Surgical devices for imposing a negative pressure to stabilize cardiac tissue during surgery

• US 6,893,391 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Cardiothoracic Systems, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Charles S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US10/020,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20020137982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 294 641- 643, 294/65, 600/37, 606201- 4
• US Class Current: 600/37
• 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 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• 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
• 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 surgical instrument adapted to fix a portion of a beating heart by applying a negative pressure thereto, said surgical instrument comprising:

a member adapted to contact the portion of the beating heart, said member having a bottom surface and a plurality of suction ports flush with said bottom surface adapted to deliver the negative pressure to the portion of the beating heart a suction conduit for connecting said suction ports to a source of negative pressure, and suction apertures interconnecting said suction ports, respectively, with said suction, wherein each said suction aperture has a cross-sectional area substantially smaller than a cross-sectional area of said respective suction port with which it connects and smaller than a cross-sectional area of said suction conduit with which it connects.

2. The suction member of claim 1, wherein said member is contoured to engage a curved surface of the heart.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said suction apertures are oriented off-center to a circumference of said suction portion with which each said suction aperture respectively connects.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein said member comprises a pair of contact members each having a plurality of said suction ports interconnected with a suction conduit via said suction apertures, respectively.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4, wherein said suction ports in each said contact member are aligned in an array.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein at least a contact surface of said member is contoured to engage the surface of the heart.

7. A suction member for fixing a portion of a beating heart by applying a negative pressure through said suction member, said suction member comprising a body having a surface configured to engage the portion of the beating heart, a plurality of suction ports having a distal opening through said surface and flush therewith and adapted to engage the surface of the beating heart, a suction aperture fluidly connected to each said suction port, and a suction conduit passing within said body and fluidly connecting with each said suction aperture, said suction conduit being in fluid communication with a source of negative pressure;

each said suction aperture having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of each said suction port, respectively.

8. The suction member of claim 7, wherein said surface is substantially flat.

9. The suction member of claim 7, wherein said suction apertures are oriented off-center to a circumference of said suction portion with which each said suction aperture respectively connects.

10. A suction arrangement for a surgical instrument adapted for fixation of a portion of a beating heart, said arrangement comprising:

a first suction port formed in a contact member of the surgical instrument and having first and second ends, said first end being open to fluid flow therethrough and opening to a surface of said contact member, said second end connected to a suction aperture having a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of said first end, and a suction conduit connected to said suction aperture, said suction conduit being adapted to connect with a source of negative pressure;

said suction conduit having a larger cross-sectional area than said cross-sectional area of said suction aperture; and

a second suction port formed in said contact member and having first and second ends, said first end being open to fluid flow therethrough and opening to a surface of said contact member, said second end of said second suction port connected to a second suction aperture having a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of said first end of said second suction port, and the suction conduit being connected to said second suction aperture, said suction conduit having a larger cross-sectional area than said cross-sectional area of said second suction aperture wherein said first and second suction ports are flush with the bottom surface of said contact member.

11. The suction arrangement of claim 10, wherein said surface is contoured to engage the surface of the heart.

12. The suction arrangement of claim 10, wherein said suction apertures are oriented off-center to a circumference of said suction portion with which each said suction aperture respectively connects.

13. The suction arrangement of claim 10, wherein said suction ports are aligned in an array in said contact member.

14. A suction member for fixing a portion of a beating heart by applying a negative pressure through said suction member, said suction member comprising a body having a surface contoured to engage a curved surface of the beating heart, a plurality of suction ports having a distal opening through said surface and adapted to engage the surface of the beating heart, a suction aperture fluidly connected to each said suction port, and a suction conduit passing within said body and fluidly connecting with each said suction aperture, said suction conduit being in fluid communication with a source of negative pressure;

each said suction aperture having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of said suction conduit.

15. The suction member of claim 14, wherein said suction apertures are oriented off-center to a circumference of said suction portion with which each said suction aperture respectively connects.

16. A suction member for fixing a portion of a beating heart by applying a negative pressure through said suction member, said suction member comprising a body having a surface configured to engage the portion of the beating heart, at least two suction ports opening to said surface and being flush therewith a suction aperture fluidly connected to each said suction port, and a suction conduit fluidly connecting with each said suction aperture, said suction conduit being adapted to fluidly communicate with a source of negative pressure;

each said suction aperture having a cross-sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of said suction port connected thereto.

17. The suction member of claim 16, wherein said surface is contoured to engage a curved surface of the heart.

18. The suction member of claim 16, wherein each said cross-sectional area of each said suction aperture is smaller than a cross-sectional area of said suction conduit.