Surgical devices for imposing a negative pressure to fix the position of cardiac tissue during surgery

• US 5,727,569 A
• Filed: 02/20/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Cardiothoracic Systems, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Charles S., Matheny, Robert G., Benetti, Federico J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): RASCHE, PATRICK WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/603,328
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 606/205, 606/207, 606/191, 606/1, 606/166, 604/313-316, 607/119, 607/116, 607/126, 600/210, 600/235, 128/898
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0243 for immobilizing local areas of the heart, e.g. while it beats trocars attached to inner organs or inner body tissue A61B2017/3488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/306 holding by means of suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3488 Fixation to inner organ or inner body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/40 Apparatus fixed or close to patients specially adapted for providing an aseptic surgical environment

Abstract

The invention is devices and techniques which use a negative (suction) pressure or vacuum, applied through a surgical instrument, to fix the position of a portion of the surface of a beating heart so that a surgical procedure can be more easily performed. The devices apply a negative pressure at several points on the outer surface of the heart such that a portion of the heart is fixed in place by the suction imposed through the surgical instrument. Because the instrument fixes the position of the tissue, and because the instruments remain at a constant distance from the particular portion of the heart where the surgery is being performed, the device may also serve as a support or platform so that other surgical instruments or devices can be advantageously used at the site. In certain preferred embodiments, the devices described herein have structures to facilitate the use of additional surgical instruments such that the placement of negative pressure device permit the surgeon to advantageously manipulate the other instruments during surgery. The negative pressure is preferably imposed through a plurality of ports which may be disposed in a substantially planar surface of the instrument which contacts the cardiac tissue.

Claims

1. A method to minimize the motion of an area of tissue at the outer surface of the beating heart proximate to a coronary artery comprising:

contacting the outer surface of the beating heart with an instrument, at said target area proximate to a coronary artery, wherein said instrument is comprised of an annular housing having a plurality of suction ports disposed therein and wherein said housing is further shaped to apply negative pressure at several points about the target area and means for introducing negative pressure to the suction ports,

manipulating the position of the instrument to rest each of said plurality of suction ports against the outer surface of the beating heart,

applying a negative pressure to the beating heart, wherein the means for introducing the negative pressure to the suction ports communicates the negative pressure to said plurality of suction ports connected at several points over the outer surface of the beating heart proximate to the portion of the heart containing said artery, and wherein the relative motion of an area of tissue of the beating heart is thereby minimized.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said suction ports have openings disposed in a bottom surface of said housing.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the bottom surface of said housing is substantially flat.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrument contacts the surface of the beating heart at a plurality of bases of said housing and in which said suction ports are disposed.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the instrument is shaped such that the suction ports disposed in said bases are co-planar.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the instrument is shaped such that the bases are oriented to conform the suction ports to the contours of the heart.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of orienting the instrument such that a coronary artery is positioned between said bases.