Surgical device and methods
First Claim
1. A device for retracting and supporting surrounding organs and tissues, thereby creating a working space within a human or animal body, the device comprising an outer wall having inner and outer layers of material, the device having a non-expanded condition and an expanded condition wherein said device is expanded to the expanded condition by introduction of fluid, between the inner and outer layers of material, in said expanded condition the device having a truncated generally spherical shape;
- in said expanded condition said outer wall defining a hollow body having an inner cavity in communication with an orifice, the inner cavity forming a working site within said inner cavity and adjacent said orifice such that, in use, said working site can be visualised and/or accessed via said inner cavity and said orifice, wherein the outer wall defines one or more pre-formed apertures for introduction of an instrument, the inner cavity having a greater size when the device is in the expanded condition relative to when the device is in the non-expanded condition and predefined regions of said outer wall consist of said inner and outer layers of material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device for creating a working space within a human or animal body. The device comprises an outer wall which is configurable to adopt a non-expanded condition and an expanded condition. When the outer wall is in said expanded condition it defines a hollow body having an inner cavity in communication with an orifice for location adjacent a working site within the body such that, in use, said working site can be visualized and/or accessed via said inner cavity and said orifice.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A device for retracting and supporting surrounding organs and tissues, thereby creating a working space within a human or animal body, the device comprising an outer wall having inner and outer layers of material, the device having a non-expanded condition and an expanded condition wherein said device is expanded to the expanded condition by introduction of fluid, between the inner and outer layers of material, in said expanded condition the device having a truncated generally spherical shape;
- in said expanded condition said outer wall defining a hollow body having an inner cavity in communication with an orifice, the inner cavity forming a working site within said inner cavity and adjacent said orifice such that, in use, said working site can be visualised and/or accessed via said inner cavity and said orifice, wherein the outer wall defines one or more pre-formed apertures for introduction of an instrument, the inner cavity having a greater size when the device is in the expanded condition relative to when the device is in the non-expanded condition and predefined regions of said outer wall consist of said inner and outer layers of material.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18)
- 12. A method for retracting and supporting surrounding organs and tissues, thereby creating a working space within a human or animal body using a device comprising an outer wall, the device having a non-expanded condition and an expanded condition, in said expanded condition the device having a truncated generally spherical shape, the outer wall comprising at least an inner and an outer layer of material and defining one or more pre-formed apertures for introduction of an instrument, wherein predefined regions of said outer wall consist of said inner and outer layers of material, the method comprising introducing the device into said human or animal body with the outer wall of the device in said non-expanded condition and then expanding the device, to the expanded condition by introduction of fluid between the inner and outer layers of material, such that it adopts said expanded condition and retracts and supports surrounding organs and tissues, the expanded device defining a hollow body having an inner cavity in communication with an orifice, the inner cavity forming a working site within said inner cavity and adjacent to the orifice such that said working site can be visualised and/or accessed via said inner cavity and said orifice, the inner cavity having a greater size when the device is in the expanded condition relative to when the device is in the non-expanded condition.
Specification