SURGICAL RETRACTOR

• US 3,782,370 A
• Filed: 07/12/1972
• Issued: 01/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard Mcdonald
• Original Assignee: Bernard Mcdonald
• Inventors: McDonald, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Laudenslager, Lucie H.
• Application Number:
  US05/271,037
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 128/17,18,20,344,345
• US Class Current: 600/207
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0293 with ring member to support retractor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00539 hydraulically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00557 inflatable A61B2017/22051 takes precedence

Abstract

This surgical retractor has a pair of opposed slat-like sides interconnected by an elastic V-shaped end piece so that the side slats are elastically bowed in arcuate paths with the concave sides of the slats facing each other. Each of the slats has cooperating ratchet and pawl arrangements to permit substantially free lengthwise extension and restricted lengthwise retraction for enlarging the size of the retractor. An extensible inflatable tube extends around the retractor and is intermittently connected thereto for extending the retractor in response to increasing fluid pressure in the tube.

Claims

1. A surgical retractor comprising:

a first elongated elastic side slat;

a second elongated elastic side slat facing the first slat;

means for freely extending the length of the first and second slats and resisting contraction thereof; and

a V-shaped end piece at least partially elastically deflectible at each end of the retractor connecting each end of the first slat to the respective end of the second slat with mutual divergence of the two slats at each end so that the slats elastically bow in mutually spaced apart arcuate paths between their ends with the concave sides of the slats facing each other.

2. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for extending comprises an extensible inflatable tube on the outside of the slats and intermittently connected thereto.

3. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 2 further comprising means for inflating the tube.

4. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 1 wherein each slat comprises a pair of interengaging side pieces slidable lengthwise relative to each other, and wherein the means for extending comprises:

ratchet means on one of the side pieces and pawl means on the other side piece cooperating for substantially free lengthwise extension and restricted lengthwise contraction.

5. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 4 wherein each of the side pieces comprises a curved transverse web, the two webs having their concave sides facing each other and wherein the ratchet means comprises a plurality of teeth spaced along the length of the concave side of one web and the pawl means comprises at least one tooth on the concave side of the other web for engaging the ratchet teeth.

6. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 5 wherein one of the side pieces comprises a pair of opposed hook-like flanges extending lengthwise along the side edges on the concave side of the lip and wherein the web of the other side piece fits between the flanges.

7. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 5 wherein each of the side slats includes a pair of spaced apart ribs extending along the length thereof for forming a channel for receiving tissue adjacent a surgical incision or the like.

8. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 7 wherein the means for extending further comprises means for slidably extending the side pieces relative to each other in response to increasing fluid pressure.

9. A surgical retractor as defined in claim 8 wherein the means for slidably extending comprises an extensible inflatable tube in the channel and connected to each side piece.

10. An extension side piece for a surgical retractor of the type having at least a pair of side slats interconnected by a pair of end pieces that cause the side slats to mutually diverge comprising:

an elastic slat having a male cross section for about half its length and a female cross section for about half its length;

ratchet means extending along one of the half lengths; and

pawl means on the other half length, said ratchet means and pawl means for cooperating with corresponding pawl means and ratchet means respectively, for substantially free lengthwise extension and restricted lengthwise contraction.

11. An extension piece as defined in claim 10 wherein the femaLe cross section comprises:

a transverse web; and

a pair of opposed hook-like flanges extending along opposite edges of the web; and

the male cross section comprises;

a transverse web fittable between the flanges of a female member having a cross section like that of the female half; and

wherein the ratchet means is along one web and the pawl means is on the other web.

12. An extension piece as defined in claim 11 further comprising an extensible inflatable tube connected to one face of the elastic slat on one of its half lengths.