Tunable mechanical resonator for high-precision cutting of biological tissue
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorMeng Cui
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses for cutting tissue include an oscillator assembly and a clamp. The oscillator assembly defines a resonance frequency and includes a frame, an excitation element, and a blade. The frame has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the lower portion is configured to oscillate relative to the upper portion. The excitation element is coupled with the lower portion of the frame, and the excitation element is selectively operable to provide an excitation signal to the oscillator assembly sufficient to cause the oscillator assembly to oscillate at the resonance frequency. The blade is coupled with the lower portion for sectioning tissue. The clamp is selectively moveable along the frame to alter the resonance frequency of the oscillator assembly.
Claims16
An apparatus for cutting tissue, comprising:
- (a) an oscillator assembly defining a resonance frequency, wherein the oscillator assembly includes:
- (i) a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion is configured to oscillate relative to the upper portion,
- (ii) an excitation element coupled with the lower portion of the frame, wherein the excitation element is selectively operable to provide an excitation signal to the oscillator assembly sufficient to cause the oscillator assembly to oscillate at the resonance frequency, and
- (iii) a blade coupled with the lower portion of the frame, wherein the blade is sized for sectioning tissue;
- and
- (b) a clamp configured to couple with the frame at one of a plurality of positions on the frame between the upper portion and the lower portion, the clamp including opposed slots respectively receiving a pair of legs of the frame and opposed pinching surfaces actuated along a common plane perpendicular to the legs to affix the clamp at identical positions on each leg;
- wherein vertical movement of the clamp between the upper portion and the lower portion changes an effective oscillation arm length of the frame and thereby alters the resonance frequency of the oscillator assembly.
An apparatus for cutting tissue, comprising:
- (a) an oscillator assembly defining a resonance frequency, wherein the oscillator assembly includes:
- (i) a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the lower portion is configured to oscillate relative to the upper portion, wherein the frame includes:
- (A) a top and bottom surface, and
- (B) a pair of legs each coupled with the top and bottom surfaces, wherein the top and bottom surfaces and the pair of legs define a rectangular shape having an open center;
- (ii) an excitation element coupled with the lower portion of the frame, wherein the excitation element is selectively operable to provide an excitation signal to the oscillator assembly sufficient to cause the oscillator assembly to oscillate at the resonance frequency;
- and
- (b) a clamp configured to couple with each of the pair of legs of the frame, the clamp including opposed slots respectively receiving the pair of legs of the frame, the clamp defining opposed pinching surfaces actuated along a common plane perpendicular to the pair of legs to selectively affix the clamp to the pair of legs at identical positions on each leg;
- wherein the clamp includes threaded pins configured to translate moveable members that define the opposed pinching surfaces, and wherein the clamp is selectively moveable between the upper portion and the lower portion to change an effective oscillation arm length of the frame and thereby alter the resonance frequency of the oscillator assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.