1. A retractor system comprising:
a spreader bar;
a first positioning assembly adapted to secure a first retractor blade, the first positioning assembly including a first lateral positioning assembly configured to facilitate movement of the first positioning assembly laterally along at least a first portion of a length of the spreader bar, the first positioning assembly further including a first angular positioning assembly configured to facilitate angular adjustment of the first refractor blade relative to the spreader bar;
a second positioning assembly adapted to secure a second retractor blade, the second positioning assembly including a second lateral positioning assembly configured to facilitate movement of the second positioning assembly laterally along at least a second portion of the length of the spreader bar, the second positioning assembly further including a second angular positioning assembly configured to facilitate angular adjustment of the second refractor blade relative to the spreader bar; and
wherein the first and second positioning assemblies are configured to facilitate independent movement of the first and second retractor blades with respect to each other.
2. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the first lateral positioning assembly and the first angular positioning assembly are operable independent of one another so that the angle and lateral position of the first retractor blade are independently adjustable.
3. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the spreader bar includes teeth that form a rack, and wherein the first and second lateral positioning assemblies each include a pinion that cooperates with the rack to facilitate lateral movement of the first and second positioning assemblies with respect to each other.
4. The retractor system of claim 3 wherein the first and second lateral positioning assemblies each include a locking lever that cooperates with the teeth to secure in place the positioning assembly with which the locking lever is associated.
5. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the first and second angular positioning assemblies include a threaded post and an arm including features that threadedly accept the threaded post, wherein rotation of the threaded post changes the angle of the arm.
6. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the first and second positioning assemblies each include a body and an arm, wherein the body accepts the arm, and wherein the arm is configured to accept a portion of the retractor blade associated with the positioning assembly.
7. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the first and second angular positioning assemblies are configured to adjust a distal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly to be spaced farther from the other of the refractor blades than a proximal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly.
8. The retractor system of claim 7 wherein the first and second angular positioning assemblies are configured to adjust the proximal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly to be spaced farther from the other of the retractor blades than the distal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly.
9. The retractor system of claim 1 further including an auxiliary retractor system that is secured to the spreader bar.
10. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the first lateral positioning assembly, first angular positioning assembly, second lateral positioning assembly, and second angular positioning assembly are configured to be independently adjustable by a substantially similarly sized tool.
11. The retractor system of claim 1 wherein the spreader bar has a substantially constant width and height from end to end.
12. The retractor system of claim 1, further comprising a first auxiliary retractor assembly that is secured to the spreader bar and at least a second auxiliary refractor assembly.
13. The retractor system of claim 1, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a body, a securing assembly, a first mounting bar and a second mounting bar, wherein the body is configured to fit around the spreader bar and also to accept and cooperate with the securing assembly to secure the body to the spreader bar, wherein the first mounting bar extends in a direction substantially parallel to the spreader bar when the mounting assembly is secured to the spreader bar, wherein the second mounting bar includes a first portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the spreader bar when the mounting assembly is secured to the spreader bar, the second mounting bar including a second portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first portion such that the second portion is substantially parallel to the first mounting bar, but offset to the opposite side of the retractors as the first mounting bar.
14. A retractor system comprising:
a spreader bar;
a first positioning assembly adapted to secure a first retractor blade, the first positioning assembly including a first body and a first arm, wherein the first body accepts the first arm, the first positioning assembly including a first lateral positioning assembly configured to facilitate movement of the first positioning assembly laterally along at least a first portion of a length of the spreader bar, the first positioning assembly further including a first angular positioning assembly configured to facilitate adjustment of an angle of the first retractor blade relative to the spreader bar, the first angular positioning assembly including a threaded post that is accepted by a feature on the first arm, and wherein the first lateral positioning assembly and the first angular positioning assembly are configured so that the angle and lateral position of the first retractor blade are independently adjustable;
a second positioning assembly adapted to secure a second retractor blade, the second positioning assembly including a second body and a second arm, wherein the second body accepts the second arm, the second positioning assembly including a second lateral positioning assembly configured to facilitate movement of the second positioning assembly laterally along at least a second portion of the length of the spreader bar, the second positioning assembly further including a second angular positioning assembly configured to facilitate adjustment of an angle of the second retractor blade relative to the spreader bar, the second angular positioning assembly including a threaded post that is accepted by a feature on the second arm, and wherein the second lateral positioning assembly and the second angular positioning assembly are configured so that the angle and lateral position of the second refractor blade are independently adjustable; and
wherein the first and second positioning assemblies are configured so that the first and second retractor blades may be moved independently of each other.
15. The retractor system of claim 14 wherein the first lateral positioning assembly, first angular positioning assembly, second lateral positioning assembly, and second angular positioning assembly are configured to be independently adjustable by a substantially similarly sized tool.
16. The retractor system of claim 14 wherein the first and second angular positioning assemblies are configured to allow the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assemblies to be adjusted between a first and second position, wherein in the first position a distal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly is spaced farther from the other of the retractor blades than a proximal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly, and in the second position the proximal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly is spaced farther from the other of the refractor blades than the distal end of the retractor blade associated with the angular positioning assembly.
17. The retractor system of claim 14 wherein the spreader bar has a substantially constant width and height from end to end.
18. The retractor system of claim 14 further comprising a first auxiliary retractor assembly that is secured to the spreader bar and at least a second auxiliary refractor assembly.
19. The retractor system of claim 14, wherein the mounting assembly comprises a body, a securing assembly, a first mounting bar and a second mounting bar, wherein the body is configured to fit around the spreader bar and also to accept and cooperate with the securing assembly to secure the body to the spreader bar, wherein the first mounting bar extends in a direction substantially parallel to the spreader bar when the mounting assembly is secured to the spreader bar, the second mounting bar including a first portion extending in a direction substantially parallel to the spreader bar when the mounting assembly is secured to the spreader bar, the second mounting bar including a second portion extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first portion such that the second portion is substantially parallel to the first mounting bar, but offset to the opposite side of the refractors as the first mounting bar.
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 composition of matter based on at least one element A chosen from alkaline-earth metals, on one element B which is gallium, on sulphur and on a dopant imparting to the composition luminescence properties, and comprising a mixture of predominantly an AB2S4-type crystallographic phase and a B2S3-type crystallographic phase,
wherein the composition is obtained by a process in which the elements A, B and the dopant are used in a proportion such that an atomic ratio B(Adopant) is from 2.06 to 2.25.
2. The composition of matter according to claim 1, wherein the element A is strontium.
3. The composition of matter according to claim 3, wherein the dopant is chosen from divalent manganese, divalent rare-earth metals and the group comprising trivalent rare-earth metals in combination with an alkali metal.
4. A composition of matter based on at least one element A chosen from alkaline-earth metals, on at least one element B chosen from aluminium, gallium and indium, on sulphur and on a dopant imparting to the composition luminescence properties, and comprising a mixture of predominantly an AB2S4-type crystallographic phase and a B2S3-type crystallographic phase, wherein the composition is obtained by a process in which the elements A, B and the dopant are used in a proportion such that an atomic ratio B(Adopant) is at least 2.06.
5. The composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein the dopant is chosen from divalent manganese, divalent rare-earth metals and the group comprising trivalent rare-earth metals in combination with an alkali metal.
6. The composition of matter according to claim 5, wherein the dopant comprises europiumII or ytterbium.
7. The composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein the composition is in powder form, and constituent particles of the powder have a mean size of at most 10 m.
8. The composition of matter according to claim 7, wherein the constituent particles of the powder have a spherical shape.
9. The composition of matter according to claim 7, wherein the constituent particles of the powder include a transparent oxide coating layer, more particularly a silicon oxide, aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium silicate or rare-earth metal oxide layer.
10. The composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein the atomic ratio is 2.06 to 2.25.
11. The composition of matter according to claim 4, wherein the element A is strontium.
12. The composition of matter according to claim 11, wherein the atomic ratio is 2.06 to 2.25.
13. A cathodoluminescent or photoluminescent device, wherein the device comprises the composition of matter according to claim 4.