IP Library Granted Patent US 11,589,946
Granted Patent B2
US 11,589,946 · App. 16/603,291 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

Head-holder support

Inventors: Stefan Hofberger (Munich, DE); Wolfgang Steinle (Munich, DE); Nils Frielinghaus (Heimstetten, DE)
Assignee: Brainlab AG
A61B90/14A61B34/30A61G13/101A61G13/121A61B2017/0092A61B2090/508
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,589,946
App. No.
16/603,291
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A head-holder support for attaching a medical head-holder to a patient table is provided that has a rigid base body, an adjustable and lockable head-holder interface at the base body, which is adapted to adjustably couple the head-holder to the base body by providing at least three degrees of freedom for the spatial relative position between the head-holder and the base body, wherein the at least three degrees of freedom are lockable so as to establish a rigid coupling between the head-holder and the base body, and at least one robotic arm interface at the base body, which is adapted to provide a rigid coupling between a robotic arm and the base body.

Claims (34)

1. A head-holder support for attaching a medical head-holder to a patient table, the head-holder support comprising:

a rigid base body; and

a mounting device having two separate brackets extending from the base body, wherein the two separate brackets are adapted to receive two correspondingly formed side-rails of the patient table for mounting the base body to the patient table,

wherein the base body comprises:

an adjustable and lockable head-holder interface at the base body, which is adapted to adjustably couple the head-holder to the base body by providing at least three degrees of freedom for a spatial relative position between the head-holder and the base body, wherein the at least three degrees of freedom are lockable so as to establish a rigid coupling between the head-holder and the base body; and

at least one robotic arm interface at the base body, which is adapted to provide a rigid coupling between a robotic arm and the base body,

wherein the base body represents a single structural component connecting between the head-holder interface and the at least one robotic arm interface for attaching the head-holder and the robotic arm, respectively.

2. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder interface comprises a material having a higher radiolucency than a material of at least the base body.

3. The head-holder support according to claim 2 , wherein the head-holder interface material comprises a fiber reinforced plastic composite.

4. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting device is adapted to mount the base body to an end of the patient table.

5. The head-holder support according to claim 4 , wherein the patient table has an upper plane and a lower plane, and the base body is disposed below the upper plane of the patient table.

6. The head-holder support according to claim 5 , wherein the head-holder support positions the head-holder at a position above and beyond the patient table such that a patient head is spaced from the table.

7. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the two separate brackets are received by the base body in opposite directions and in particular perpendicularly to a direction of the two side-rails of the patient table.

8. The head-holder support according to claim 7 , wherein the two separate brackets are adapted to engage a respective one of the two side-rails of the patient table at different distances.

9. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder support forms part of a system table.

10. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder support comprises or forms part of a patient support surface.

11. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder interface comprises at least one section directly or indirectly coupled to the base body via at least one first joint and/or directly or indirectly coupled to the head-holder via at least one second joint.

12. The head-holder support according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one joint provides at least one translational and/or at least one rotational degree of freedom.

13. The head-holder support according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one joint comprises a locking mechanism by which it can be immobilized.

14. The head-holder support according to claim 11 , wherein the head-holder interface comprises two or more sections, and wherein the two or more sections are arranged sequentially to adjustably couple the head-holder to the base body.

15. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder interface disposes the head-holder at a position above and beyond the base body.

16. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the robotic arm interface comprises a slotted clamp formed by the base body, which is adapted to receive and retain a section of the robotic arm via a friction fit.

17. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , comprising an additional robotic arm interface, wherein the robotic arm interface and the additional robotic arm interface are disposed on opposite sides of the base body.

18. The head-holder support according to claim 1 , wherein the head-holder support is adapted to receive at least one of the following:

a power supply unit for providing the robotic arm with electric energy; and

a control unit for receiving signals from and/or transmitting signals to at least one electric motor and/or at least one electromagnetic brake of the robotic arm;

wherein the head-holder support further comprises at least one connection for transmitting the electric energy and/or the signals to and/or from the robotic arm.

19. A head-holder support for attaching a medical head-holder to a patient table, the head-holder support comprising:

a rigid base body; and

a mounting device having two separate brackets extending from the base body, wherein the two separate brackets are adapted to receive two correspondingly formed side-rails of the patient table for mounting the base body to the patient table,

wherein the base body comprises:

an adjustable and lockable head-holder interface at the base body, which is adapted to adjustably couple the head-holder to the base body and adapted to establish a rigid coupling between the head-holder and the base body; and

at least one robotic arm interface at the base body, which is adapted to provide a rigid coupling between a robotic arm and the base body,

wherein the base body represents a single structural component connecting between the head-holder interface and the at least one robotic arm interface for attaching the head-holder and the robotic arm, respectively.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 23, 2026
From: BRAINLAB AG
To: BRAINLAB SE
Reel/Frame 074966/0329 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2019
From: HOFBERGER, STEFAN; STEINLE, WOLFGANG; FRIELINGHAUS, NILS
To: BRAINLAB AG
Reel/Frame 050636/0609 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210220073A1 · Jul 22, 2021