Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G13/00—Operating tables; Auxiliary appliances therefor
  • A61G13/10—Parts, details or accessories
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B13/00—Details of tables or desks
  • A47B13/003—Connecting table tops to underframes
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B50/00—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers
  • A61B50/10—Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B50/00—Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers
  • A61B50/10—Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
  • A61B50/15—Mayo stands; Tables
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F9/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting in contact-lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
  • A61F9/007—Methods or devices for eye surgery
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61G—TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES, OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS; OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES
  • A61G2203/00—General characteristics of devices
  • A61G2203/70—General characteristics of devices with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
  • A61G2203/80—General characteristics of devices with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort for connecting a trolley to a device, e.g. bed or column table
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16B—DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING
  • F16B5/00—Joining sheets or plates, e.g. panels, to one another or to strips or bars parallel to them
  • F16B5/02—Joining sheets or plates, e.g. panels, to one another or to strips or bars parallel to them by means of fastening members using screw-thread
  • F16B5/0275—Joining sheets or plates, e.g. panels, to one another or to strips or bars parallel to them by means of fastening members using screw-thread the screw-threaded element having at least two axially separated threaded portions

Definitions

• the present invention pertains to a mounting system for a tabletop unit of a medical/surgical system to a base of a medical/surgical system; more particularly, the present invention pertains to a tabletop unit to base attachment of an ophthalmic surgical system.
• Medical/surgical systems and particularly ophthalmic surgical systems, are often designed as tabletop units designed to rest on or be attached to a table, cart, or other base positioned in the surgical field.
• the base is actually a base unit having its own medical/surgical equipment disposed therein.
• Such table, cart, base, or base unit often has wheels or casters for easy positioning of the surgical system within the surgical field. Accordingly, there is a need for a tabletop unit to base attachment system for a medical/surgical system that takes up very little space and is easily accessible.
• the procedure for coupling and decoupling the attachment system should be made as simple as possible. Further, the attachment system should use a minimum of parts.
• the disclosed tabletop unit to base attachment system is easily accessible from outside of the medical/surgical system with which it is used, is constructed from a minimum of parts and enables easy decoupling of the tabletop unit from the base.
• the attachment system is described in terms of its use with an ophthalmic surgical system; however, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the disclosed invention provides an alternative design to attach and remove a tabletop unit from a base for a variety of different medical/surgical systems.
• the attachment system includes a top half and a bottom half. The top half is mounted to the tabletop unit and the bottom half is mounted to the base of the medical/surgical system.
• the top half of the attachment system includes a non-rotating post assembly with a foot on its bottom portion.
• a captive nut surrounds the middle portion of the non- rotating post assembly.
• the top of the non-rotating post assembly is affixed to the tabletop unit.
• the bottom half of the attachment system includes a non-rotating receiver socket surrounded by an external thread.
• the non-rotating receiver socket has substantially the same shape as the foot on the bottom of the non-rotating post assembly.
• the captive nut becomes aligned with the external threads surrounding the non- rotating receiver socket. Threadable engagement of the captive nut with the threads surrounding the non-rotating receiver socket completes the mounting of the tabletop unit to the base.
• Figure 1 is an elevational view in partial section showing the top half and bottom half of the disclosed tabletop unit to base attachment system separated one from another;
• Figure 2 is an elevational view in partial section showing the top half and bottom half, as shown in Figure 1, joined together;
• Figure 3 is an elevational view in partial section similar to Figure 2 but showing an alternate method of securing the non-rotating post assembly to the tabletop unit and securing the non-rotating receiver socket to the base; and Figure 4 is an elevational view in partial section showing yet another alternate method of securing the non-rotating post assembly to the tabletop unit and securing the non-rotating receiver socket to the base.
• the disclosed attachment system 10 of the present invention allows the bottom portion 102 of a tabletop unit of a medical/surgical system to be located and secured to the base 112 of the medical/surgical system from the exterior of the medical/surgical system.
• the base 112 may be a table, cart, or base with or without wheels or casters.
• the base 112 may also be a base unit having its own medical/surgical equipment disposed therein.
• Bottom portion 102 preferably includes a frame 104 and a skin 106.
• the interface between the top half 20 and bottom half 60 of the attachment system 10 includes a tapered alignment guide feature that accurately locates the mounting hardware which come together to form the disclosed attachment system 10.
• the top half 20 consists of a non-rotating post assembly 22 with a captive nut 40 surrounding its central portion 25.
• the non-rotating post assembly 22 can be secured to the frame 104 with a threaded interface and a nut 110, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or using a bolt or a pin 108, as shown in Figure 3. If needed, an optional hex socket 30 as shown in Figure 3 may be included for mounting the non-rotating post assembly 22.
• the non-rotating post assembly 22 in the top half 20 can employ several methods, in its top portion 21, to prevent its rotation, such as a machined key feature or a set of pins, a set of fasteners and/or a flat side mated with a hole having a flat side in the frame 104.
• the non-rotating post assembly 22 in the top half 20 also includes a foot or bottom portion 26.
• the captive nut 40 is trapped between the foot portion 26 of the non-rotating post assembly 22 and the frame 104.
• the inside diameter 42 of the captive nut 40 is larger than the outside diameter 28 of the non-rotating post assembly 22. This difference in size allows the captive nut 40 to float and accommodate any misalignments which may occur when mounting the top half 20 to the bottom half 60.
• a flat spring 27 may surround the central portion 25 of the non-rotating post assembly 22 to better position the captive nut 40 with respect to the non-rotating receiver socket 62.
• the bottom half 60 consists of a non-rotating receiver socket 62 with an external thread 64 to interface with the internal thread 44 of the captive nut 40.
• the tapered receiver 62 socket can be secured to the base 112 with a threaded interface and nut 116, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, or using a bolt or pin 114, as shown in Figure 3.
• the post 66 in the bottom half 60 can use several methods for anti-rotation, such as a machined key feature, a set of pins, a set of fasteners and/or a flat side mated with a hole having a flat side in the base 112. If needed, a hex socket 67 may be included in the top of the post 66, as shown in Figure 3.
• disclosed attachment system 10 uses the same wrench 90 that is typically used for casters to turn captive nut 40. Therefore, no new tooling is needed for servicing the disclosed attachment system 10.
• the upper half 20 and lower half 60 are thereby joined using a nut and bolt interface which joining requires no special training to operate.
• the method of assembling the attachment system 10 of the present invention begins by placing the internally threaded captive nut 40 on the post assembly 22 so that it surrounds the central shaft portion 25 of the non-rotating post assembly 22 and rests on the foot portion 26.
• the top portion 21 of the post assembly 22 with the internally threaded captive nut 40 thereon is then mounted in a non-rotating manner to the frame
• the receiver socket 62 is then secured to the base 112 so that it does rotate with respect to the base 112.
• the foot portion 26 of the non-rotating post assembly 22 is placed into the non- rotating receiver socket 62 when the tabletop unit is to be joined to the base 112.
• the internal threads 44 of the captive nut 40 are then engaged with the external threads 64 surrounding the receiver socket 62, as shown in Figure 2.
• a wrench 90 is used to tighten the threadable connection.
• Figure 4 discloses yet another embodiment 200 of the disclosed tabletop unit to base attachment system. Similar parts have been assigned the same reference numbers but for the numeral 1 in the hundreds place.
• the non-rotating post assembly 122 is secured to frame 104 with a flathead fastener 123.
• an anti-scuff button 131 At the bottom of the non-rotating post assembly 122 is located an anti-scuff button 131.
• the anti-scuff button 131 is held in place at the bottom of the non-rotating post assembly 122 with a socket head fastener 132.
• a captive nut 140 rests on the top of the bottom or foot portion of the non-rotating post assembly 122.
• a socket fastener 171 is used to attach the externally threaded lower leg portion 166 to the base 112.
• a pin 181 is used to keep the lower leg portion 166 from rotating.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Accommodation For Nursing Or Treatment Tables (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=38723943

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Family Cites Families (30)

• 2007
  • 2007-04-18 WO PCT/US2007/066836 patent/WO2007136950A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-04-18 JP JP2009511135A patent/JP2009537237A/ja active Pending
  • 2007-04-18 CA CA002645338A patent/CA2645338A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-04-18 BR BRPI0710628-9A patent/BRPI0710628A2/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-04-18 AU AU2007253966A patent/AU2007253966A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-04-18 EP EP07760811A patent/EP2018108A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-06-22 US US11/766,901 patent/US20080257227A1/en not_active Abandoned

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