Methods and apparatus for retracting tissue
First Claim
1. A surgical apparatus for retracting animal tissue, said apparatus comprising:
- a resilient, deformable member having a loop shape defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, and being deformable about a region of said member having less resiliency than other regions of said member between a compressed insertion position wherein opposing regions of said interior surface contact each other when said member is fully compressed and an expanded tissue-supporting position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Surgical apparatus and associated methods of use are provided for retracting tissue around an incision. The apparatus includes a member having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. An adjustable aperture is definable within the inner peripheral surface as the member is adjusted between a compressed condition in which the aperture is substantially closed and an expanded condition in which the aperture is substantially open. The apparatus is positioned within a surgical incision in the compressed condition, and is adjusted to the expanded condition in situ to define an opening within the incision through the aperture whereby a surgical field may be viewed and/or accessed.
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Citations
93 Claims
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1. A surgical apparatus for retracting animal tissue, said apparatus comprising:
a resilient, deformable member having a loop shape defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, and being deformable about a region of said member having less resiliency than other regions of said member between a compressed insertion position wherein opposing regions of said interior surface contact each other when said member is fully compressed and an expanded tissue-supporting position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A surgical apparatus for retracting animal tissue, said apparatus comprising:
a resilient, deformable member having a loon shape defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, said member being provided with at least one flex portion having less resiliency than remaining portions of said member and being deformable about said at least one flex portion between a compressed insertion position wherein opposing portions of said interior surface contact each other when said member is fully compressed and an expanded tissue-supporting position.
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6. A surgical apparatus for retracting heart tissue, said apparatus comprising:
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a member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery, and an aperture definable within said inner periphery; said member being adjustable between a compressed condition in which said aperture is substantially closed and an expanded condition in which said aperture is substantially open and has sufficient strength to keen said heart tissue in a substantially atraumatic retracted position. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A device for retracting heart tissue comprising:
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a body member having a closed-loop shape; said body member being deformable between a compressed condition and an expanded condition; said body member having sufficient resilience to substantially atraumatically retract heart tissue when said body member is positioned within a surgical field; said body member having sufficient flexibility to enable opposite inside interior surfaces of said body member to come into contact with each other when said body member is fully compressed by a human hand. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A surgical apparatus for retracting tissue, said apparatus comprising:
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a member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery, said member being resiliently biased to an expanded condition and provided with at least one flex portion having less resiliency than remaining portions of said member; an aperture definable within said inner periphery; and said member being adjustable about said at least one flex portion between a compressed condition in which said aperture is substantially closed and said expanded condition in which said aperture is substantially open. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A surgical apparatus for retracing tissue, said apparatus comprising:
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a member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery; an aperture definable within said inner periphery; a light source disposed on said member, said light source being chemiluminescent; and said member being adjustable between a compressed condition in which said aperture is substantially closed and an expanded condition in which said aperture is substantially open. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A surgical apparatus for retracting tissue, said apparatus comprising:
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a member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery; an aperture definable within said inner periphery; a mechanical adjuster for moving said member between said compressed condition and said expanded condition, said member being an open loop having a first and second opposing ends, and a plurality of notches formed along a first length of said member adjacent to said first end; and said mechanical adjuster being disposed on said second end of said member and including; a slot for slidably receiving said first end and said first length of said member thereby defining said aperture; a toothed drive for engaging said plurality of notches; and said member being adjustable between a compressed condition in which said aperture is substantially closed and an expanded condition in which said aperture is substantially open and applies an outward radial force to said tissue. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 92)
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78. A method for retracting heart tissue, said method comprising the steps of:
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forming an incision through said heart tissue; positioning a surgical apparatus for retracting tissue, said apparatus comprising a member having an inner periphery and an outer periphery and an aperture definable within said inner periphery, said member being adjustable between a compressed condition in which said aperture is substantially closed and an expanded condition in which said aperture is substantially open, in said incision; and expanding said surgical apparatus within said incision to form an opening in said heart tissue. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93)
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Specification