TAI QUYEN NGUYEN, MD
Medical Practice at 8 St, Jacksonville, FL

5474564, Dec 12, 1995

Apr 1, 1994

8/221901

David A. Clayman - Jacksonville FL
Tai Q. Nguyen - Jacksonville FL

A61B 503

606130

A cerebral instrument guide includes first and second arcs with aligned openings adjacent their ends, the openings defining a common axis about which the arcs are pivotal. The rods are mounted for movement along the common axis into contact with a human patient's auditory meati. A nasal bridge fixation element mounted on the first arc, as well as orbit pads, engage the bridge of a patient's nose, and his/her bony orbits. The appropriate angle to which the arcs should be pivoted with respect to each other is calculated by a computer program, as is the position to which a tubular instrument guide, slidable along the second arc and a projection from it intersecting the mid point of the common axis, is to be positioned to mark the burr hole on the patient's skull for performing a neurological procedure, such as a ventriculostomy. A needle is passed through the tubular instrument guide to mark the burr hole site. The cerebral instrument guide frame may be left in place, or removed, while a stereotactic instrument placement guide is used (after the burr hole is formed) to properly position the neurological instrument (e. g.

5330485, Jul 19, 1994

May 18, 1993

8/062633

David A. Clayman - Jacksonville FL
Tai Q. Nguyen - Jacksonville FL

A61B 1700

606130

A cerebral instrument guide includes first and second arcs with aligned openings adjacent their ends, the openings defining a common axis about which the arcs are pivotal. The rods are mounted for movement along the common axis into contact with a human patient's auditory meati. A nasal bridge fixation element mounted on the first arc, as well as orbit pads, engage the bridge of a patient's nose, and his/her bony orbits. The appropriate angle to which the arcs should be pivoted with respect to each other is calculated by a computer program, as is the position to which a tubular instrument guide, slidable along the second arc and a projection from it intersecting the mid point of the common axis, is to be positioned to mark the burr hole on the patient's skull for performing a neurological procedure, such as a ventriculostomy. A needle is passed through the tubular instrument guide to mark the burr hole site. The cerebral instrument guide frame may be left in place, or removed, while a stereotactic instrument placement guide is used (after the burr hole is formed) to properly position the neurological instrument (e. g.

5300080, Apr 5, 1994

Nov 1, 1991

7/786278

David Clayman - Jacksonville FL
Tai Q. Nguyen - Jacksonville FL

A61B 5103

606130

A stereotactic neurological instrument placement guide is utilized to facilitate ventriculostomy procedures, or other neurological procedures such as biopsy, radioactive seed placement, and lesion generation. The guide has a pair of point members disposed on a common linear axis. The proposed position of a burr hole in the patient's skull is marked, the location of a target point (e. g. ventricle) within the patient's skull is decided upon, and the patient is given a CT or MRI scan. Utilizing data from the scan, a coordinate line is calculated between the burr hole proposed position and the target point. Utilizing the calculated coordinate line, a fixing point on the patient's skull opposite the proposed position of the burr hole is determined, and the fixing point is marked. The instrument guide is placed into operative association with the patient's skull so that the opposed point members engage the burr hole and the fixing point, and then a neurological instrument is passed into the burr hole positively guided by the instrument guide until the instrument reaches the target point at which a neurological procedure is performed. Calculations establishing the coordinate line are obtained by vector parameterization, utilizing a programmable scientific calculator.