DISPOSABLE VISCERAL RETAINER
First Claim
1. A collapsible retainer including means for temporarily retaining the body contents inside a patient during the suture of an incision following surgery, comprising:
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said incision;
b. an inflatable rib-like bladder formed in said sheet;
c. inflation means connected to said bladder for forcing gas into said bladder to render said sheet substantially flat and rigid; and
d. exhusting means connected to said bladder for releasing said gas therefrom to collapse said sheet.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collapsible disposable retainer device for insertion beneath an abdominal incision for temporarily retaining viscera inside the abdominal cavity of a patient during closure of an abdominal incision following surgery. The retractor is in the form of a flat oval-shaped piece of transparent flexible plastic or rubber material which has a peripheral tubular bladder inflatable with air or other gas from an inflation device to impart rigidity to the structure during use. Following use the bladder is emptied of gas and the retractor collapsed, permitting its ready withdrawal from a small opening left in the abdominal incision.
1007 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A collapsible retainer including means for temporarily retaining the body contents inside a patient during the suture of an incision following surgery, comprising:
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said incision;
b. an inflatable rib-like bladder formed in said sheet;
c. inflation means connected to said bladder for forcing gas into said bladder to render said sheet substantially flat and rigid; and
d. exhusting means connected to said bladder for releasing said gas therefrom to collapse said sheet.
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said incision;
-
2. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said inflatable bladder is tubular in shape.
-
3. The retainer of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said inflatable bladder is formed in said sheet near a peripheral portion thereof.
-
4. The retainer of claim 3 adapted for abdominal surgery wherein said Sheet includes a narrow flange portion formed along the periphery thereof for providing a flap-like surface adapted for tack-stitching said retractor to the peritoneal surface of the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen.
-
5. The retainer of claim 1 wherein the shape of said sheet is substantially oval.
-
6. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said sheet material is transparent.
-
7. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said sheet is of a material sterilizable by gas autoclaving.
-
8. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said inflation means comprises a tube connected to sand bladder and injecting means for forcing gas into said bladder through said tube.
-
9. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said exhausting means comprises a tube connected to said bladder and valve means associated with said tube for controllably releasing gas from said bladder through said tube.
-
10. The retainer of claim 9 wherein said tube portion of said exhausting means is non-collapsible and comprises a first segment having a plurality of spaced vents disposed interior to said bladder and a non-vented second segment disposed exterior to said bladder, and said valve means is connected to said second segment at the end thereof which is opposite the connection of said tube with said bladder.
-
11. The retainer of claim 10 wherein said vale means is a bidirectional control valve and said inflation means comprises said tube, said valve means, and a pressurizer means disposed at the end of said tube opposite its connection with said bladder for increasing the pressure of said gas interior thereto.
-
12. The retainer of claim 11 wherein said bidirectional control valve comprises a stopcock.
-
13. The retainer of claim 11 wherein said bidirectional control includes a flutter-valve.
-
14. The retainer of claim 11 wherein said pressurizer means comprises a piston syringe.
-
15. The retainer of claim 11 wherein said pressurizer means comprises a bulb syringe.
-
16. The retainer of claim 1 wherein all of the components forming said retractor are comprised of materials sterilizable by gas autoclaving.
-
17. The retainer of claim 1 wherein said inflation means and said exhausting means are detachably connected to said bladder.
-
18. A collapsible visceral retainer, including means for temporarily retaining the visceral contents inside the abdominal cavity of a patient durint the suture of an abdominal incision following surgery, comprising:
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said abdominal incision;
b. an inflatable tubular-shaped bladder rib formed in said sheet near a peripheral portion thereof;
c. inflation means connected to said bladder rib for forcing gas into said bladder rib to render said sheet substantially flat and rigid; and
d. exhausting means connected to said bladder rib for releasing said gas therefrom to collapse said sheet.
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said abdominal incision;
-
19. The retainer of claim 18 wherein said tubular bladder rib is arranged to extend along substantially the entire length of said sheet adjacent the periphery thereof.
-
20. A collapsible visceral retainer, including means for temporarily retaining the visceral contents inside the abdominal cavity of a patient during the suture of an abdominal incision following surgery, comprising:
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said abdominal incision;
b. an inflatable bladder rib formed in said sheet; and
c. inflation means connected to said bladder rib for forcing gas into said bladder rib to render said sheet substantially flat and rigid and for releasing said gas therefrom to collapse said sheet.
- a. a biologically sterile sheet of flexible, crushable material configured to fit within and beneath said abdominal incision;
-
21. A method for using a visceral retainer of the type comprised of a sheet of flexible, collapsible material having an inflatable bladder formed therein, for temporarily retaining the visceral contents inside the abdominal cavity of a patient during the suture of an abdominal incision following surgery, comprising:
- a. placing said retainer while in a collapsed state in the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen between the incision and the viscera so that the edges of the incision overlap said retainer;
b. inflating said retainer by forcing gas into said bladder to cause said sheet to lie substantially flat and rigid;
c. partially suturing the incision by closing it over substantially the entire length thereof but leaving a small opening therein;
d. collapsing said retainer by deflating said bladder subsequent to said partial suture of the incision; and
e. removing said retainer from the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen through said opening.
- a. placing said retainer while in a collapsed state in the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen between the incision and the viscera so that the edges of the incision overlap said retainer;
-
22. The method of claim 21 further characterized in that said retainer includes a gas conducting tube connected to said inflatable bladder and having a segment extending exterior thereto, and wherein said step (a) of placing said retainer while in the collapsed state within the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen includes disposing said exterior tube segment through the incision so as to protrude outside the patient'"'"''"'"'s body and said step (e) of removing said collapsed retainer from the patient'"'"''"'"'s abdomen through said opening is initiated by pulling on said tube.
Specification