Ohio Medical Instrument Company, Inc.

Pullman Incorporated

Integra Ohio, Inc.

James L Day

Mark P Carol

Robert J Riker

Erik G Miller

Robert L Whaley

Donald A Lincoln

Charles Dinkler

Richard B Budde

Ali Mowlai-Ashtiani

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.

Three-pin skull clamp with load distribution indicators on the rocker arm

An apparatus and method are disclosed for displaying a path between a selected target and selected points on a patient's skull and for guiding surgical instruments along any selected path. The system is comprised of an image display system, an articulated arm and probe, and a stereotactic system. The sub-systems are coupled to one another so that the articulated probe may be used to select patient fiducial points that correspond to selected image fiducial points. Using these points, the image display system coregisters the external locations to the displayed images so that the probe condition may be displayed with the displayed images. The system further permits the identification of a selected target within a patient's brain and to project a path from the external position to the target prior to the performance of a craniotomy. After evaluation of the path, a surgeon may lock the stereotactic system in place to preserve a selected surgical path and to guide instruments along that path. A method of utilizing the system to perform such surgical procedures is also described.

Apparatus and method for surgical stereotactic procedures

A noninvasive apparatus for supporting tools associated with a stereotactic apparatus and procedures to guide tools along any selected path. In one embodiment of the invention, the tool support system is mounted to a skull clamp holding a patient's head. In another embodiment, the tool holder and an articulated arm and probe are mounted to the tool support system which in turn, is mounted to the side rails of a table supporting a patient. With the second embodiment, stereotactic procedures can be practiced with respect to any part of the patient's body.

Apparatus for surgical stereotactic procedures

Apparatus for neurosurgical stereotactic procedures

A head support for a patient support table having a skull securing clamp that is mounted to a non-circular support bar for selective attachment to the side rails of the patient support table. The skull clamp includes a non-circular support aperture for receiving the non-circular support bar. The structural components of the head support are made from radiolucent material and the support bar includes mounting posts at its first and second ends so that arms for mounting the support bar to the side rails may be located out of the path of the x-rays through the patient's head. The non-circular shape of the support aperture and the support bar prevent inadvertent rotation of the radiolucent skull securing clamp with respect to the radiolucent support bar. The location of the mounting posts on the support arms and the utilization of the radiolucent material results in fewer artifacts in the developed x-ray picture.

Radiolucent head support

A surgical head clamp having a C-shaped frame with a fixed head engaging pin on one side and a pair of head engaging pins on the opposite side. The opposite side of the clamp also has a rotation mechanism for adjusting the angular position of the pair of head engaging pins and a translation mechanism for linearly moving the pair of head engaging pins with respect to the fixed head engaging pin.

Surgical head clamp

A vertebral lock mountable in a cavity surgically formed in a vertebra, to separate and stabilize the adjacent vertebrae above and below the cavity. Oppositely extending pins project upwardly and downwardly from a generally cylindrical body which is insertable in the cavity. The pins are fixed vertically by a spline which is slid between their inner ends, at a right angle, to prevent the pins from loosening.

Vertebral lock

Apparatus for holding a patient's head for surgery thereon so that the head is accessible from ear to ear and from occiput to and including the orbits. The apparatus holds the head clamped between opposed clamp pads. Rear support means engages the posterior of the head and a pair of face pads are adjustably positionable just below the cheekbones of the patient and are lockable in such position. The face pads and rear support means are releasably movable toward one another to hold the head securely between them.

Apparatus for holding the head of a patient for surgery

A locking mechanism for securing a container to a truck chassis is provided and includes a manually reciprocating locking member movable in a piston-like fashion through a housing from a retracted position within the housing to an extended position within a slot of a corner casting in an adjacent container. The reciprocating member is also rotatable and includes an eccentric locking pin to adjust the location of the locking pin to compensate for dimensional variations and to enable the locking pin search for the locking slot of a corner casting by moving between several positions.

Variance compensating coupler for container-carrying trailer chassis

A chassis lock to secure a container body to a trailer chassis includes a bolt comprising upper and lower telescoping sections, the upper section having a head member received in a cavity in the container body and shaped so that rotating the head bolt locks the body to the chassis. The head member is rotated through the lower portion which is vertically displaceable and lockable in two rotatably different positions by a plate welded thereto that locks into a slot in the chassis in those two positions.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

James L Day