predetermined depth, advancing the medical device to the body and aligning it with the trajectory guide, utilizing the medical device to cause the sterile drill bit to penetrate the body the predetermined depth to which the depth stop is adjusted, and removing the sterile drill bit from the body. In one embodiment, the medical device includes a sterile barrier.

Cranial drill with sterile barrier

A safety system for automatically operated sliding panel doors, specifically elevator doors, having acoustic wave transmitters and receivers arranged in a row along the moving door's leading edge. Short bursts of acoustic energy are projected both in front of the door and to one or both sides so as to 'sweep' a three-dimensional space, in and near the door's path, representing a zone of potential danger to persons or objects therein. Reflected energy from persons or objects in the danger zone is usable if it is received, following each transmitted burst, during a prescribed time interval representing combinations of the doorway opening distance and other selected parameters, and usable reflections are converted to a control signal to stop and re-open the doors before they strike the endangered person or object.

Growing community of inventors

Palm Bay, FL, United States of America

Gerald W Mills