U.S. patent number 3,887,801 [Application Number 05/436,256] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-03 for surgical operating lamp with individual spot-lights.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Original Hanau Quarzlampen GmbH. Invention is credited to Karl F. Ilzig, Klaus M. Junginger, Alois Rieth.
United States Patent |
3,887,801 |
Ilzig , et al. |
June 3, 1975 |
Surgical operating lamp with individual spot-lights
Abstract
The present invention relates to a surgical operating lamp with
individual spot-lights disposed around a central axis of the lamp,
the light rays of said spot-lights meeting approximately on this
axis and at a desired distance from the surgical operating lamp, as
a result of an adjustable inclination of the individual projectors
to the central axis. A single handle adjusts all the individual
spot-lights in the lamp.
Inventors: |
Ilzig; Karl F. (Hanau,
DT), Junginger; Klaus M. (Rodenbach, DT),
Rieth; Alois (Offenbach-Bieber, DT) |
Assignee: |
Original Hanau Quarzlampen GmbH
(D-6450 Hanau, DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5871048 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/436,256 |
Filed: |
January 24, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
362/33;
362/233 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F21V
19/02 (20130101); F21V 17/02 (20130101); F21W
2131/205 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F21S
8/00 (20060101); F21V 17/02 (20060101); F21V
17/00 (20060101); A61g 013/00 (); F21v
033/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;240/1.4,41.15,44 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sheer; Richard M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn and
Macpeak
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a surgical operating lamp having a housing with at least one
hole therethrough and a plurality of individual lights pivotally
mounted within said housing and disposed about a central axis of
the lamp such that the rays of each individual light meet on the
central axis at a desired distance from the lamp, the improved lamp
pivoting means comprising
a. cam means within the housing having an annular intermediate wall
oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the lamp, an upper
wall attached to the outer periphery of said annular intermediate
wall and extending in a first direction, said upper wall having a
plurality of slots therethrough defining a plurality of cam
surfaces, the longitudinal axes of said slots inclined with respect
to the central axis of said lamp, and a lower wall attached to the
inner periphery of said annular intermediate wall and extending in
a direction opposite that of said upper wall, said lower wall
pivotally extending through the hole in said lamp housing;
b. a handle attached to said lower wall and extending exteriorly of
said lamp housing; and
c. pins affixed to each individual light and bearing on one of the
cam surface of said cam means, such that rotation of said handle
produces a corresponding rotation of said cam means which thereby
causes said lights to pivot about an axis tangent to a common
circle drawn about the central axis of the surgical operating
lamp.
2. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 1 wherein said
slots are linear.
3. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 2 wherein the
longitudinal axis of said slots are at an angle of from 75.degree.
to 80.degree. with respect to the central axis of the lamp.
4. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 1 wherein the
longitudinal axis of said pins are 90.degree. with respect to the
pivot axis of the individual lights.
5. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 1 wherein said
handle means is releasably attached to said lower wall.
6. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 1 wherein
frictional anti-rotation means are interposed between said housing
and said cam means to prevent inadvertent rotation of said cam
means.
7. The improved surgical operating lamp of claim 6 wherein said
frictional anti-rotation means comprises a spring having one end
bearing against said cam means and the opposite end bearing against
adjustable stop means threadingly engaged with a bolt projecting
through the top of said housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a known method, in order to obtain a shadowless lighting of the
operating area, several individual projectors are disposed on a
spherical surface within a surgical operating lamp so much apart
from each other and focused in such a way that the surgeon can
operate in the operating area without the hindrance of shadow
effects. For this purpose, for instance, a certain amount of
individual projectors, circularly spaced, can be equally disposed
around the central axis of the surgical operating lamp, their light
rays meeting on this axis by an appropriate inclination of the
individual projectors towards the said axis. However, should the
distance between the surgical operating lamp and the operating area
have to be modified, this arrangement is inappropriate, in order to
guarantee at all times a focusing of the individual light rays onto
the operating area. On the one hand, an illumination as effective
as possible of the operating area is thereby to be achieved, but on
the other hand, it is undesirable that the peripherical areas,
which are mostly covered with white cloths, to be strongly
illuminated, which could cause a glare and therefore a hindrance to
the surgeon.
For the purpose of obtaining a variable focusing in the case of
surgical operating lamp with symmetrically distributed individual
spotlights as well as with a central light disposed in the central
axis of the surgical operating lamp, it is known to incorporate a
joint swiveling device of the individual projectors, operable from
outside, with which the distance between the lamp housing and the
spot at which the optical axes of the individual projectors meet is
adjustable. An adjusting support for the reversals of the lamp
protrudes, in the form of a lateral bearing, serving for the
suspension of the lamp and adjustable by turning it at that spot.
The turning is transmitted through the adjusting support to a
toothed rim by means of a pinion disposed towards the central lamp,
a steering rod gearing also articularly to the proper swiveling
individual projector or to the circularly curved guide rail of an
adjustable individual projector. Since, due to the overlength of
the rods, these do not run radially and on the symmetrical axis of
the surgical operating lamp, a radial displacement component is
transmitted to the individual projectors by the turning of the
pinion, whereby these change their position jointly and evenly, so
that the point of intersection of the optical axes on the
symmetrical axis of the surgical operating lamp can be shifted.
An important disadvantage of the known surgical operating lamps is
that these are of a complicated construction, consisting of
numerous component parts, and enable only a shifting and an
adjustment which are not linear, due to their special shift of
motion, so that, with a given adjusting turning angle, a different
shift of the point of intersection of the optical axes from the
surgical operating lamp occurs depending on the initial position of
the adjusting mechanism. In some areas, a precise shifting and
adjustment is possible, whereas in other areas the operator must
further turn the adjusting support in order to obtain the same
shifting effect. Such an operation is complicated as well as
hindering, since the surgeon must concentrate himself completely on
the patient and the shifting and adjustment of the surgical
operating lamp represent a very important task but, after all, only
a secondary one. Furthermore, especially in the case of large
surgical operating lamps, the lateral access to the means of
shifting and adjustment is not optimal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention consists in the creation of a surgical
operating lamp of the mentioned type, without a central light,
whereby the individual spot-lights can be completely linearly
shifted and adjusted, at least in the main area, in a simple manner
and are easily accessible. The surgical operating lamp should be
simple in design, and therefore inexpensive, and contain only a few
component parts needing no servicing. Furthermore, the arrangement
should be so selected that the operating lamp is as compact as
possible, in order to oppose as little a resistance as possible in
the operating theatre or in an operating cabin to an air current
serving as sterilizer and directed from top to bottom, parallel to
the lighting circuit.
The solution to the task in question is attained by a surgical
operating lamp of the mentioned type, in that each individual lamp
assembly is pivotally attached to the surgical lamp structure and
has a pin extending from one side which engages a central slotted
cam member which is rotatable from below the lamp.
The most important advantage of the invention is that it makes it
possible to attain a completely linear shifting and adjustment of
the individual lights by turning in a simple manner the slotted cam
member disposed in the center of the lamp and accessible from
below. As the pins on the lights are directly engaged with the
slots in the cam member, without the need of any other intermediate
link, the whole surgical operating lamp is uncomplicated and
inexpensive in construction, and allows a compact arrangement of
the individual lights. As compared with the known surgical
operating lamps with adjustable individual lights, the new surgical
operating lamp can be constructed considerably smaller, so that the
sterilizing air current is only slightly impaired. Since the
slotted cam member can be directly rotated from below, it can also
serve to adjust the whole surgical operating lamp in its
suspension.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a surgical operating lamp
according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the surgical operating lamp of
FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A surgical operating lamp 10 has a housing 12 closed towards the
top, at the lower side of which windows 14 are disposed in the area
of each individual lights 16. Each individual light 16 houses a
bulb 20 disposed in a lamp spot-light 18. Each of the individual
lights 16 are pivotally attached to mounts 22 attached to the lower
portion of housing 12. The pivoting axis of each light is tangent
to a common circle around the central axis of the surgical
operating lamp 10. Each individual projector 16 is also provided
with a pin 24 which is disposed at the spot nearest to the central
axis of the surgical operating lamp 10. The pin 24 engages slot 28,
in a slotted cam member 26, disposed centrally and revolvable from
below by way of handle 30.
The slotted cam member 26 is formed with intermediate wall 26a,
upper wall 26b having a plurality of cam slots 28 therethrough and
lower wall 26c to which is attached handle 30. The number of cam
slots 28 correspond to the number of individual lights 16 used in
the operating lamp. Lower wall 26c of slotted cam 26 is projected
to the outside of the lamp through an opening at the lower side of
the surgical operating lamp. Handle 30 is attached to lower wall
26c such that it transmits torque to the cam member 26, but may be
removed therefrom to facilitate sterilization.
The slotted cam 26 is prevented from inadvertent rotation by spring
32, which frictionally bears against intermediate wall 26a and
adjustable stop 36. The position of stop 36 relative to cam member
26 is variable by screw connection on a bolt 34. As a result
thereof the friction catch for the avoidance of involuntary
displacement of the individual projectors 16 can be adjusted to the
prevailing requirements.
Depending on the length and the gradient of the slots 28, a greater
or smaller maximum surveiling angle .alpha. of the individual
projectors 16 can be attained. When the skewed slots 28 are greatly
inclined, a great change in the inclination of the individual
spot-lights 16, and thereby a great change in the position of the
point of intersection of the optical axis is generated by a small
rotation of the adjusting handle 30. In order to attain a shifting
and an adjustment not too sensible and, furthermore, needing no
energy, it is proper to select not too great an inclination.
However, if too small a gradient is selected, the length of the
slots 28 needed to affect a constant swiveling angle .alpha.,
becomes too great and the sensibility of the shifting and
adjustment drops too much. As a practical matter, a gradient of the
slots 28 of approximately 10.degree. to 15.degree. has proven to be
adequate.
Besides the straight slots 28 of the above example type, in order
to attain a linearly shifting and adjustment over the whole area,
it is also possible, to give a fine shifting and adjustment to the
surgical operating lamp in the central area mainly used, and a
rough shifting and adjustment in the end areas seldom used, to
attain the maximum swiveling angle .alpha.. A reverse arrangement
is also possible, by which the shifting and adjustment are quicker
in the central area and slower in the end area or areas.
The surgical operating lamp 10 is suspended from rod 38 by means of
known type which permit angular adjustment of the lamp
assembly.
In the example type represented, a surgical operating lamp with
three individual lights 16 is used, said lights being disposed at
120.degree. from each other around a star-shaped lighting body.
Thereby the housing 12 encloses the individual projectors 16 and is
indented between them, so that the area of the surgical operating
lamp 10 hereby submitted to the sterilizing air current is
relatively small. Of course, the surgical operating lamp can also
have any amount of individual lights 17 and, in such case a
circular housing 12 may be used.
The adjusting handle 30 can be connected to lower wall 26c to
transmit torque therebetween and still be released for sterilizing
purposes of the surgical operating lamp. The central adjusting
handle 30 serves, on the one hand, for the swiveling and adjustment
of the whole surgical lamp 10 with respect to support 38, and, on
the other hand, for the focusing of the individual projectors 16.
Its central position enables an easy access in each position of the
surgical operating lamp 10.
The main advantage of the new surgical operating lamp consists in
that the shifting and adjustment of the individual projectors, and
thus, the focusing, can be attained completely linearly and with a
compact construction of the surgical operating lamp, with less and
simpler means than with the known surgical operating lamp. Thereby
the adjustment of the inclination of the individual lights occurs
over a joint and central adjusting handle of easy access and which
is easily removable and can be rapidly sterilized in case of
need.
* * * * *