1. A surgical tool capable of applying electrostimulation comprising:
an instrument having a handle portion and a body member extending from the handle portion, the body member having an electrically conductive portion connected to an energy source and capable of applying electrostimulation energy provided by the energy source; and
a tracking system associated with the instrument and operative to provide information regarding a position of the instrument on a display, the tracking system being configured to detect neurological information based on the electrostimulation energy applied by the instrument and provide the neurological information with the instrument position information on the display;
wherein the electrically conductive portion has a distal end configured to removably couple to an electrically conductive implant and configured to apply electrostimulation energy through the electrically conductive implant into adjacent tissue.
2. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the handle portion includes an electrical lead connectable to the energy source, wherein the energy source is remote from the instrument.
3. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the energy source includes a battery pack disposed within the handle portion.
4. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the body member includes an electrically insulated outer surface area, and wherein the electrically conductive portion extends from the handle portion and internal to the insulated outer surface.
5. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the tracking system includes a set of reflectors connected to the instrument and operative to reflect energy that can be detected and analyzed by a navigation system to determine a real-time position of the instrument.
6. The surgical tool of claim 5 wherein the set of reflectors are connected to an outer surface of the handle portion.
7. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the tracking system includes a set of emitters connected to the instrument and operative to provide detectable energy that can be analyzed by a navigational system to determine a real-time position of the instrument.
8. The surgical tool of claim 7 wherein the set of emitters are powered by electrical energy provided to the instrument by the energy source.
9. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is capable of applying bi-polar electrostimulation.
10. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a surgical probe.
11. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a surgical tap.
12. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a screwdriver.
13. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is a retractor.
14. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the instrument is capable of applying uni-polar electrostimulation.
15. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive implant includes a pedicle screw.
16. The surgical tool of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive implant includes a nucleus replacement.
17. A surgical tool capable of applying electrostimulation comprising:
an instrument having a handle portion and a body member extending from the handle portion, the body member having an electrically conductive portion connected to an energy source and capable of applying electrostimulation energy provided by the energy source; and
a tracking system associated with the instrument and operative to provide information regarding a position of the instrument,
wherein the electrically conductive portion has a distal end configured to removably couple to an electrically conductive implant,
wherein the electrically conductive implant includes an artificial disc.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A spin coating method, comprising:
applying a material to a substrate;
spinning the substrate and the material at a substantially constant first speed;
following the spinning, decreasing a rate of spinning to a substantially constant second speed; and
following spinning at the second speed, increasing a rate of the spinning to a substantially constant third speed that is greater than the first speed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein spinning the substrate and the material at the first speed comprises substantially filling recesses formed in the substrate with the material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the rate of spinning to the second speed comprises permitting material located within recesses formed in the substrate to set.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein spinning the substrate at the third speed comprises forming a layer comprising the material over a surface of the substrate to a desired thickness.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
following gradually increasing, again decreasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fourth speed.
6. The method of claim 5, comprising permitting the material to set further while spinning the substrate at the fourth speed.
7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
following the again decreasing, again increasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fifth speed.
8. The method of claim 7, comprising substantially removing solvent from the material while spinning the substrate at the fifth speed.
9. A spin coating method, comprising:
applying a material to a substrate;
spinning the substrate and the material at a first speed that permits the material to flow into recesses formed in the substrate;
spinning the substrate at a second speed that permits the material within the recesses to set, wherein spinning the substrate at the second speed comprises decreasing a rate at which the substrate is spun; and
following spinning the substrate at the second speed, increasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a third speed that is greater than the first speed.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein spinning the substrate and the material at the first speed comprises substantially filling the recesses with the material.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein spinning the substrate at the third speed comprises forming a layer comprising the material over a surface of the substrate to a desired thickness.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
following gradually increasing, again decreasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fourth speed.
13. The method of claim 12, comprising permitting the material to set further while spinning the substrate at the fourth speed.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
following the again decreasing, again increasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fifth speed.
15. The method of claim 14, comprising substantially removing solvent from the material while spinning the substrate at the fifth speed.
16. A spin coating method, comprising:
applying a material to a substrate;
spinning the substrate at a first speed to at least partially spread the material;
following spinning the substrate at the first speed, spinning the substrate at a second speed to permit at least some of the material to flow into at least one recess formed in the substrate, wherein spinning the substrate at the second speed comprises spinning the substrate at a speed that is slower than the first speed; and
following spinning the substrate at the second speed, increasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a third speed that is greater than the first speed.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein spinning the substrate at the first speed comprises substantially filling the at least one recess with the material.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein spinning the substrate at the third speed comprises forming a layer comprising the material over a surface of the substrate to a desired thickness.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
following gradually increasing, again decreasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fourth speed.
20. The method of claim 19, comprising permitting the material to set further while spinning the substrate at the fourth speed.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
following again decreasing, again increasing a rate of spinning of the substrate to a fifth speed.
22. The method of claim 21, comprising substantially removing solvent from the material while spinning the substrate at the fifth speed.