Insulated skull pins
AssigneeDepuy Ace Medical Company
InventorsJanel A. Birk, Anne E. Hover
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A skull pin has a ceramic insulating portion between a titanium driving portion and a titanium tip portion. The driving portion of the skull pin terminates in a sleeve, and the ceramic insulator with a solid cylindrical shape is received such as with a press fit in the sleeve. The preferred ceramic material is zirconia. The tip portion has an opposing outer sleeve which receives the distal end of the ceramic insulator such as with a press fit. The ceramic insulator is believed to reduce or eliminate a burning sensation felt by patients during Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which may be caused by transmission of high (radio) frequency electrical signals through the prior art skull pins.
Claims24
A skull pin for a cervical fixation device, comprising:
- a pointed tip for contact with a patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the tip being metallic and including a sleeve;
- an insulator attached to the tip and extending outward from the tip, the insulator being rigid and non-metallic, and including an extension received in the sleeve, and
- a driving portion coupled to the insulator and formed for attachment with the cervical fixation device for providing an inwardly directed force to the insulator and the tip.
The skull pin of claim wherein
- the driving portion is separated by the insulator from contact with the tip and is metallic.
A skull pin for a cervical fixation devices comprising:
- a metallic tip for contact with a patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the including a point defining an axis and a sleeve having an inner diameter and extending outward along the axis;
- and
- a ceramic insulator attached to the tip along the axis and extending outward from the tip along the axis, the insulator having an outer diameter generally equal to the inner diameter of the sleeve such that the insulator is attached within the sleeve, the insulator being rigid and non-metallic.
A skull pin for a cervical fixation device, comprising;
- a pointed tip for contact with a patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the tip being metallic;
- and
- an insulator attached to the tip and extending outward from the tip, the insulator being rigid and non-metallic, and the tip comprises a sleeve, and the insulator comprises a cylindrical extension received in the sleeve.
The cervical fixation device for substantially immobilizing a patient's head, comprising:
- a support frame for at least partially encircling the patient's head;
- and
- a plurality of skull pins extending radially inward from the support frame and biased by the support frame for contact with the patient's head, at least one of the skull pins comprising;
- a pointed tip for contact with the patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the tip being metallic and including a sleeve;
- and
- a ceramic insulator attached to the tip and extending outward from the tip, the insulator including an extension received in the sleeve and being rigid and non-metallic, the insulator resisting radio frequency electrical current flow between the support frame and the tip.
A cervical fixation device for substantially immobilizing a patient's head, comprising:
- a support frame for at least partially encircling the patient's head;
- and
- a plurality of skull pins extending radially inward from the support frame and biased by the support frame for contact with the patient's head, at least one of the skull pins comprising:
- a pointed tip for contact with the patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the tip being metallic and including a sleeve;
- an insulator attached to the tip and extending outward from the tip, the insulator being rigid and non-metallic and including an extension received in the sleeve, the insulator resisting radio frequency electrical current flow between the support frame and the tip;
- and
- a driving portion attached to the insulator and separated by the insulator from contact with the tip, the driving portion being inwardly biased by the cervical fixation device for providing a holding force for the patient's head, the driving portion being metallic.
A pin for a fixation device for immobilizing a patient in magnetic resonance imaging, the pin comprising:
- a driving portion adapted for attachment with the fixation device for providing an inwardly directed biasing force;
- a metallic tip portion attached to the driving portion, the tip portion for contact with a patient during use of the fixation device;
- and
- an insulator extending between the driving portion and the tip portion, the insulator providing at least about 1/10th of an inch of separation between the driving portion and the tip portion, the insulator being a polycrystalline or amorphous ceramic.
A skull pin for a cervical fixation device, comprising:
- a titanium tip for contact with a patient's head during use of the cervical fixation device, the tip having a point defining an axis, the tip having a cylindrical sleeve with an inner diameter extending outward along the axis;
- a solid cylindrical insulator disposed along the axis and extending outward from the tip, the insulator having an outer diameter matching the inner diameter of the sleeve such that the insulator is attached within the sleeve, the insulator being rigid and ceramic;
- and
- a titanium driving portion disposed along the axis and extending outward from the insulator, the driving portion having a cylindrical driving sleeve with an inner diameter matching the outer diameter of the insulator such that the insulator is attached within the driving sleeve and axially separates the driving portion from contact with the tip, the driving portion comprising means for attachment with the cervical fixation device for providing an inwardly directed biasing force to the insulator and the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.