Movement dampening system for a surgical tool
AssigneeVanderbilt University
InventorsStanley Duke Herrell, Robert J. Webster, Ray A. Lathrop
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A movement dampening system for a surgical tool. The system includes a height-adjustable base positionable adjacent to a surgical site on a patient. An elastic damper is disposed adjacent to the height-adjustable base, A channel extends through the elastic damper and the height-adjustable base to the surgical site. A portion of the channel extending through the elastic damper is sized to receive the surgical tool and to restrict movement of the surgical tool.
Claims20
A movement dampening system for a surgical tool, the system comprising:
- a base positionable adjacent to a surgical site on a patient;
- an elastic damper disposed adjacent the base;
- and
- a channel extending through the elastic damper and the base to the surgical site, a portion of the channel extending through the elastic damper being sized to receive the surgical tool and to restrict movement of the surgical tool.
The method of claim 12, wherein the surgical tool includes a trocar having an opening and first mass disposed on a distal end configured to be located at a predetermined depth within the surgical site.
The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the height of the height-adjustable base further includes pumping a medium into and out of an expandable volume of the height adjustable base.
The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the height of the height adjustable base includes moving an outer member of the height adjustable base relative to a seat.
A method for using a movement dampening system during laproscopic surgery, comprising:
- positioning a movement dampening system on an outer surface of a surgical site, wherein the movement dampening system includes a height-adjustable base positioned adjacent to the surgical site, an elastic damper positioned above the height-adjustable base, and a channel extending through the elastic damper and the height-adjustable base to the surgical site, a portion of the channel extending through the elastic damper being sized to receive a surgical tool and to restrict movement of the surgical tool;
- inserting the surgical tool through the channel and into the surgical site;
- and
- adjusting a height of the height-adjustable base to control dampening characteristics of the movement dampening system,
- wherein increasing the height of the height-adjustable base increases a distance between the elastic damper and the surgical site and increases a dampening effect of the movement dampening system, and
- wherein decreasing the height of the height-adjustable base decreases the distance between the elastic damper and the surgical site and decreases the dampening effect of the movement dampening system.
A stabilizing system for a surgical instrument, comprising:
- a trocar, including a first mass and a channel, that is configured to extend into a surgical site of a patient;
- and
- a movement dampening base, disposed adjacent to an exterior surface of the surgical site of the patient, including an elastic member coupled to the trocar;
- wherein the surgical instrument is configured to extend through the channel into a patient to perform a surgical operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.