Author: claimsbot

1. A modified surgical instrument of conventional design for assisting in suture ligation, the instrument comprising at least one knot assist assembly operationally coupled to the instrument, the assembly comprising a wire having a first end terminating with a tip and a second end operationally linked to an activating means for reversibly driving the tip between a retracted position and an extended position.
2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising at least one link operationally coupled to at least one jaw, the at least one jaw being capable of alternating between an open or a closed position, and an alternating means for alternating the at least one jaw between the open and closed positions.
3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 where the activating means further comprises a guide and a trigger extending from the guide, the guide being operationally linked to the second end of the wire such that pushing the lever toward the jaws causes the tip to be in one of either the retracted or extended positions, and pushing the lever away from the jaws causes the tip to be in the other of either the retracted or extended positions.
4. The surgical instrument of claim 3 where pushing the trigger toward the jaws causes the tip to be in the extended position and pushing the trigger away from the jaws causes the tip to be in the retracted position.
5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 where the assembly further comprises a tip guide positioned on the wire between about the tip and the guide.
6. The surgical instrument of claim 1 where the tip of the wire incorporates memory flexibility through a flexible joint or a slight bend in the tip or the combination of a flexible joint and a slight bend in the tip.
7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an internal channel for receiving the knot assist assembly, such that the wire and the activating means are contained at least partially within the internal channel, a trigger opening on the instrument such that a portion of the activating means extends through the trigger opening, and a tip opening on the instrument.
8. The surgical instrument of claim 7 further comprising at least one link operationally coupled to at least one jaw, the at least one jaw being capable of alternating between an open or a closed position, and an alternating means for alternating the at least one jaw between the open and closed positions.
9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 where the activating means further comprises a guide and a trigger extending from the guide, the guide being operationally linked to the second end of the wire such that pushing the lever toward the jaws to the limit of the trigger opening causes the tip to be in one of either the retracted or extended positions, and pushing the lever away from the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip to be in the other of either the retracted or extended positions.
10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 where pushing the trigger toward the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip exit the channel through the tip opening to be in the extended position and pushing the trigger away from the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip to reenter the channel through the tip opening to be in the retracted position.
11. The surgical instrument of claim 7 where the assembly further comprises a tip guide positioned on the wire between about the tip and the guide.
12. The surgical instrument of claim 7 where the tip of the wire incorporates memory flexibility through a flexible joint or a slight bend in the tip or the combination of a flexible joint and a slight bend in the tip.
13. The surgical instrument of claim 7 where the guide wire element is contained substantially within the internal channel.
14. The surgical instrument of claim 7 further comprising a shoulder at the end of the internal channel adjacent to the jaws.
15. The surgical instrument of claim 1 further comprising a first link and a second link, the first and second links each having a first end adjacent to a jaw, the first and second links being pivotally moveable in relation to each other so that the jaws may alternate between an open and closed position, and an alternating means for alternating the jaws between the open and closed positions.
16. The surgical instrument of claim 15 where the activating means further comprises a guide and a trigger extending from the guide, the guide being operationally linked to the second end of the wire such that pushing the lever toward the jaws causes the tip to be in one of either the retracted or extended positions, and pushing the lever away from the jaws causes the tip to be in the other of either the retracted or extended positions.
17. The surgical instrument of claim 15 further comprising an internal channel for receiving the knot assist assembly, such that the wire and the activating means are contained at least partially within the internal channel, a trigger opening on the instrument such that a portion of the activating means extends through the trigger opening, and a tip opening on the at least one of the first or second links so that the tip can exit and enter the channel.
18. The surgical instrument of claim 17 where the activating means further comprises a guide and a trigger extending from the guide, the guide being operationally linked to the second end of the wire such that pushing the lever toward the jaws to the limit of the trigger opening causes the tip to be in one of either the retracted or extended positions, and pushing the lever away from the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip to be in the other of either the retracted or extended positions.
19. The surgical instrument of claim 18 where pushing the trigger toward the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip exit the channel through the tip opening to be in the extended position and pushing the trigger away from the jaws to the limit of the trigger openings causes the tip to reenter the channel through the tip opening to be in the retracted position.
20. A method of suture ligation, the method comprising the steps of:
a. placing a surgical instrument comprising a knot assist assembly into a body cavity of a patient;
b. using the surgical instrument to pass a needle in combination with a suture thread through a tissue to be sutured;
c. releasing the needle and placing the at least one link of the instrument adjacent to the suture thread at a location where the suture is desired and manipulating the surgical instrument so that the suture thread wraps at least once around the at least one link;
d. pushing the trigger on the activating means such that the tip assumes the extended position;
e. grasping the suture thread with the jaws of the instrument;
f. pushing the trigger on the activating means such that the tip assumes the retracted position; and
g. manipulating the instrument so that the jaws pass through the looped suture thread to form a knot in the suture thread.

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 system for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses are emitted in a non-periodic manner.
2. The system of claim 1 further including a dithering circuit to introduce a pseudo-random dither into the timing of the start of said exciting pulses.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said dither is approximately one-cycle of the resonant frequency of said marker.
4. A system for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
means for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
means for sensing including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
means for receiving and analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said means for receiving and analyzing acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses are emitted in a non-periodic manner.
5. The system of claim 4 further including means for dithering operative to introduce a pseudo-random dither into the timing of the start of said exciting pulses.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said dither is approximately one-cycle of the resonant frequency of said marker.
7. A method for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
providing an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
providing a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
providing a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses are emitted in a non-periodic manner.
8. The method of claim 7 further including introducing a pseudo-random dither into the timing of the start of said exciting pulses.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein said dither is approximately one-cycle of the resonant frequency of said marker.
10. A system for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses have a random starting polarity.
11. A method for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
providing an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
providing a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
providing a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses have a random starting polarity.
12. A system for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses have a random starting phase.
13. A method for locating a marker associated with a patient comprising:
providing an excitation source for emitting a series of exciting pulses, each exciting pulse emitted during an excitation interval, said exciting pulse causing said marker to resonate;
providing a sensing array including a plurality of sensing coils, said sensing coils adapted for sensing a resonance signal of said marker and outputting a plurality of inputs during a observation interval that occurs following said excitation interval; and
providing a receiver for analyzing said plurality of inputs to remove noise from said plurality of inputs, said receiver acting on said plurality of inputs provided during said observation interval,
wherein said exciting pulses have a random starting phase.

1. A servo actuator comprising:
a housing;
a drive assembly operable to turn an output shaft, the drive assembly including an outer cylinder configured to rotate within the housing and an inner cylinder configured to rotate within the outer cylinder; and
a clutch operable to prevent the outer cylinder from rotating within the housing and to allow the inner cylinder to be rotated within the outer cylinder to turn the output shaft,
wherein the inner cylinder comprises a planetary carrier assembly having a planet carrier including at least one planet gear,
wherein the outer cylinder comprises a ring gear assembly having a ring gear,
wherein the ring gear and the planet carrier are operable to rotate independently of each other when the clutch is disengaged.
2. The servo actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the clutch is further operable to allow the outer cylinder to rotate within the housing in response to the application of an external torque to the output shaft.
3. The servo actuator as recited in claim 1, further including a planetary gear assembly comprising the ring gear, the planetary carrier assembly, and a sun gear configured to be driven by a rotational input and the planet gear, the planet gear configured to mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear.
4. The servo actuator as recited in claim 3, wherein the clutch is engaged while the sun gear is driven by the rotational input to hold the ring gear stationary with respect to the housing so that the planet gear orbits about the sun gear to rotate the planet carrier.
5. The servo actuator as recited in claim 4, wherein the clutch is disengaged to allow the ring gear to rotate about the sun gear when the output shaft is turned by the external torque to the output shaft.
6. The servo actuator as recited in claim 3, further comprising a motor operable to furnish the rotational input to the sun gear to drive the sun gear.
7. The servo actuator as recited in claim 6, further comprising a transmission operable to transmit the rotational input to the sun gear.
8. The servo actuator as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or more outer bearing assemblies disposed between the housing and the outer cylinder and one or more inner bearing assemblies disposed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder.
9. The servo actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the clutch comprises:
a solenoid fixedly attached to the housing;
an armature configured to contact the solenoid when the clutch is engaged;
a coil configured to magnetize the solenoid to pull the armature into contact with the solenoid; and
a spring configured to couple the armature to the outer cylinder, the spring operable to bias the armature away from the solenoid.
10. The servo actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the armature comprises a first plurality of teeth and the solenoid comprises a second plurality of teeth arranged to mesh with the first plurality of teeth.
11. A servo actuator comprising:
a housing;
a ring gear assembly configured to rotate within the housing, the ring gear assembly including a cylindrical sleeve and a ring gear;
a planet carrier assembly configured to rotate within the cylindrical sleeve, the planet carrier assembly including a planet carrier and an output shaft;
a sun gear configured to be driven by a motor;
one or more planet gears carried by the planet carrier, the one or more planet gears being configured to mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear; and
a clutch operable to be engaged to prevent the ring gear assembly from rotating within the housing and to allow the planet carrier assembly to rotate within the cylindrical sleeve when the sun gear is driven by the motor to turn the output shaft,
wherein the ring gear and the planet carrier are operable to rotate independently of each other when the clutch is disengaged.
12. The servo actuator as recited in claim 11, wherein the clutch is further operable to be disengaged to allow the outer cylinder to rotate within the housing so that turning of the output shaft causes the inner cylinder to rotate the outer cylinder.
13. The servo actuator as recited in claim 12, wherein the clutch is configured to be engaged while the sun gear is driven by the motor to hold the ring gear stationary with respect to the housing so that the planet gears orbit about the sun gear to rotate the planet carrier.
14. The servo actuator as recited in claim 13, wherein the clutch is configured to be disengaged to allow the ring gear to rotate about the sun gear in response to the output shaft being turned.
15. The servo actuator as recited in claim 14, further comprising one or more outer bearing assemblies disposed between the housing and the ring gear assembly and one or more inner bearing assemblies disposed between the cylindrical sleeve and the planet carrier.
16. The servo actuator as recited in claim 11, wherein the clutch comprises:
a solenoid fixed within the housing;
an armature configured to contact the solenoid when the clutch is engaged;
a coil configured to magnetize the solenoid to pull the armature into contact with the solenoid; and
a spring configured to couple the armature to the ring gear assembly, the spring operable to bias the armature away from the solenoid.
17. The servo actuator as recited in claim 11, further comprising a motor operable to drive the sun gear.
18. The servo actuator as recited in claim 17, further comprising a transmission operable to transmit a rotational input from the motor to the sun gear.

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 mask frame assembly, comprising:
a frame comprising an opening portion;
a first mask comprising ends connected to the frame, the first mask comprising:
a first deposition region disposed in correspondence with the opening portion of the frame; and
a first through hole disposed in a vicinity of the first deposition region;

a second mask comprising ends connected to the frame, the second mask comprising:
a second deposition region disposed in correspondence with the opening portion of the frame; and
a second through hole disposed in a vicinity of the second deposition region;

a supporting stick comprising:
a first portion overlapping a portion of the first mask, the first portion comprising a third through hole overlapping the first through hole; and
a second portion overlapping a portion of the second mask, the second portion comprising a fourth through hole overlapping the second through hole; and

a fixing member extending into:
the first through hole and the third through hole; and
the second through hole and the fourth through hole.
2. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the first through hole and the second through hole comprises:
a first opening that is open in a first direction facing a deposition source; and
a second opening that is open in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

widths of the first opening and the second opening are different from one another.
3. The mask frame assembly of claim 2, wherein the width of the first opening is larger than the width of the second opening.
4. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein:
at least one of the third through hole and the fourth through hole comprises:
a third opening that is open in a first direction facing a deposition source; and
a fourth opening that is open in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

widths of the third opening and the fourth opening are different from one another.
5. The mask frame assembly of claim 4, wherein the width of the fourth opening is larger than the width of the third opening.
6. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises:
a first fixing member extending into the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole; and
a second fixing member connected to the first fixing member, the second fixing member disposed outside at least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole.
7. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole comprises a tapered portion.
8. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixing member is an electroplated andor electroless plated formation.
9. The mask frame assembly of claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises at least one of iron, nickel, copper, tin, gold, stainless steel, an invar alloy, an inconel alloy, a Kovar alloy, an iron alloy, and a nickel alloy.
10. A method of manufacturing a mask frame assembly, the method comprising:
forming a first through hole in a vicinity of a first deposition region of a first mask;
forming a second through hole in a vicinity of a second deposition region of a second mask;
forming a third through hole in a first portion of a supporting stick;
forming a fourth through hole in a second portion of the supporting stick;
aligning the first through hole with the third through hole;
aligning the second through hole with the fourth through hole;
inserting a fixing member in the aligned first and third through holes; and
inserting the fixing member in the aligned second and fourth through holes,
wherein the supporting stick couples the first mask and the second mask together via the fixing member.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein:
at least one of the first through hole and the second through hole comprises:
a first opening that is open in a first direction facing a deposition source; and
a second opening that is open in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

widths of the first opening and the second opening are different from one another.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the width of the first opening is larger than the width of the second opening.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein:
at least one of the third through hole and the fourth through hole comprises:
a third opening that is open in a first direction facing a deposition source; and
a fourth opening that is open in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

widths of the third opening and the fourth opening are different from one another.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the width of the fourth opening is larger than the width of the third opening.
15. The method of claim 10, wherein the fixing member comprises:
a first fixing member extending into the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole; and
a second fixing member connected to the first fixing member, the second fixing member disposed outside at least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first through hole, the second through hole, the third through hole, and the fourth through hole comprises a tapered portion.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the fixing member is an electroplated andor electroless plated formation.
18. The method of claim 10, wherein the fixing member comprises at least one of iron, nickel, copper, tin, gold, stainless steel, an invar alloy, an inconel alloy, a Kovar alloy, an iron alloy, and a nickel alloy.
19. The method of claim 10, wherein inserting the fixing member comprises:
injecting the fixing member into the first through hole and the second through hole and into the second through hole and the fourth through hole from a temperature of 15\xb0 C. to 100\xb0 C.
20. A method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display device comprising a first electrode facing a second electrode, and an organic film disposed on a substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode, the method comprising:
forming the organic film and the second electrode using a mask frame assembly comprising:
a frame comprising an opening portion;
a first mask comprising ends connected to the frame, the first mask comprising:
a first deposition region disposed in correspondence with the opening portion of the frame; and
a first through hole disposed in a vicinity of the first deposition region;

a second mask comprising ends connected to the frame, the second mask comprising:
a second deposition region disposed in correspondence with the opening portion of the frame; and
a second through hole disposed in a vicinity of the second deposition region;

a supporting stick comprising:
a first portion overlapping a portion of the first mask, the first portion comprising a third through hole overlapping the first through hole; and
a second portion overlapping a portion of the second mask, the second portion comprising a fourth through hole overlapping the second through hole; and

a fixing member extending into:
the first through hole and the third through hole; and
the second through hole and the fourth through hole.