Tissue retractors
First Claim
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1. A surgical retractor device, comprising:
- a tissue retractor formed of a flexible biocompatible material defining an internal cavity in a central portion of the tissue retractor;
a plurality of granules disposed in the internal cavity; and
a plurality of tabs extending from a central body of the internal cavity, each of the tabs having an aperture formed therethrough, each of the apertures being configured to have a surgical tool inserted therethrough,wherein the tissue retractor has a first state in which it is selectively conformable to a target tissue in a body cavity in a desired configuration and a second state in which it is substantially rigid and in a substantially fixed conformation.
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Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for performing surgical procedures using tissue retractors. In general, the methods and devices allow a surgeon to use a retractor to capture a large or small amount of tissue in the retractor and to move the retractor to relocate tissue to one or more convenient locations during a surgical procedure. The retractor can be configured from a pliable state to a substantially rigid state to hold the retractor and the tissue in a substantially fixed position during the procedure.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A surgical retractor device, comprising:
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a tissue retractor formed of a flexible biocompatible material defining an internal cavity in a central portion of the tissue retractor; a plurality of granules disposed in the internal cavity; and a plurality of tabs extending from a central body of the internal cavity, each of the tabs having an aperture formed therethrough, each of the apertures being configured to have a surgical tool inserted therethrough, wherein the tissue retractor has a first state in which it is selectively conformable to a target tissue in a body cavity in a desired configuration and a second state in which it is substantially rigid and in a substantially fixed conformation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A surgical retractor device, comprising:
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a biocompatible retractor body having an internal cavity, a plurality of tabs extending from a central body of the internal cavity, and the retractor body being configured to have a default non-rigid state and to be disposed in a body cavity, wherein the internal cavity extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the retractor body, and the retractor body includes a flexible fabric disposed within the perimeter of the retractor body; and constrictable material disposed in the internal cavity, wherein constricting the material causes the retractor body to be configured in a rigid state in which the retractor body is effective to support tissue in a body cavity in a selected substantially fixed position, wherein each of the tabs has an aperture formed therethrough, each of the apertures being configured to have a surgical tool inserted therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A surgical method, comprising:
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inserting a conformable tissue retractor into a body cavity in a first orientation, wherein the retractor has a central internal cavity comprising a plurality of granules, a plurality of tabs extending from the central internal cavity, each of the tabs having an aperture formed therethrough, each of the apertures being configured to have a surgical tool inserted therethrough; positioning tissue with respect to the tissue retractor in a desired conformation that is different than the first orientation such that the tissue retractor supports a target tissue; and evacuating a fluid from within the internal cavity such that the granules compact together to maintain the tissue retractor in the desired conformation such that it is able to hold the target tissue in a substantially fixed position. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A surgical method, comprising:
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introducing a pliable retractor into a body cavity in a conformable configuration in which the retractor is in a non-rigid state; changing the retractor from the conformable configuration to a non-conformable configuration in which the retractor is in a rigid state and is in a desired orientation with respect to a target tissue such that the retractor is effective to support tissue in the body cavity in a substantially fixed position, the changing causing at least a subset of a plurality of granules disposed in the retractor to change at least one of a diameter and a shape; and decompressing the plurality of granules disposed in an internal cavity of the retractor such that the retractor can change from the rigid state to the non-rigid state, the decompressing causing at least the subset of the plurality of granules disposed in the retractor to change in the at least one of the diameter and the shape, a plurality of tabs extending from a central body of the internal cavity, each of the tabs having an aperture formed therethrough, each of the apertures being configured to have a surgical tool inserted therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification