Radio-transparent system for stereotactic radiosurgery and fractionated radiation therapy
First Claim
1. Apparatus for performing stereotactic radiosurgery upon a lesion within a skull, comprising:
- a frame extending about a central axis for positioning around the skull, the frame defining a multi-dimensional coordinate system for localizing surgical procedures;
multiple vertically elongated arms each made from a plastic radio-transparent material and including a bottom end attached to the frame and a top end, each arm including an associated receptacle;
multiple assemblies insertable into the arm receptacles; and
a support frame made from a plastic radio-transparent material extending about the central axis and attached to the top end of each arm thereby holding each arm in a rigid lateral alignment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rigid frame that is positioned around the skull to define a multi-dimensional coordinate system. Multiple arms are coupled together with a support ring to increase the overall stiffness of the frame. The arms and the support ring are made from a plastic material that makes the frame appear transparent in CT and MRI images. Receptors provide a mounting base upon which the frame is repeatedly attached and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location. Each receptor is mounted to the skull with a screw that inserts through a rear end. A drill assembly and attachment assembly are used to secure the receptors in the skull.
42 Citations
16 Claims
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1. Apparatus for performing stereotactic radiosurgery upon a lesion within a skull, comprising:
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a frame extending about a central axis for positioning around the skull, the frame defining a multi-dimensional coordinate system for localizing surgical procedures; multiple vertically elongated arms each made from a plastic radio-transparent material and including a bottom end attached to the frame and a top end, each arm including an associated receptacle; multiple assemblies insertable into the arm receptacles; and a support frame made from a plastic radio-transparent material extending about the central axis and attached to the top end of each arm thereby holding each arm in a rigid lateral alignment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus for performing stereotactic radiosurgery upon a lesion within a skull, comprising:
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a frame extending about a central axis for positioning around the skull, the frame defining a multi-dimensional coordinate system for localizing surgical procedures; multiple vertically elongated arms each including a bottom end attached to the frame and a top end, each arm including an associated receptacle; multiple assemblies insertable into the arm receptacles the assemblies including a mounting pin having a flat front face for attaching the frame to the skull at a predetermined reference location; a support frame extending about the central axis and attached to the top end of each arm thereby holding each arm in a rigid lateral alignment; and multiple receptors each for attaching to the skull and receiving an associated mounting pin, the receptors providing a mounting base upon which the frame can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for performing stereotactic radiosurgery upon a lesion within a skull, comprising:
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a frame extending about a central axis for positioning around the skull, the frame defining a multi-dimensional coordinate system for localizing surgical procedures; multiple vertically elongated arms each including a bottom end attached to the frame and a top end, each arm including an associated receptacle; multiple assemblies insertable into the arm receptacles; a support frame extending about the central axis and attached to the top end of each arm thereby holding each arm in a rigid lateral alignment; and means for selectively varying height of the support frame above the frame.
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10. An apparatus for performing stereotactic radiosurgery upon a lesion within a skull, comprising:
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a frame extending about a central axis for positioning around the skull, the frame defining a multi-dimensional coordinate system for localizing surgical procedures; multiple vertically elongated arms each including a bottom end attached to the frame and a top end, each arm including an associated receptacle; multiple assemblies insertable into the arm receptacles, assemblies including a drill bit assembly for boring holes in the skull, the drill bit assembly having a drill guide body insertable into any of the arm receptacles, a drill guide spindle for selectively inserting at various distances into the drill guide body and a depth gauge attached at a front end of the drill guide spindle for gauging the distance a drill bit is inserted into the skull; and a support frame extending about the central axis and attached to the top end of each arm thereby holding each arm in a rigid lateral alignment.
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11. An apparatus for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull, comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of attachment assemblies each detachably joined to frame receptacles in the frame and configured to be extendably directed toward the skull; multiple receptors each having a back end for attaching to the skull and a front end for receiving the attachment assemblies, the receptors providing a mounting base upon which the frame can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location; multiple receptor screws each configured to extend through the back end of an associated receptor into the skull; and a detachable drill guide body insertable inside the frame receptacles, a drill guide spindle adjustably insertable at selectable longitudinal positions inside the drill guide body and a depth gauge attached at a front side of the drill guide spindle.
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12. A system for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull, comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of attachment assemblies each detachably joined to frame receptacles in the frame and configured to be and extendably directed toward the skull; multiple receptors each having a back end for attaching to the skull and a front end for receiving the attachment assemblies, the receptors providing a mounting base upon which the frame can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the skull at the same reproducible reference location; multiple receptor screws each configured to extend through the back end of an associated receptor into the skull; and an installation tool and a screw driver, the installation tool insertable inside the frame receptacles and having a front end insertable inside any of the multiple receptors, the installation tool for further aligning the receptor screws into pilot holes previously drilled in the skull.
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13. A method for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull, comprising:
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spot facing the skull at locations where receptors are to be mounted to the skull, each spot face having a flat circular surface with a center pilot hole; drilling screw holes into the skull at the spot face locations; inserting receptor screws into receptors; screwing the receptor screws into the screw holes thereby attaching the receptors to the skull; inserting pins through receptacles provided in the frame and into the receptors; and locking the pins to the frame thereby holding the fame in a given reference position in relation to the skull.
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14. A method for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull, comprising:
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providing a stereotactic frame with receptacles in the stereotactic frame; inserting a drill guide into one of the receptacles; inserting a drill guide spindle into the drill guide; inserting a drill bit attached to a drill chuck into the drill guide through the drill guide spindle until the drill bit contacts the skull; attaching a depth gauge on the drill bit between the drill guide spindle and the drill chuck, the depth gauge having a given thickness; moving the drill guide spindle longitudinally inside the drill guide until the depth gauge is snugly fit between the drill guide spindle and the drill chuck; removing the depth gauge from the drill bit; drilling the drill bit into the skull until the drill chuck comes in contact with the drill guide spindle thereby forming a screw hole in the skull a distance substantially equal to the given thickness of the depth gauge; inserting a receptor screw into a receptor; screwing the receptor screw into the screw hole thereby attaching the receptor to the skull; inserting a pin through one of the receptacles and into the receptors; and locking the pins to the stereotactic frame thereby holding the stereotactic frame in a given reference position in relation to the skull.
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15. A method for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull, comprising:
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inserting a receptor screw into a receptor hole in a back end of a receptor; inserting a front end of an installation tool into the receptor; inserting a screw driver into the installation tool, the screw driver engaging with the receptor screw; inserting the installation tool, receptor and receptor screw through a receptacle provided in the stereotactic frame; driving the receptor screw into a screw hole in the skull with the screwdriver until the receptor screw is tight against a back end of the receptor; inserting a pin through the receptacle and into the receptor; and locking the pin to the frame thereby holding the fame in a given reference position in relation to the skull.
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16. Apparatus for attaching a stereotactic frame to a skull comprising;
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a plurality of attachment assemblies each detachably joined to an associated one of multiple receptacles in a stereotactic frame and extendably directed toward a central location in the frame; multiple receptors for attaching to the skull and providing a mounting base and reproducible reference location for slidingly receiving a front end of an associated one of the plurality of attachment assemblies whereby the stereotactic frame can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the multiple receptors; a detachable drill guide body insertable inside the stereotactic frame receptacles; a drill guide spindle adjustably insertable at selectable longitudinal positions inside the drill guide body; and a depth gauge attached at a front side of the drill guide spindle.
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Specification