Surgical Device for Providing Access to a Surgical Site

• US 20160120531A1
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UMC Utrecht Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: UMC Utrecht Holding B.V.
• Inventors: GRNDEMAN, Paul Frederik, KWANT, Paul Barteld
• Granted Patent: US 10,070,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0225 flexible, e.g. fabrics, meshes, or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0237 for heart surgery endoscopic heart surgery A61B2017/00243; endoscopic access devices, i.e. trocars, A61B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6847 mounted on an invasive device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6865 Access ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

A surgical device (5) for application in a treatment performed on the human or animal body (1) with the aim of providing access to a surgical site in the body, includes at least one inflatable chamber (70, 71, 72) which can be inflated from a collapsed state to an expanded state, in which expanded state the device is suitable for exerting a force on an organ or tissue at the surgical site, at least one elongated flexible member (8, 80), which member at its proximal end (801) is operatively connected to the device, and which member has a length to allow the distal end (800) of the member to be fixed to a fixation site (100, 101) outside of the body, and methods of using this device.

Claims

1. (canceled)

20-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method for positioning a surgical device in a human or animal body, the device being suitable for application in a treatment performed on the human or animal body with an aim of providing access to a surgical site in the body, the device comprising:

at least one inflatable chamber which can be inflated from a collapsed state to an expanded state, and

at least one elongated flexible member, each member having a proximal end operatively connected to the device, the method comprising the steps of;

inserting the device in the collapsed state into the body,

inflating the at least one chamber to the expanded state such that the device exerts a force on an organ or tissue at said surgical site,

guiding a distal end of the flexible member outside of the body,

positioning the distal end at a fixation site such that the member is adapted to spatially position the device, and

fixing the distal end at the fixation site to preserve the spatial position of the device.

2. A method according to claim 23, wherein the elongated flexible member is a tether.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the device comprises at least two tethers.

4. A method according to claim 23, wherein the elongated flexible member is a stylet.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the stylet is removably connected to the device.

6. A method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one elongated flexible member comprises one removably connected stylet and at least two tethers.

7. A method according to claim 23, wherein the at least one inflatable chamber comprises at least one wall, the at least one wall comprising multiple inflatable chambers which are in fluid connection.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein:

the chambers of the at least one wall are laterally contiguous,

two neighbouring chambers are laterally connected at a seam and

each of the two neighbouring chambers convexly bulges towards the seam.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the at least one wall is formed as a sheeting comprising two opposing layers of deformable material, the sheeting comprising the multiple chambers connected at the seam, the seam being formed according to a predetermined pattern by having a connection of the two opposite layers at the seam.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the sheeting comprises a third layer interposed between the two opposing layers.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one wall comprises multiple chambers in two perpendicular directions.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one wall is formed as an endless sleeve.

13. A method according to claim 8, wherein the chambers are part of one continuous tube, which tube is rolled up to form multiple windings, each winding representing a chamber.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the windings form a cone.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein a bottom one of the windings of the cone is flexed away from the cone to form a lateral entrance towards an interior of the cone.

16. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one wall comprises a second set of multiple inflatable chambers which are in fluid connection, the chambers of the second set not being in fluid connection with the at least one inflatable chamber.

17. A method according to claim 23, further comprising at least one conduit to guide instruments to the device.

18. A method according to claim 23, further comprising electrocardiogram electrodes.

19. A method according to claim 23, further comprising a luminescent fibre.