Position augmenting mechanism

• US 20080033431A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Leuthardt, Eric C., Rinaldo, John D., Wood, Lowell L.
• Application Number:
  US11/478,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033431A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7002 Longitudinal elements, e.g. rods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/7032 Screws or hooks with U-shaped head or back through which longitudinal rods pass
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/80 Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure

Abstract

One aspect relates to augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element. Another aspect relates to a surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting a first surgical theater element relative to a second surgical theater element. Yet another aspect relates to controlling positioning of a bony element at least partially by augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element. Still another aspect can relate to a shunt tube configured to be augmented secured with respect to a shunt device, at least partially to configure the shunt device into an operable position.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

improving a relative positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element with respect to the originally unsecured bridging element when the former is not in a correct range of desired position(s).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

substantially maintaining a relative positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element with respect to the originally unsecured bridging element when the former is in a correct range of desired position(s).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning along three orthogonal axes of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning along two orthogonal axes with some permissible motion along a third orthogonal axis of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using an offset-based position augmenting mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using a biased-based position augmenting mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using a processor-based position augmenting mechanism.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using a deformation-based position augmenting mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using an inflatable-based position augmenting mechanism.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using a shape memory-based position augmenting mechanism.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element with respect to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

augmenting positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element at least partially using a fastener cup attachment mechanism.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the augmenting the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element can be performed substantially within an individual.

14. A method, comprising:

controlling positioning of a bony element at least partially by augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling positioning of a bony element at least partially by augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

improving a relative positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element with respect to the originally unsecured bridging element when the former is not in a correct range of desired position(s).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling positioning of a bony element at least partially by augmenting positioning of an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

substantially maintaining a relative positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element with respect to the originally unsecured bridging element when the former is in a correct range of desired position(s).

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising maintaining positioning of the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

18. A method, comprising:

augmenting positioning of a surgical theater mechanism at least partially to assemble the surgical theater mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the augmenting positioning of a surgical theater mechanism at least partially to assemble the surgical theater mechanism comprises:

augmenting positioning of a thoracic surgical theater mechanism at least partially to assemble the surgical theater mechanism.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the augmenting positioning of a surgical theater mechanism at least partially to assemble the surgical theater mechanism comprises:

augmenting positioning of an abdominal surgical theater mechanism at least partially to assemble the surgical theater mechanism.

21. A method, comprising:

augmenting positioning of a shunt tube with respect to a shunt device at least partially to configure the shunt device into an operable position.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

A position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing along three orthogonal axes the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing along two orthogonal axes with some permissible motion along a third orthogonal axis the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

an offset-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

a biased-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

a processor-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

a deformation-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

an inflatable-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

a pre-deformation-based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can augment securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

a fastener cup based position augmenting mechanism that can augment the securing the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a position augmenting mechanism that can be configurable to secure a bony element at least partially based on a securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can be configurable to secure a bony element at least partially based on a securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

the position augmenting mechanism that can be configurable to substantially secure along three orthogonal axes the originally unsecured attachment element to the originally unsecured bridging element.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the position augmenting mechanism that can be configurable to secure a bony element at least partially based on a securing an originally unsecured attachment element relative to an originally unsecured bridging element comprises:

the position augmenting mechanism that can be configurable to substantially secure along two orthogonal axes while allowing a limited motion for the bony element along a third orthogonal axis the originally unsecured attachment element relative to the originally unsecured bridging element.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

a surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting a first surgical theater element relative to a second surgical theater element.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting a first surgical theater element relative to a second surgical theater element comprises:

a thoracic surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting the first surgical theater element relative to the second surgical theater element.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting a first surgical theater element relative to a second surgical theater element comprises:

an abdominal surgical theater mechanism that can be at least partially fabricated at least partially based on position augmenting the first surgical theater element relative to the second surgical theater element.

38. An apparatus, comprising:

an individual-internal position augmenting mechanism that can be attached at least partially based on securing an originally unsecured bridging element relative to an originally unsecured attachment element within a desired range of positions at least partially internally to an individual.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism can be applied to within the individual using minimally invasive surgical techniques.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism can be expanded within the individual using minimally invasive surgical techniques.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism can be applied to within the individual using open surgical techniques.

42. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism can be expanded within the individual using open surgical techniques.

43. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism configurable to be adjusted within the individual.

44. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism configurable to be adjusted within the individual following a surgery performed at least partially within the individual.

45. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism configurable to be adjusted within the individual following a surgery within the individual based at least in part on input from input being provided outside of the individual.

46. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

the individual-internal position augmenting mechanism configurable to maintain the originally unsecured bridging element relative to the originally unsecured attachment element.

47. A method, comprising:

a shunt tube configured to be augmented secured with respect to a shunt device, at least partially to configure the shunt device into an operable position.