Locking arm having ball joints for use in an organ manipulator apparatus

US6730020B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Origin Medsystems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Steven Yihlih Peng · Fremont, US
• Larry Voss · San Jose, US
• David E. Hancock · San Francisco, US
• Grace A. Carlson · San Francisco, US
• John W. Davis · Yankton, US
• Albert K. Chin · Palo Alto, US
• Jaime Vargas · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 22, 2000
• Grant date: May 4, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 4, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2017/308
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A flexible locking arm for use in an organ manipulator apparatus. The flexible locking arm has a flexible state, used to position the organ manipulator as needed, and a fixed state for mounting the manipulator in a desired orientation. Even in the fixed state, the organ manipulator maintains a limited freedom of movement, to allow the organ held to continue to move substantially according to its natural motion during functioning. For example, in an embodiment where a suction member exerts suction to retract a beating heart and suspend it in a retracted position during surgery by setting the flexible arm to the fixed state, as the retracted heart beats, a complaint joint allows it to expand and contract freely (and otherwise move naturally) at least in the vertical direction so that hemodynamic function is not substantially compromised.