Articulating arm for medical procedures
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for carrying a load during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:
- a base;
an articulating arm having a distal end and a proximal end secured in a movable fashion to said base;
at least one positional encoder coupled to said arm;
a receptacle at the distal end for carrying an effector;
means for load balancing said arm when said effector is engaged; and
a controller coupled to the positional encoder(s) to track the position of the arm in real time.
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Abstract
An apparatus for precise positioning of a medical device is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a base, an articulating arm, a position sensor and a means for load balancing. The apparatus may also include a robotic driver and an additional rhythmic motion sensor. The apparatus is used to carry a therapy head for a medical procedure requiring precise positioning of a therapy head, precise movement of a therapy head, or use of a therapy head over a patient body for an extended period of time.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus for carrying a load during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:
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a base;
an articulating arm having a distal end and a proximal end secured in a movable fashion to said base;
at least one positional encoder coupled to said arm;
a receptacle at the distal end for carrying an effector;
means for load balancing said arm when said effector is engaged; and
a controller coupled to the positional encoder(s) to track the position of the arm in real time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An apparatus for precise positioning of a medical device comprising:
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a base;
a robotic articulating arm having a base end attached to said base and an unsecured end attached to an effector capable of holding one or more medical devices;
at least one position sensor located substantially near said unsecured end and capable of determining the precise position of said effector relative to a patient and said base; and
a controller in electronic communication with said motion sensor;
wherein the controller utilizes data from the sensor to control the robotic articulating arm to maintain the location of the one or more medical device relative to a patient in real time. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of controlling an articulating arm through at least one force generating device comprising the steps of:
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(a) determining a desired position for said articulating arm;
(b) converting said desired position to a plurality of component coordinates;
(c) calculating a first time position coordinate for each of said plurality of components;
(d) transmitting a force changing command to said force generating device;
(e) calculating a subsequent time position coordinate for each said plurality of components;
(f) comparing said subsequent time position coordinate to said desired position; and
(g) adjusting said force changing commands until said articulating arm achieves said desired position. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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Specification