Stabilizer for robotic beating-heart surgery

• US 20050033270A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Falk, Volkmar, Rosa, David J., Ramans, Andris D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,105,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/305 Details of wrist mechanisms at distal ends of robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/715 Cable tensioning mechanisms for removing slack
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

Surgical methods and devices allow closed-chest surgery to be performed on a heart of a patient while the heart is beating. A region of the heart is stabilized by engaging a surface of the heart with a stabilizer without having to stop the heart. Motion of the target tissues is inhibited sufficiently to treat the target tissues with robotic surgical tools which move in response to inputs of a robotic system operator. A stabilizing surface of the stabilizer is coupled to a drive system to position the surface from outside the patient, preferably by actuators of the robotic servomechanism. Exemplary stabilizers includes a suture or other flexible tension member spanning between a pair of jointed bodies, allowing the member to occlude a coronary blood vessel and/or help stabilize the target region between the stabilizing surfaces.

Claims

1-15. -15. (Canceled)

16. Method for forming a protein complex, said method comprising treating a protein of said protein complex with a protein complex formative agent comprising a polyphenol.

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein said polyphenol is selected from the group consisting of:

epigallocatechin gallate, tannic acids, and proanto-dianisidine.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of animal proteins, vegetable proteins, nucleus proteins, glycogen proteins, lipo-proteins, and metal proteins

28. Method according to claim 16, wherein said protein is selected form the group consisting of insulin, interferon α

, epithelium cell growth factor (EGF), and allergen protein.

29. Method according to claim 16, wherein the weight ratio of said protein to said polyphenol is in the range of about 15-1000.

30. Method according to claim 16, comprising the steps of:

adding said polyphenol to a solution of said protein;

stirring said solution for about 5-8 hours;

and drying said solution by freeze-drying.

19-27. -27. (Canceled)

31. A protein complex comprising a protein, and a polyphenol.

32. The protein complex according to claim 31, wherein said polyphenol is selected from the group consisting of epigallocatechin gallate, tannic acids, and proanto-dianisidine.

33. The protein complex according to claim 31, wherein said protein is selected form the group consisting of animal proteins, vegetable proteins, nucleus proteins, glycogen proteins, lipo-proteins, and metal proteins.

34. The protein complex according to claim 31, wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of insulin, interferon α

, epithelium cell growth factor (EGF), and allergen protein.

35. The protein complex according to claim 31, further comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of an anti-inflammatory drug, an anti-allergen drug, an antihistamine, albumin, a filler, and an antioxidant.

36. The protein complex according to claim 31, wherein the weight ration of said protein the range of about 15-1000.