Process and instrument for stretching tissue of skin

• US 8,092,491 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilhelm Fleischmann
• Original Assignee: Wilhelm Fleischmann
• Inventors: Fleischmann, Wilhelm
• Primary Examiner(s): EREZO, DARWIN P
• Application Number:
  US11/738,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 606/213, 606/215, 606/216, 606/217, 606/218
• US Class Current: 606/216
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/081 Tissue approximator A61B2017/1103, A61B17/8866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/02 Devices for expanding tissue, e.g. skin tissue implements for holding wounds open, surgical tractors A61B17/02; implantable mammary prosthesis A61F2/12; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

An instrument for stretching tissue is provided. The instrument can include opposing hook jaws 10 movably coupled to a rod 12 and movable toward each other, and each hook jaw 10 can have a hook receptacle 18. A hook module 20, having at least one hook 22, can be seated in the hook receptacle 18. An adjustment cam 28 can be connected to each hook module 20 and an adjustment drive 26 can be coupled to the adjustment cams 28 where the adjustment drive 26 moves the adjustment cams 28 to cause a skin stretching force at one or more hook modules 20 and to cause a skin reperfusion force at one or more hook modules 20.

Claims

1. An instrument for stretching tissue, comprising:

opposing skin anchoring devices, each skin anchoring device having a series of first skin anchoring structures and a series of second skin anchoring structures;

a rod connecting the opposing skin anchoring devices;

an adjustment cam connected to each first skin anchoring structure and each second skin anchoring structure;

an adjustment drive coupled to the adjustment cams; and

wherein the adjustment drive moves the adjustment cams to cause a skin stretching force at the series of first skin anchoring structures and a skin reperfusion force at the series of second skin anchoring structures.

2. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein an adjusting shaft couples the adjustment drive to the adjustment cams.

3. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment cams coupled to the first skin anchoring structures are displaced at an angle of 180°

with respect to the adjustment cams coupled to the second skin anchoring structures.

4. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment cams are arranged such that the skin stretching force at the series of first skin anchoring structures and the skin reperfusion force at the series of second skin anchoring structures are applied simultaneously.

5. An instrument for stretching tissue, comprising:

opposing hook jaws movably coupled to a rod and movable toward each other, each hook jaw having a hook receptacle;

a plurality of hook modules, each having at least one hook and each seated in the hook receptacle;

an adjustment cam connected to each hook module;

an adjustment drive coupled to the adjustment cams; and

wherein the adjustment drive moves the adjustment cams to cause a skin stretching force at least one hook module and to cause a skin reperfusion force at least a second hook module.

6. The instrument according to claim 5, wherein an adjusting shaft couples the adjustment drive to the adjustment cams.

7. The instrument according to claim 5, wherein at least two hook modules form a first group of hook modules and additional hook modules form a second group of hook modules and the adjustment drive moves the adjustment cams to cause a skin stretching force at a first group of hook modules and to cause a skin reperfusion force at second group of hook modules.

8. The instrument according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment cams coupled to the first group of hook modules are displaced at an angle of 180°

with respect to the adjustment cams coupled to the second group of hook modules.

9. The instrument according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment cams are arranged such that the skin stretching force at the first group of hook modules and the skin reperfusion force at the second group of hook modules are applied simultaneously.