Supports – Stand and bracket – Having adjustable bracket
Patent
1981-12-14
1985-05-07
Schultz, William H.
Supports
Stand and bracket
Having adjustable bracket
2481231, 248124, F16L 300
Patent
active
045153337
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is concerned with an adjustable support for an optical or other instrument. More particularly, the invention is concerned with an adjustable support which readily permits adjustment in the position of the instrument in a predetermined spatial envelope and/or adjustment of the orientation of the instrument at any given position within that envelope, the support having associated with it clamping means for maintaining the instrument in the desired position and/or orientation, the clamping means being readily operated by a person using the instrument. One field of application of a support in accordance with the present invention is in the supporting of an optical instrument such as a binocular microscope, camera, television camera or the like during delicate surgical operations, e.g. neuro-surgical operations. During such operations a binocular microscope may often be used in conjunction with a television camera for continuous monitoring of the operation by a surgeon, and a cine or still camera may also be used for recording certain stages of the operation for use in training medical staff.
BACKGROUND ART
With a view to meeting the requirements of surgeons, a number of supports, some floor mounted some ceiling mounted, have been proposed. Whilst the use of microscopes and related optical instruments has enabled surgeons to achieve impressive results, existing supports still have some drawbacks. It will be understood that the very restricted field of view when using a microscope at high magnification necessitates its frequent movement as an operation progresses. In some cases, using existing equipment, these movements are relatively difficult to achieve and the time in making the necessary adjustments may account for as much as 40 percent of the operating time. This is not only tiring for the surgeon but greatly increases the chance of complications for the patient. Therefore a need exists for a support whereby manipulating the microscope (or other optical instrument) requires very little effort on the part of the surgeon, but which is capable of sustaining the instrument in the required position without the surgeon having to remove his hands from the operating area to effect unclamping, adjustment, and reclamping of the apparatus.
While a number of known supports employ a combination of pivotal movements and linear (e.g. sliding) movements of components parts to provide for the desired spatial envelope of displacements of an optical instrument, it has been observed that, for the smoothest operation, a system employing only pivotal movements of component parts of the support is preferred. One such support is disclosed in UK Patent Specification No. 1357261. In the support disclosed in that specification a carrier for an optical observation device such as a binocular microscope is fixed onto an end member of a linkage rotatably mounted on a socket by means of a column, the said end member being spatially freely movable as a result of the combination of rotary movements possible about at least three axes. Furthermore, in the support disclosed in said specification, the orientation of the optical axis of the observation device may be adjusted by means of a triple axis fully universal linkage which enables freely combinable rotation thereof in three mutually perpendicular and intersecting directions by a handgrip, this linkage being effective to fix the carrier on the end member of the linkage referred to in the previous sentence. In the support disclosed in said specification a number of blocking devices are provided for clamping the carrier for the optical observation device in its desired spatial position and/or orientation, there being three of these blocking devices associated with bearings of the triple axis fully universal linkage and three more associated with bearings of the linkage rotatably mounted on said socket. The blocking devices are of the electromagnetic type, being rendered operative by the passage of electric current through coils of the blocking device
REFERENCES:
patent: 2602863 (1952-07-01), Raymond et al.
patent: 2967458 (1961-01-01), Stone
patent: 3776614 (1973-12-01), Kloots et al.
patent: 3971538 (1976-07-01), Marvich
patent: 4157859 (1979-06-01), Terry
patent: 4166602 (1979-09-01), Nilsen et al.
patent: 4344595 (1982-08-01), Heller et al.
Birkett John N.
Lee Chee M.
Parr Leslie R.
Pugh Stuart
Smith Douglas G.
Halgren D. N.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Schultz William H.
University of Technology
White V. A.
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