1. A method for stabilization of a first vertebral bone and a second vertebral bone, said method comprising:
positioning a bone abutment surface of a first fixation member to abut an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said first vertebral bone and an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said second vertebral bone, said first fixation member comprising a second surface opposite at least a segment of said bone abutment surface and having at least one aperture configured to extend between said bone abutment surface and said second surface, said aperture being sized to permit formation of a bony fusion there through;
positioning a second fixation member relative to a contralateral side of said spinous process of said first vertebral bone and a contralateral side of said spinous process of said second vertebral bone;
advancing at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other;
capturing said spinous process of said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone between said first and second fixation members;
preventing separation of said first and second fixation members after said advancement;
advancing a bone screw through a pedicle portion of one said first and second vertebral bones, said bone screw traversing a disc space between said first and second vertebral bones, and comprising a distal segment positioned within said body of an other one of said first and second vertebral bones; and
positioning a bone forming material adjacent to said second surface of said first fixation member;
wherein said first fixation member is configured to permit placement of at least a portion of said bone forming material after said advancement of said at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing separation of said first and second fixation members after said advancement comprises using a locking feature of an interconnecting member.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising penetrating at least one of said spinous process said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone via a protrusion on a bone abutment surface of said first fixation member.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising penetrating at least one of said spinous process said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone via a protrusion on a bone abutment surface of said second fixation member.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of preventing separation of said first and second fixation members comprises positioning a locking feature at an intersection of said first fixation member and an interconnecting member configured to couple said first fixation member to said second fixation member.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising coupling said bone screw to said interconnecting member.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of preventing separation of said first and second fixation members comprises positioning a locking feature at an intersection of said second fixation member and an interconnecting member configured to couple said first fixation member to said second fixation member.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing a bone forming material within a cavity of said second fixation member, said bone forming material causing formation of a bony fusion with said contralateral side of said spinous process of said first vertebral bone.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said act of placing said bone forming material within said cavity of said second fixation member occurs after said advancement of said at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other.
10. A method for stabilization of a first vertebral bone and a second vertebral bone, comprising:
positioning a first fixation member to extend from an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said first vertebral bone to an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said second vertebral bone, said first fixation member comprising a bone abutment surface and a second surface opposite at least a segment of said bone abutment surface, at least one aperture of said first fixation member being configured to extend between said bone abutment surface and said second surface, said aperture sized to permit formation of a bone fusion there through;
positioning a second fixation member to extend from a contralateral side of said spinous processes of said first vertebral bone to a contralateral side of a spinous process of said second vertebral bone;
advancing at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other, thereby capturing said spinous processes of said first and second vertebral bones there between;
preventing separation of said first and second fixation members after said advancement;
advancing a fastener through a pedicle portion of one of said first and second vertebral bones;
seating at least a segment of an interconnecting member within a receptacle of said fastener, said interconnecting member being configured to couple said first and second fixation members; and
positioning a bone forming material adjacent to said second surface of said first fixation member;
wherein said first fixation member is configured to permit placement of at least a portion of said bone forming material after said advancement of said at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein:
said fastener comprises a bone screw; and
said preventing separation comprises use of at least a locking feature.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said act of using a locking feature to prevent said separation further comprises positioning said locking feature at an intersection of said interconnecting member and said first fixation member.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said act of using a locking feature to prevent said separation further comprises:
positioning said locking feature at an intersection of said interconnecting member and said second fixation member; and
transitioning said locking feature from an unlocked to a locked configuration.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising causing at least one protrusion of said bone abutment surface of said first fixation member to penetrate one of said spinous processes of said first and second vertebral bones.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising causing at least one protrusion of a bone abutment surface of said second fixation member to penetrate one of said spinous processes of said first and second vertebral bones.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising placing a bone forming material within a cavity of said second fixation member, said bone forming material causing formation of a bony fusion with said contralateral side of said spinous process of said first vertebral bone.
17. A method for stabilization of a first vertebral bone and a second vertebral bone, said method comprising:
causing a bone abutment surface of a first fixation member to abut an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said first vertebral bone and an ipsilateral side of a spinous process of said second vertebral bone, said first fixation member comprising a second surface opposite at least a segment of said bone abutment surface and having at least one aperture configured to extend between said bone abutment surface and said second surface, said aperture being sized to permit formation of a bony fusion therethrough;
causing a second fixation member to be positioned relative to a contralateral side of said spinous process of said first vertebral bone and a contralateral side of said spinous process of said second vertebral bone;
advancing said first and second fixation members towards one another;
capturing said spinous process of said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone between said first and second fixation members;
preventing separation of said first and second fixation members;
advancing a bone screw through a pedicle portion of one said first and second vertebral bones, said bone screw configured to traverse a disc space between said first and second vertebral bones, and comprising a distal segment positioned within said body of an other one of said first and second vertebral bones; and
positioning a bone forming material adjacent to said second surface of said first fixation member, said first fixation member being configured to permit positioning of at least a portion of said bone forming material after said advancement of said at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein preventing separation of said first and second fixation members after said advancement comprises using a locking feature of an interconnecting member.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising penetrating at least one of said spinous process said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone via a protrusion on a bone abutment surface of said first fixation member.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising penetrating at least one of said spinous process said first vertebral bone and said spinous process of said second vertebral bone via a protrusion on a bone abutment surface of said second fixation member.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of preventing separation of said first and second fixation members comprises positioning a locking feature at an intersection of said first fixation member and an interconnecting member configured to couple said first fixation member to said second fixation member.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising coupling said bone screw to said interconnecting member
23. The method of claim 17, wherein said act of preventing separation of said first and second fixation members comprises positioning a locking feature at an intersection of said second fixation member and an interconnecting member configured to couple said first fixation member to said second fixation member.
24. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a bone forming material within a cavity of said second fixation member, said bone forming material causing formation of a bony fusion with said contralateral side of said spinous process of said first vertebral bone.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said act of placing said bone forming material within said cavity of said second fixation member occurs after said advancement of said at least one of said first and second fixation members towards the other.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A compensation system, comprising:
a mirror having a reflecting surface and an exterior surface;
an array of temperature detecting parts, each part in the array formed close to said reflecting surface at a measuring area of said mirror and detecting a temperature at said area close to said reflecting surface; and
an array of temperature adjusting parts, each part in the array being at a heatingcooling area close to a respective measuring area of one of said temperature detecting parts but adjacent to said exterior surface, and each part in said array operative to adjust a temperature of said heatingcooling area.
2. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a processor, responsive to signals indicative of said temperatures, and controlling temperature compensation according to said signals from said array of temperature detecting parts.
3. A system as in claim 2, wherein said processor stores an initial temperature map indicative of unheated temperatures of said parts of said mirror, and uses said initial temperature map to compensate said signals.
4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said initial temperature map includes temperatures for each of the array of temperature detecting parts, and said processor is operative to subtract each current temperature values from each signal indicative of an initial temperature map.
5. A system as in claim 2, wherein said processor forms a value indicative of a difference between each signal indicative of temperatures and each element of said initial temperature map, and uses said difference to control and output signal.
6. A system as in claim 5, wherein said output signal is produced to drive said difference towards zero.
7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said temperature adjusting parts comprise thermoelectric elements.
8. A system as in claim 6, wherein said temperature adjusting parts comprise ohmic elements.
9. A system as in claim 6, wherein said temperature adjusting parts comprise controls for delivery of temperature-controlled fluids.
10. A system as in claim 1, wherein each of said temperature detecting parts is between 2 mm and 100 um from said reflective surface.
11. A system as in claim 1, wherein said temperature adjusting parts are each pressed against a rear surface of said mirror.
12. A mirror system, comprising:
a mirror element, having a reflective surface of a specified shape, and an opposite surface, facing away from said reflective surface, and having a plurality of holes formed over an area of said opposite surface extending to an area close to said reflective surface and within two millimeters of said reflective surface.
13. A mirror system as in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of temperature detecting elements, located respectively in said holes, and a plurality of temperature controlling elements, located in areas near said holes, but in contact with said opposite surface.
14. A mirror system as in claim 13, further comprising a controlling element, which receives signals indicative of temperature from said temperature detecting elements, and uses said signals to produce compensation signals for said temperature controlling elements, each compensation signal being sent for a temperature controlling element that is adjacent to said temperature detecting element, and used to control said temperature controlling element.
15. A system as in claim 14, further comprising correction signals for said compensation signals, each said correction signal representing a correction signal for a specified part of said mirror element.
16. A system as in claim 12, wherein said reflective surface is of a concave shape
17. A method of forming a mirror, comprising:
forming a mirror blank having a first surface which will form an optically reflective surface, and a second surface opposite said first surface;
forming a plurality of holes in said second surface extending towards said first surface, and reaching a distance that is two millimeters or less from said first surface; and
finally polishing said first surface of said mirror blank after said forming said plurality of holes.
18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising using said plurality of holes to sense temperatures on said optically reflective surface.
19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising controlling temperature compensating elements near said plurality of holes to compensate for temperature variations near said plurality of holes.
20. A method as in claim 18, wherein said using comprises using a thermocouple.
21. A method as in claim 18, wherein said using comprises using a pyrometer.
22. A method as in claim 19, further comprising compensating for variations between optical temperature sensors, prior to compensate for said temperature variations.
23. An article, comprising:
a machine-readable medium which stores machine-readable instructions, said instructions operative to receive a plurality of signals indicating an initial temperature map over specified areas of a monitored mirror, to form a baseline map;
determine heated temperatures of said mirror at said specified areas during operation of said mirror to form a contour map; and
compare said contour map with a desired temperature map to form a difference map indicating desired temperature changes to said specified area of said mirror.
24. An article as in claim 23, further comprising instructions to produce compensation signals which compensate for said temperature based on said difference map.
25. An article as in claim 24, wherein said compensation signals attempt to drive values in said difference map towards zero.
26. An article as in claim 24, wherein each of said signals drive a temperature compensating elements which is located in an area near each of said specified areas.
27. An article as in claim 24, wherein each signal drives a specified compensation element in area near an area which produced said signal.