Blade insert illuminator
First Claim
1. An illuminated surgical system comprising:
- a surgical instrument having a front side, a back side, and one or more engagement elements disposed on the surgical instrument,wherein the back side is adapted to engage tissue at a surgical site; and
an illuminator having a front surface, a rear surface, a light input portion, a light output portion, and a collar,wherein the illuminator transmits light therethrough by reflection,wherein the illuminator is disposed adjacent the surgical instrument such that the rear surface of the illuminator is disposed adjacent the front side of the surgical instrument, andwherein the one or more engagement elements on the surgical instrument engage the illuminator or the collar so as to maintain a first air gap between the surgical instrument and illuminator, andwherein light is extracted from the light output portion of the illuminator and projected onto a surgical site, andwherein the collar at least partially surrounds the light input portion, and a second air gap is at least partially disposed therebetween, the second air gap disposed at least partially circumferentially around the light input portion.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An air gap retractor illumination system includes any suitable retractor with a channel in the blade to accommodate an air gap illuminator. The illuminator is preferably made from a suitable light conducting plastic material. The illuminator has active portions in which light passes and inactive or dead zones in which light does not pass. The illuminator is formed to have an air gap surrounding any active portion of the illuminator extending from the light input to the light output portion. The dead zones may include elements to allow the illuminator to securely engage the retractor. The light output portion of the illuminator contains from two to eight output zones, each zone having specially designed output optical structures that control and direct light to escape the illuminator to shine onto a predetermined area of interest or to form one or more predetermined shapes or footprints.
172 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An illuminated surgical system comprising:
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a surgical instrument having a front side, a back side, and one or more engagement elements disposed on the surgical instrument, wherein the back side is adapted to engage tissue at a surgical site; and an illuminator having a front surface, a rear surface, a light input portion, a light output portion, and a collar, wherein the illuminator transmits light therethrough by reflection, wherein the illuminator is disposed adjacent the surgical instrument such that the rear surface of the illuminator is disposed adjacent the front side of the surgical instrument, and wherein the one or more engagement elements on the surgical instrument engage the illuminator or the collar so as to maintain a first air gap between the surgical instrument and illuminator, and wherein light is extracted from the light output portion of the illuminator and projected onto a surgical site, and wherein the collar at least partially surrounds the light input portion, and a second air gap is at least partially disposed therebetween, the second air gap disposed at least partially circumferentially around the light input portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 37)
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21. An illuminated surgical instrument for illuminating a surgical field, the surgical instrument comprising:
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a surgical instrument adapted to engage tissue, the surgical instrument having one or more engagement receptacles, a proximal portion having a longitudinal axis, a distal portion transverse to the longitudinal axis of the proximal portion and an arcuate connector coupling the proximal and distal portions; and an illuminator shaped to substantially conform to the shape of the surgical instrument and coupled with the surgical instrument with an air gap disposed therebetween, the illuminator comprising a light input portion adapted to receive light from a light source, a light conducting portion, a light output portion having a longitudinal axis and adapted to illuminate the surgical field, and one or more tabbed fingers separated by a gap from the light output portion and adapted to releasably engage the one or more engagement receptacles on the distal portion of the surgical instrument, wherein the light input portion, light conducting portion, and light output portion act as a waveguide, and wherein the light conducting portion conducts light from the light input portion to the light output section by reflection, and wherein reflection does not occur in the one or more tabbed fingers, and wherein the light conducting portion further comprises a curved neck zone and the arcuate connector of the surgical instrument further comprises a curved neck slot for accommodating the curved neck zone so as to maintain an air gap between the light conducting portion and the arcuate connector of the surgical instrument. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38)
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Specification