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US 5,728,089 AGranted
Microfabricated structure to be used in surgery
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsAmit Lal, Richard M. White
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microstructure suitable for use as a surgical instrument. The microstructure includes a silicon substrate having body and horn portions. The horn portion may include a blade with a forward edge. A piezoelectric actuator may be mechanically coupled to the body portion.
Claims3
A surgical tool, comprising:
- (a) a casing;
- (b) a cutter formed of a first and a second microstructure bonded together, each of said microstructures having:
- (i) a substrate of a first semiconducting material, said substrate having a body portion and a horn portion projecting forward from said body portion,
- (ii) said horn portion having a blade portion which is free to vibrate, said blade portion having a forward edge which is significantly thinner than said body portion, and said body portion having a top surface and a bottom surface,
- (iii) a piezoelectric actuator for imparting mechanical energy to said blade portion, said piezoelectric actuator mechanically coupled to the top surface of said body portion, and piezoelectric actuator including a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a piezoelectric layer between said first and second electrode layers, and
- (iv) the bottom surfaces of the body portions of said first and second microstructures bonded together to form said cutter;
- (c) means for mounting said cutter in said casing;
- (d) means for supplying power to said first and second electrode layers;
- and
- (e) means for controlling said power supply means.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.