Abstract: A support arm for a heart stabilizer that can be used to stabilize a heart during a beating heart coronary artery bypass graft procedure. The support arm may have an arm that is coupled to a table mount and an end effector. The table mount is adapted to be mounted to the rail of a surgical table. The end effector is adapted to hold the heart stabilizer. The arm may be adjustable to allow an end user to adjust the position of the end effector.

Abstract: A universal input device for interfacing a human operator with a slave machine such as a robot or the like includes a plurality of serially connected mechanical links extending from a base. A handgrip is connected to the mechanical links distal from the base such that a human operator may grasp the handgrip and control the position thereof relative to the base through the mechanical links. A plurality of rotary joints is arranged to connect the mechanical links together to provide at least three translational degrees of freedom and at least three rotational degrees of freedom of motion of the handgrip relative to the base. A cable and pulley assembly for each joint is connected to a corresponding motor for transmitting forces from the slave machine to the handgrip to provide kinesthetic feedback to the operator and for producing control signals that may be transmitted from the handgrip to the slave machine.