Surgical retractor

• US 4,889,107 A
• Filed: 02/10/1988
• Issued: 12/26/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack W. Kaufman
• Original Assignee: Jack W. Kaufman
• Inventors: Kaufman, Jack W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US07/154,965
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 128/3, 128/20, 128/402, 128/850
• US Class Current: 600/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/02 for holding wounds open; Tractors specula A61B1/32 ; drainage appliances for wounds A61M27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0212 Cushions or pads, without holding arms, as tissue retainers, e.g. for retracting viscera
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/44 with radio-opaque material or signalling means for residual material

Abstract

A surgical retractor including a barrier member forming a surgical dam for retaining viscera in an abdominal cavity during surgery and which is substantially nonabsorbant and is capable of being bent to a selected configuration and also including a core member enclosed within the barrier member that is capable of retaining the barrier member at the selected configuration. The barrier member is made of a flexible material such as foam plastic and has a cover made of a material impermeable to the passage of blood. The core member is preferably made of a metal capable of being bent to the plurality of selected configurations and being capable of retaining the selected configuration against the pressure of the viscera in the abdominal cavity.

Claims

1. A surgical retractor, comprising in combination

barrier means for forming a surgical dam about an incision, said barrier means being substantially resistant to the absorption of blood and non-absorbent on its outer surfaces and enclosing a volume of compressible material and capable of being bent to a selected configuration in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said barrier means, said barrier means including a plurality of spaced slots in said plane of said barrier means for facilitating bends in the plane of said barrier means, and

composite core means enclosed substantially within said compressible material and bending with said barrier means to said selected configuration and for retaining said barrier means at said selected configuration, said composite core means having an H configuration and having a flexible core member made of a metal having no memory and being in the form of a shape or configuration permitting multiple barrier means during use, whereby said surgical retractor is capable of conforming to a spread apart incision wall so as to retain flesh, membrane, muscle and viscera.

2. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein said core means is a unitary element.

3. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein said barrier means includes an elongated body made of said compressible material and a substantially non-absorbent flexible cover for said elongated body.

4. The retractor according to claim 3, wherein said compressible material is a flexible foam material.

5. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said flexible foam material is silicone rubber foam.

6. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said non-absorbent flexible cover is made of silicone rubber.

7. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said non-absorbent flexible cover is made of polyvinylchloride.

8. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said non-absorbent flexible cover is made of latex.

9. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said non-absorbent flexible cover is closely fitted onto said body.

10. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said barrier member includes a pair of opposite side walls, a top wall and an opposite bottom wall, and top walls connected to said side walls, and a pair of opposite end walls connected to said side and said top and bottom walls, said side walls and said end walls being generally upright in the abdominal cavity during surgery wherein said top and bottom walls define a height, said side walls define a width, and said end walls define a length.

11. The retractor according to claim 10, wherein said core means is an elongated flexible core member extending along said length generally midway between said width and said height, said core member has a core height, a core width, and a core length in general alignment with said height, said width, and said length of said barrier member and said core member made of a flexible core material having no memory being of sufficient strength to retain a selected configuration against pressure exerted by the viscera in the abdominal cavity.

12. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein said flexible foam material is a plastic urethane foam material.

13. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein said barrier means comprises a body means made of said compressible material and a substantially non-absorbent flexible cover for said body means.

14. The retractor according to claim 13, wherein said compressible material is a flexible foam material.

15. A surgical retractor, comprising in combination

barrier means for forming a surgical dam about an incision, said barrier means being substantially resistant to the absorption of blood and non-absorbent on its outer surfaces and enclosing a volume of compressible material and capable of being bent to a selected configuration in a plane perpendicular to the plane of said barrier means, said barrier means including a plurality of spaced slots in said plane of said barrier means for facilitating bends in the plane of said barrier means, and

composite core means enclosed substantially within said compressible material and bending with said barrier means to said selected configuration and for retaining said barrier means at said selected configuration;

said composite core means having an X configuration and having a flexible core member made of a metal having no memory and being in the form of a shape or configuration permitting multiple barrier means during use, whereby said surgical retractor is capable of conforming to a spread apart incision wall so as to retain flesh, membrane, muscle and viscera.

16. The retractor according to claim 15, wherein said core means is a unitary element.

17. The retractor according to claim 15, wherein said X configuration is formed by a pair of intersecting core members with one said core member passing through a slot provided in the other of said pair of core members.

18. The retractor according to claim 17, wherein said slot in said other core member of said pair of core members is generally centrally disposed.

19. The retractor according to claim 15, wherein said barrier means comprises a body means made of said compressible material and a substantially non-absorbent flexible cover for said body means.

20. The retractor according to claim 19, wherein said compressible material is a flexible foam material.

21. The retractor according to claim 15, wherein said barrier means includes an elongated body made of said compressible material and a substantially non-absorbent flexible cover for said elongated body.

22. The retractor according to claim 21, wherein said compressible material is a flexible foam material.

23. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said flexible foam material is a plastic urethane foam material.

24. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said flexible foam material is silicone rubber foam.

25. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said non-absorbent cover is made of silicone rubber.

26. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said non-absorbent cover is made of polyvinylchloride.

27. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said non-absorbent cover is made of latex.

28. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said non-absorbent cover is closely fitted onto said body.

29. The retractor according to claim 22, wherein said barrier member includes a pair of opposite side walls, a top wall and an opposite bottom wall, and top walls connected to said side walls, and a pair of opposite end walls connected to said side and said top and bottom walls, said side walls and said end walls being generally upright in the abdominal cavity during surgery wherein said top and bottom walls define a height, said side walls define a width, and said end walls define a length.

30. The retractor according to claim 29, wherein said core means is an elongated flexible core member extending along said length generally midway between said width and said height, said core member has a core height, a core width, and a core length in general alignment with said height, said width, and said length of said barrier member and said core member made of a flexible core material having no memory being of sufficient strength to retain a selected configuration against pressure exerted by the viscera in the abdominal cavity.