Patent ID: 8303478

Claim:
A robotized installation configured for guided and controlled positioning and movement of a transcranial magnetic stimulation probe at or around a head of a patient, comprising: a support structure on which are mounted constituent elements of a robotic device forming a serial kinematic chain and carrying the probe at a free and position-controlled end; and an adjustable device for supporting and holding the patient, in a seated position, forming part of or being combined with said support structure, wherein said robotic device ( 5 ) comprises three ( 7 , 7 ′, 7 ″) kinematic sub-assemblies that are mutually combined in series and that comprise: i) a first sub-assembly ( 7 ) comprising a rotary-articulation mechanism having first, second and third articulation elements ( 8 , 8 ′, 8 ″), integral with the support structure ( 4 ) by the first articulation element ( 8 ) and corresponding to a serial spherical kinematic arrangement with three degrees of freedom, and the first, second and third articulation elements ( 8 , 8 ′, 8 ″) are all located outside of a space ( 9 ) that can accommodate the patient ( 3 ′) and comprise respective axes of rotation, axis 1 , axis 2 , and axis 3 , whereby axes of rotation, axis 1 , axis 2 , and axis 3 are concurrent at a focal point (PF) that corresponds approximately to a hypothetical center of the head ( 3 ) of the patient ( 3 ′) in an intervention position, ii) a second sub-assembly ( 7 ′) comprising a mechanism with linear translation along an axis 4 that passes through the focal point (PF) and is integral with a moving part ( 10 ) of the third articulation element ( 8 ″) in series of the first sub-assembly ( 7 ), and, iii) a third sub-assembly ( 7 ″) comprising a second rotary-articulation mechanism, integral with a moving part ( 12 ) of the second sub-assembly ( 7 ′) and making possible imposition of tangency of a plane of the probe ( 2 ) relative to the head ( 3 ) of the patient, wherein said third sub-assembly ( 7 ″) is a serial spherical kinematic arrangement forming a spherical wrist and comprising three separate rotary articulation elements ( 11 , 11 ′ and 11 ″) arranged in series and whose respective axes of rotation, axis 5 , axis 6 and axis 7 , are mutually concurrent at a point (PR) adapted to correspond to a point of contact between the probe ( 2 ) and the head ( 3 ) of the patient ( 3 ′).