1. An interarticulating staple for clamping one of a thoraciclumbar Spinous Process (SP), a thoraciclumbar Transverse Process (TP), and cervical Spinous Process (SP), the interarticulating staple comprising:
a first claw having a first clamping surface;
a second claw having a second clamping surface;
a staple pin pivotally connecting the first claw and the second claw;
a ratchet mechanism that limits an opening force of the first claw with respect to the second claw;
a first hemi-spacer on the first clamping surface of the first claw; and
a second hemi-spacer on the second clamping surface of the second claw and opposed to the first hemi-spacer when the first claw and the second claw are in a closed position.
2. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises:
a ratchet pin pivotably mounted to the first claw,
wherein the second claw includes a plurality of ratchet teeth, and
wherein the ratchet pin includes a flexure spring engaging the plurality of ratchet teeth.
3. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises:
a ratchet pin pivotably mounted to the second claw,
wherein the first claw includes a plurality of ratchet teeth, and
wherein the ratchet pin includes a flexure spring engaging the plurality of ratchet teeth.
4. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping surface includes a plurality of ridges.
5. The staple according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of ridges are formed on the first clamping surface on opposite sides of the first hemi-spacer.
6. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the second clamping surface includes a plurality of ridges.
7. The staple according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of ridges are formed on the second clamping surface on opposite sides of the second hemi-spacer.
8. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping surface includes a plurality of prongs.
9. The staple according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of prongs are formed on the first clamping surface on opposite sides of the first hemi-spacer.
10. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the second clamping surface includes a plurality of prongs.
11. The staple according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of prongs are formed on the second clamping surface on opposite sides of the second hemi-spacer.
12. The staple according to claim 8, wherein the first hemi-spacer is positioned in between the plurality of prongs.
13. The staple according to claim 10, wherein the second hemi-spacer is positioned in between the plurality of prongs.
14. The staple according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of prongs on the first claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
15. The staple according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of prongs on the second claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
16. The staple according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of prongs on the first claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
17. The staple according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of prongs on the second claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
18. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first hemi-spacer is secured to the first claw with a screw.
19. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the second hemi-spacer is secured to the second claw with a screw.
20. The staple according to claim 18, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes a screw insert that receives the screw.
21. The staple according to claim 19, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes a screw insert that receives the screw.
22. The staple according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of prongs on the first claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
23. The staple according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of prongs on the second claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
24. The staple according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of prongs on the first claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
25. The staple according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of prongs on the second claw are separated into a first group of prongs and a second group of prongs, and
wherein the first group of prongs is separated from the second group of prongs by a distance approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
26. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first hemi-spacer interlocks with the second hemi-spacer.
27. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion.
28. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes a plurality of interlocking protrusions.
29. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes an interlocking receptacle.
30. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes a plurality of interlocking receptacles.
31. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion.
32. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes a plurality of interlocking protrusions.
33. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes an interlocking receptacle.
34. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes a plurality of interlocking receptacles.
35. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion and an interlocking receptacle.
36. The staple according to claim 26, wherein the second hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion and an interlocking receptacle.
37. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion and an interlocking receptacle,
wherein the second hemi-spacer includes an interlocking protrusion and an interlocking receptacle,
wherein the interlocking protrusion of the first hemi-spacer engages the interlocking receptacle of the second hemi-spacer when the first claw and the second claw are in a closed position, and
wherein the interlocking protrusion of the second hemi-spacer engages the interlocking receptacle of the first hemi-spacer when the first claw and the second claw are in a closed position.
38. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking protrusion of the first hemi-spacer has a tapered surface, and
wherein the interlocking receptacle of the second hemi-spacer has a corresponding tapered surface.
39. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking protrusion of the second hemi-spacer has a tapered surface, and
wherein the interlocking receptacle of the first hemi-spacer has a corresponding tapered surface.
40. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the first hemi-spacer is a rectangularly-shaped hemi-spacer.
41. The staple according to claim 1, wherein the second hemi-spacer is a rectangularly-shaped hemi-spacer.
42. The staple according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first hemi-spacer is approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
43. The staple according to claim 1, wherein a length of the second hemi-spacer is approximately equal to an inter-spinous process distance.
44. The staple according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first hemi-spacer is approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
45. The staple according to claim 1, wherein a length of the second hemi-spacer is approximately equal to an inter-lumbar transverse process distance.
46. The staple according to claim 1, wherein each of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface has a convex surface.
47. The staple according to claim 1, wherein each of the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface has a concave surface.
48. An interarticulating staple for clamping one of a thoraciclumbar Spinous Process (SP), a thoraciclumbar Transverse Process (TP), and cervical Spinous Process (SP), the interarticulating staple comprising:
a first claw having a first clamping surface;
a second claw having a second clamping surface;
a staple pin pivotally connecting the first claw and the second claw;
ratchet means for limiting an opening force of the first claw with respect to the second claw; and
spacer means for providing one of adjacent spinous process separation and distraction.
49. An interarticulating staple for clamping one of a thoraciclumbar Spinous Process (SP), a thoraciclumbar Transverse Process (TP), and cervical Spinous Process (SP), the interarticulating staple comprising:
first claw means pivotally connected to second claw means; and
ratchet means for limiting an opening force of the first claw means with respect to the second claw means and fixing a position of the first claw means with respect the second claw means; and
spacer means on at least one of the first claw means and the second claw means, the spacer means for providing one of adjacent spinous process separation and distraction.
50. An interarticulating staple for clamping one of a thoraciclumbar Spinous Process (SP), a thoraciclumbar Transverse Process (TP), and cervical Spinous Process (SP), the interarticulating staple comprising:
a first claw having a first clamping surface and a second claw having a second clamping surface, wherein the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface cooperate to clamp a pair of adjacent spinous processes;
a staple pin pivotally connecting the first claw and the second claw;
a ratchet mechanism that limits an opening force of the first claw with respect to the second claw;
a first hemi-spacer on the first clamping surface of the first claw; and
a second hemi-spacer on the second clamping surface of the second claw and opposed to the first hemi-spacer when the first claw and the second claw are in a closed position, wherein the first hemi-spacer and the second hemi-spacer cooperate to interpose and distract the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the first claw and the second claw are clamped on the pair of adjacent spinous processes in the closed position.
51. A method of clamping one of a thoraciclumbar Spinous Process (SP), a thoraciclumbar Transverse Process (TP), and cervical Spinous Process (SP), the method comprising:
positioning an interarticulating staple on a pair of adjacent spinous processes, wherein the interarticulating staple comprises:
a first claw having a first clamping surface and a second claw having a second clamping surface, wherein the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface cooperate to clamp the pair of adjacent spinous processes;
a staple pin pivotally connecting the first claw and the second claw;
a ratchet mechanism that limits an opening force of the first claw with respect to the second claw;
a first hemi-spacer on the first clamping surface of the first claw; and
a second hemi-spacer on the second clamping surface of the second claw and opposed to the first hemi-spacer when the first claw and the second claw are in a closed position, wherein the first hemi-spacer and the second hemi-spacer cooperate to interpose and distract the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the first claw and the second claw are clamped on the pair of adjacent spinous processes in the closed position; and
securing the interarticulating staple to the pair of adjacent spinous processes by clamping the first clamping surface and the second clamping surface to the pair of adjacent spinous processes such that the first hemi-spacer and the second hemi-spacer interpose and distract the pair of adjacent spinous processes when the first claw and the second claw are clamped on the pair of adjacent spinous processes in the closed position.
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 motion compensating apparatus comprising:
motion compensation processing means for receiving as inputs thereof an input image and a reference image to output a motion vector between the input image and the reference image, and an estimated image which is extracted in accordance with the reference image;
first luminancecolor difference separating means for separating an input image luminance signal and an input image color difference signal from the input image;
second luminancecolor difference separating means for separating an estimated image luminance signal and an estimated image color difference signal from the estimated image;
a first substracter for obtaining a difference between the input image color difference signal from said first luminancecolor difference separating means and the estimated image color difference signal from said second luminancecolor difference separating means;
a second substracter for obtaining a difference between the input image luminance signal from said first luminancecolor difference separating means and the estimated image luminance signal from said second luminancecolor difference separating means;
color difference evaluation value producing means for producing a color difference evaluation value on the basis of the output from said first subtracter;
luminance evaluation value producing means for producing a luminance evaluation value on the basis of the output from said second subtracter;
evaluation value calculating means for calculating an evaluation value for determination of an optimal vector on the basis of the color difference evaluation value from said color difference value producing means and the luminance evaluation value from said luminance evaluation value producing means; and
vector determining means for receiving as inputs thereof the motion vector and the evaluation value for determination of an optimal vector to output as an optimal vector the motion vector, in which the evaluation value for determination of an optimal vector is minimum, out of a plurality of motion vectors which can be selected.
2. The motion compensating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said evaluation value calculating means comprises an adder for adding the color difference evaluation value from said color difference evaluation value producing means and the luminance evaluation value from said luminance evaluation value producing means to each other to obtain a total evaluation value, and wherein said vector determining means receives as inputs thereof said motion vector and a total addition value as the total evaluation value to output as an optimal vector the motion vector, in which said total evaluation value is minimum, out of a plurality of motion vectors which can be selected.