Flexible, Selectively Rotatable Tissue Retractor and Method for Using the Retractor

• US 20090137878A1
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syntheon LLC
• Original Assignee: Syntheon LLC
• Inventors: Rivera, Carlos, Palmer, Matthew A., Mendez, Max, Kirk, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,840,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00349 Needle-like instruments having hook or barb-like gripping means, e.g. for grasping suture or tissue A61B17/06066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00818 Treatment of the gastro-intestinal system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00827 Treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2905 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2926 Details of heads or jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0811 for the position of a particular part of an instrument with respect to the rest of the instrument, e.g. position of the anvil of a stapling instrument

Abstract

A retractor for manipulating an object, the retractor includes a retractor body with proximal and distal ends, a retraction device with a head connected at the distal end of the retractor body and flexible needles of a shape memory material having a memory shape, the memory shape of the needles including a portion with an arcuate shape housed, at least partially, within the head. The retractor further includes an actuation device connected to the proximal end of the retractor body and operatively connected to the needles, the actuation device, upon actuation thereof, moving the needles out of the head and withdrawing the needles into the head and a rotation joint allowing the distal end of the retractor body and the retraction device to rotate independent of the proximal end of the retractor body.

Claims

1. A retractor for manipulating an object, the retractor comprising:

a retractor body having proximal and distal ends;

a retraction device having;

a head connected at the distal end of the retractor body; and

flexible needles of a shape memory material having a memory shape, the memory shape of the needles including a portion with an arcuate shape housed, at least partially, within the head;

an actuation device connected to the proximal end of the retractor body and operatively connected to the needles, the actuation device, upon actuation thereof, moving the needles out of the head and withdrawing the needles into the head; and

a rotation joint coupling the proximal end of the retractor body to the distal end of the retractor body and allowing the distal end of the retractor body and the retraction device to rotate independent of the proximal end of the retractor body.

2. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein the actuation device comprises:

a handle body;

a control knob rotationally freely coupled to the handle body and rotationally fixedly coupled to the retraction device, wherein a rotation of the control knob results in rotation of the retraction device.

3. The retractor according to claim 2, wherein:

the handle body has a distal end coupled to the proximal end of the retractor body and a proximal end coupled to the control knob.

4. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein the rotation joint comprises:

a swivel bushing fixedly coupled to the distal end of the retractor body; and

a swivel coil coupler fixedly coupled to the proximal end of the retractor body and rotationally freely coupled to the swivel bushing.

5. The retractor according to claim 4, wherein the swivel bushing comprises:

a slot accepting a portion of a needle body and having at least one engaging surface corresponding to a flat surface of the needle body, the engaging surface of the swivel bushing and the flat surface of the needle body allowing a rotation of the needle body to generate a corresponding rotation of the swivel bushing.

6. The retractor according to claim 5, further comprising:

a distal stop fixedly coupled to the needle body and limiting an amount of lateral movement of the needle body through the swivel bushing.

7. The retractor according to claim 6, wherein:

the distal stop is between the rotation joint and the retraction device.

8. The retractor according to claim 6, wherein:

the distal stop has a dimension greater than a dimension of the slot thereby preventing movement of the needle body when the distal stop contacts the swivel bushing.

9. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the retractor body comprises:

a distal coil surrounding a portion of a body of at least one of the flexible needles, the distal coil having a plurality of windings and a plurality of winding coupling points at a distal end of the distal coil.

10. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein:

the retractor body has a longitudinal extent defining a longitudinal direction; and

the needles extend out of the head in a direction substantially orthogonal to said longitudinal direction.

11. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein:

the head is integrally formed with the retractor body.

12. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein:

the head defines channels for respective ones of the needles; and

the channels have channel exits open to an environment.

13. The retractor according to claim 12, wherein:

the retractor body has a longitudinal extent defining a longitudinal direction; and

the channel exits open in a direction at an angle to the longitudinal direction.

14. The retractor according to claim 12, wherein:

the channel exits are disposed on opposing sides of the head and the channels guide the needles through the channel exits.

15. The retractor according to claim 12, wherein:

at least one surface of the channels guide the needles in a direction substantially orthogonal to a movement direction of a distal stop fixedly coupled to a needle body.

16. The retractor according to claim 1, wherein the head has two head halves clamping the needles therebetween.

17. The retractor according to claim 16, wherein the two head halves are removably connected to one another.

18. The retractor according to claim 16, wherein the head has a shim disposed between the two head halves.

19. The retractor according to claim 16, wherein said two head halves and a shim disposed between the two head halves define channels for respective ones of the needles.