Surgical access system and related methods
First Claim
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1. A system for accessing a surgical target site, comprising:
- a retractor assembly having a plurality of primary blades releasably coupled to a handle assembly, said plurality of primary blades adapted to be advanced simultaneously to said surgical target site while in a closed position and thereafter selectively opened to create a customized operative corridor to said surgical target site; and
a supplemental retractor blade assembly including at least one supplemental retractor blade, an elongate support member with first and second ends, a mating extension extending transversely from the second end of said support member, an expansion track extending transversely from said first end of said support member, and a migrating member moveably mounted on said expansion track and having an elongated protrusion extending therefrom and configured to receive the at least one supplemental retractor blade thereon, said mating extension being slidably receivable within a slot formed along a face of a first of said primary blades to releaseably couple said supplemental retractor blade assembly to said first primary blade.
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Abstract
A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. The tissue retraction assembly has a plurality of blades which may be introduced while in a closed configuration, after which point they may be opened to create an operation corridor to the surgical target site, including pivoting at least one blade to expand the operative corridor adjacent to the operative site.
70 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for accessing a surgical target site, comprising:
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a retractor assembly having a plurality of primary blades releasably coupled to a handle assembly, said plurality of primary blades adapted to be advanced simultaneously to said surgical target site while in a closed position and thereafter selectively opened to create a customized operative corridor to said surgical target site; and a supplemental retractor blade assembly including at least one supplemental retractor blade, an elongate support member with first and second ends, a mating extension extending transversely from the second end of said support member, an expansion track extending transversely from said first end of said support member, and a migrating member moveably mounted on said expansion track and having an elongated protrusion extending therefrom and configured to receive the at least one supplemental retractor blade thereon, said mating extension being slidably receivable within a slot formed along a face of a first of said primary blades to releaseably couple said supplemental retractor blade assembly to said first primary blade. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification