The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 14, 1994
Michael J Sinclair, Atlanta, GA (US);
John W Peifer, Atlanta, GA (US);
Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (US);
Abstract
A surgical simulator provides both visual and tactile feedback in order to realistically portray an actual surgical procedure. The visual feedback is provided through an SGI graphics computer which drives a monitor to display two images of an eye at slightly different perspectives. A set of optics, which preferably mimics an actual surgical microscope, combines the two images to form a stereo image of the eye. An instrument for simulating a surgical tool is connected through three sets of levers and hinges to three servo-motors which collectively generate a resistive force along any direction. The forces provided to the instrument are modeled after forces measured during an actual procedure and therefore accurately simulate the feel of a surgical procedure. The position and orientation of the instrument is transmitted to the SGI graphics computer which manipulates the eye based upon the position and motion of the instrument and updates the image of the eye to display a manipulated eye. The position of the instrument is also relayed to a second processing unit which provides the tactile feedback based upon the state of the instrument.