Abstract:
A medical instrument mounting and positioning device is disclosed, comprising a platform with bilateral clamps to hold a camera or other instrument, said platform being movable via a swivel ball-and-socket joint and connected to a spring-tensioned articulated arm having a flexible coil and three longitudinal members connected by pivot screw joints. Another swivel ball joint is located at the non-instrument end of the articulated arm, to connect the arm to a support member that is anchorable to a surgical table or other surface.

Description:
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention is in the area of medical instrument mounting and positioning devices. 
       2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    The prior art discloses various surgical instrument holders featuring articulated arms. However, none of these prior art devices exhibit the features of the present invention—that is, a platform with bilateral clamps to hold a camera or other instrument, said platform being rotatable via a swivel ball fitting and connected to a spring-tensioned articulated arm having a flexible coil, two additional pivot screw joints, and another swivel ball fitting. The invention&#39;s unique and innovative structure allows it to do a significantly better job of positioning surgical instruments in a flexible yet stable manner, thus freeing up the hands of surgeons and other medical personnel to perform other tasks. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,143,652 to Meier; 6,834,837 to Schilt; 6,639,789 to Beger; 4,461,284 to Fackler; 6,488,030 and 6,085,749, both to Wardle; 5,918,844 to Ognier; 5,224,680 to Greenstein; 5,820,623 to Ng; and 5,876,325 to Mizuno all disclose surgical instrument holders with arms that are articulated in various ways. However, none of these patents disclose a flat platform with two bilateral clamps attached to the working end of the arm, whereby a camera can be attached. In addition, these patents do not disclose a flexible lateral coil joint at the instrument mounting end of the arm, as in the device of the invention. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,887,198 to Phillips; 3,858,578 to Milo; 4,573,452 to Greenberg; 4,867,404 to Harrington; D389,913 to Bookwalter; 5,447,149 to Kikiwada; 5,284,130 to Ratliff; and 5,899,425 to Corey Jr. disclose devices that take a different approach to arm articulation. Instead of having relatively rigid arm segments that are connected by swivel, ball, or other joints to accomplish the articulation, these devices use continuously flexible lengths of tubing commonly referred to as “goosenecks”. In some cases, the goosenecks are combined with one or more other joints in the articulated arm. Although the goosenecks in these devices resemble the flexible lateral coil joint in the invention, the physical structure of the rest of the arm (number of joints, type of joints, etc.) is markedly different from that of the invention. In addition, as with the prior art discussed above, none of these patents disclose a flat platform with two bilateral clamps attached to the working end of the arm, whereby a camera or other device can be attached. In addition to the above, two other patents—U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,220,556 to Sohrt and 3,910,538 to Baitella—disclose articulated arms that are used to hold things other than surgical instruments. However, these patents are not directed to surgical or urological instruments, and as a result, their physical structure is significantly different from that of the invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The invention is a medical instrument mounting and positioning device, comprising a platform with bilateral clamps to hold a camera or other instrument, said platform being movable via a swivel ball-and-socket joint and connected to a spring-tensioned articulated arm having a flexible coil, three longitudinal members connected by pivot screw joints, and another swivel ball joint connecting the articulated arm to a support member that is anchorable to a surgical table or other surface. 
         [0006]    When performing various urological procedures, instrumentation is often used, and this can include cameras and other instruments. It is typically difficult for the surgeon to position and manipulate the instrument while also performing surgical techniques—sometimes the surgeon feels as if he or she needs four hands! Thus, there is a real need for a device that provides a stable, yet easily adjustable platform for a camera or other instrument during surgery. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are: 
         [0008]    It is an object of the invention to give the surgeon or other user increased instrument control and maximum flexibility, and free their hands to operate other devices and/or perform other surgical techniques. 
         [0009]    It is a further object of the invention to provide the user with an enhanced ability to perform multiple tasks at the same time, in order to minimize both the time and personnel needed to perform surgical procedures. 
         [0010]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that can be used effectively not only for urological procedures, but also for various other surgical and medical procedures. 
         [0011]    Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates the main structure of the device, comprising an assembly of members attached together via multiple articulating joints and having a platform at one end for holding a camera or other instrument. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a detailed top view of the camera/instrument platform. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative embodiment, wherein the spring that tensions two of the articulating members is located within the interior of those members. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a detailed view of the hand-adjustable articulating joint. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The following provides a list of the reference characters used in the drawings: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 10. 
                 Support member 
               
               
                   
                 11. 
                 Anchor plug 
               
               
                   
                 12. 
                 Second hand-adjustable articulating joint 
               
               
                   
                 13. 
                 First articulating member 
               
               
                   
                 14. 
                 Second articulating member 
               
               
                   
                 15. 
                 Screw 
               
               
                   
                 16. 
                 Third articulating member 
               
               
                   
                 17. 
                 Flexible coil 
               
               
                   
                 18. 
                 First hand-adjustable articulating joint 
               
               
                   
                 19. 
                 Camera/instrument platform 
               
               
                   
                 20. 
                 Spring 
               
               
                   
                 21. 
                 First spring anchor hole 
               
               
                   
                 22. 
                 Second spring anchor hole 
               
               
                   
                 23. 
                 Floor 
               
               
                   
                 24 a&amp;b. 
                 Side walls 
               
               
                   
                 25. 
                 Cord port 
               
               
                   
                 26. 
                 End wall 
               
               
                   
                 27 a&amp;b. 
                 Thumbscrews 
               
               
                   
                 28 a&amp;b. 
                 Bilateral holding plates 
               
               
                   
                 29. 
                 Bracket 
               
               
                   
                 30. 
                 Bracket attachment screw 
               
               
                   
                 31. 
                 Ball 
               
               
                   
                 32. 
                 Socket 
               
               
                   
                 33 a&amp;b. 
                 Socket members 
               
               
                   
                 34. 
                 Handscrew 
               
               
                   
                 35. 
                 Video camera 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates the main structure of the inventive device. A support member  10 , tubular in shape and substantially rigid, has an anchor plug  11  at its free end that is smaller in diameter than support member  10 . This allows the free end of support  10  to be anchored in an operating table or other stable surface (not shown) by inserting anchor plug  11  into the operating table until support member  10  “grounds itself” onto the operating table surface. 
         [0018]    A second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  is attached to the other end of support member  10 . This attachment can be made using screws or any other suitable method. The ball-and-socket structure of second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  will be described further below, in the discussion of  FIG. 4 . The other end of second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12 —that is, the end opposite the one attached to support member  10 —is attached to a first articulating member  13 . First articulating member  13  is also tubular in shape and substantially rigid, and is attached at a predetermined point along its length to a second articulating member  14 , which is also tubular in shape and substantially rigid. The attachment between first articulating member  13  and second articulating member  14  is made by a screw  15  located transversely through the diameter of these two members, and the attachment is such that these two members can rotate relative to one another in the plane perpendicular to the direction of screw  15 . The user can set screw  15  loosely, so that the two members rotate freely, or the user can tighten screw  15  so that the two members are locked together in a desired position. 
         [0019]    The other end of second articulating member  14  is attached to a third articulating member  16 , which is also tubular in shape and substantially rigid. The attachment between second articulating member  14  and third articulating member  16  is similar to the attachment between first articulating member  13  and second articulating member  14 , and is also made by a screw  15  located transversely through the diameter of these two members. The attachment is such that these two members can rotate relative to one another in the plane perpendicular to the direction of screw  15 . The user can set screw  15  loosely, so that the two members rotate freely, or the user can tighten screw  15  so that the two members are locked together in a desired position. 
         [0020]    A flexible coil  17  is located at the other end of third articulating member  16 . Flexible coil  17  is similar in structure to various “gooseneck” components that are known in the art, i.e., it allows the position of items connected to it to be changed, and then the new position is held until a further change in position is desired. Thus, flexible coil  17  provides additional instrument positioning capability. The other end of flexible coil  17  is attached to first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , which has a ball-and-socket structure similar to that of second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  except that the opening to the socket is located at the side (along the length) of first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , instead of at the end as in second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12 . The ball component thus extends substantially vertically from the socket of first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , and is attached at its other end to camera/instrument platform  19 . Thus camera/instrument platform  19  can swivel and rotate relative to first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , in the manner consistent with ball-and-socket joints. The specific structure of camera/instrument platform  19  will be described further below, in the discussion of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0021]    A spring  20  stretches between a first spring anchor hole  21 , which is located at a predetermined point along the length of third articulating member  16 , and a second spring anchor hole  22 , which is located at a predetermined point along the length of first articulating member  13 , beyond the point at which first articulating member  13  is attached to second articulating member  14 . It can be understood that the tension of spring  20  serves to balance the weight of the camera or other instrument which is mounted in camera/instrument platform  19  and keep the vertical position of camera/instrument platform  19  at a desired point. 
         [0022]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , which shows camera/instrument platform  19  in detail, the platform comprises a substantially flat floor  23  and two opposing side walls  24   a &amp; b  which extend from floor  23  and run along its length. By way of non-limiting example,  FIG. 2  shows a video camera  35  positioned within camera/instrument platform  19 . Camera/instrument platform  19  has no front wall, such that the camera or other instrument can be “pointed” out the front end of the platform. A cord port  25 , or opening, is located in an end wall  26  of camera/instrument platform  19 , such that a power cord, data transmission cable, or other component can extend from the camera or other instrument out through end wall  26 . 
         [0023]    Thumbscrews  27   a &amp; b  are located through side walls  24   a &amp; b  respectively, and are attached at their platform-interior ends to bilateral holding plates  28   a &amp; b  respectively. Bilateral holding plates  28   a &amp; b  serve to clamp the camera or other instrument that is placed in camera/instrument platform  19 , so that it is securely held in position. It can be appreciated that thumbscrews  27   a &amp; b  can be turned in or out to adjust the position of bilateral holding plates  28   a &amp; b  and thus clamp objects of varying size and shape. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates an alternative embodiment, wherein spring  20  is located within the interior of second articulating member  14  and third articulating member  16 . In this alternative embodiment, spring  20  tensions these two members from the inside, rather than from the outside as in the main embodiment. 
         [0025]    Turning now to  FIG. 4 , which shows second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  in detail, the joint comprises a bracket  29  having a plurality of through-holes containing screws  30 , by which bracket  29  is attached to support member  10 . Ball  31  is attached to bracket  29 . Ball  31  rests inside socket  32 , which is formed by two corresponding socket members  33   a &amp; b  having generally hemispherical hollows located on their corresponding sides. These generally hemispherical hollows form socket  32  when the corresponding sides of sockets members  33   a &amp; b  are put together. 
         [0026]    A handscrew  34  extends through socket member  33   a  and into socket member  33   b , thus connecting sockets members  33   a &amp; b  together. Ball  31  can swivel and rotate relative to socket  32 , thus allowing the position of the articulating members to be adjusted relative to support member  10 . The user can loosen handscrew  34 , adjust the device to the desired position, and then tighten handscrew  34  to clamp ball  31  securely within socket  32  and hold the desired position. 
         [0027]    First hand-adjustable articulating joint  18  is constructed similarly to second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12 , except that the ball is attached to camera/instrument platform  19  instead of bracket  29 . In addition, as discussed earlier, the opening to the socket is located at the side (along the length) of first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , instead of at the end as in second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12 . 
         [0028]    It should be understood that in second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12 , and indeed in first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18 , the two socket members that form the socket also serve to clamp first articulating member  13  and flexible coil  17  respectively, when the socket members are pressed together by handscrew  34 . Alternatively, second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  and first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18  can be constructed such that their non-socket ends are attached to first articulating member  13  and flexible coil  17  by other means, with handscrew  34  serving only to clamp the ball within the socket. In such an embodiment, the socket portion of the articulating joint would be formed of one solid part, with a “split” extending along part of its length. The split allows the socket ends to move independently enough of one another so that their proximity, and thus the clamping action on the ball, could be adjusted with the handscrew. 
         [0029]    To use the device, the anchor plug  11  end of support member  10  is inserted into a suitably-sized opening in an operating table or other surface. A camera or other instrument is placed in camera/instrument platform  19 , and secured in place using thumbscrews  27   a &amp;b. Handscrews  34  on second hand-adjustable articulating joint  12  and first hand-adjustable articulating joint  18  are loosened sufficiently to allow the assembly to be positioned as desired, and then handscrews  34  are tightened to lock the assembly, and thus the camera or other instrument, in the desired position. Subsequent changes in position are accomplished in a similar manner. 
         [0030]    An alternative mode of operation is also envisioned, wherein via one or both handscrews, the user sets the “drag” so that the ball will hold its position within the socket against gravity, yet still be movable when a certain amount of force is applied by the user. In such a mode, the instrument position will be adjustable if sufficient force is applied, yet still be stable in the absence of user-applied force. 
         [0031]    While the above descriptions contain many specificities, these shall not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Examples of just a few of the possible variations follow: 
         [0032]    Different attachment means can be used to attach the inventive device to the surgical table or other surface. By way of non-limiting example, a clamp can be used instead of the anchor plug shown and described. 
         [0033]    The support member and/or articulating members can be made from other than tubular stock—by way of non-limiting example, flat bar stock or square box stock can be used. 
         [0034]    The dimensions (length, width, diameter, etc.) of the components in the device—the support member, the articulating members, and other components—can vary. 
         [0035]    Joint structures can be used that are different than those shown and described. By way of non-limiting example, hand-adjustable joints can be substituted for non-hand adjustable joints (i.e., joints that are adjusted using a tool), and vice-versa. 
         [0036]    The tension of the spring can be adjusted either by using springs with different Hooke&#39;s constants (also known as spring constants or force constants), by having several differently-located spring anchor holes in the articulating members, or by having spring mounting means at one or both spring ends that can slide along the length of the articulating member and then be fixed in a desired position, so as to increase or decrease the spring tension. 
         [0037]    An elastic band or other tensioning device can be used instead of the coil spring shown and described. 
         [0038]    Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.