Methods and devices for visualizing, dissecting and harvesting vessels and the like
First Claim
1. A device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
- a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft;
a tip attached to the distal end of said shaft; and
a light source mounted adjacent said tip and directing light laterally of said tip;
wherein said tip includes retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent the vessel; and
, wherein said retaining structures include a pair of tabs extending upwardly at the distal end of said tip for reception of the vessel therebetween.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device useful in minimally-invasive procedures involving the visualization, dissection and/or harvesting of vessels in the body includes a shaft having a handle mounted on one end and a dissecting tip on the other end. The dissecting tip optionally includes a light source for directing light transverse of the tip and structures to retain the tip in position adjacent the vessel as the tip is advanced along the vessel. Also disclosed are associated methods for transilluminating a vessel, dissecting the vessel from surrounding tissue, and transecting the vessel and side branches and removing the vessel from the body.
225 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft;
a tip attached to the distal end of said shaft; and
a light source mounted adjacent said tip and directing light laterally of said tip;
wherein said tip includes retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent the vessel; and
,wherein said retaining structures include a pair of tabs extending upwardly at the distal end of said tip for reception of the vessel therebetween.
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2. A device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft;
a tip attached to the distal end of said shaft; and
a light source mounted adjacent said tip and directing light laterally of said tip;
wherein said tip includes retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent the vessel; and
,wherein said retaining structures includes a pair of arms extending upwardly from said tip at a location displaced from the distal end of said tip, the pair of arms defining a confinement space for reception of the vessel therein. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. A dissection device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft; and
a shallow, concave tip attached to the distal end of said shaft, said tip including retaining structures for retaining the vessel adjacent said tip as said tip is moved along the vessel;
wherein the retaining structures include a trough formed in the distal end of said tip for reception of a vessel therein; and
wherein said tip includes a sharp front edge of the trough.
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6. A dissection device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft; and
a shallow, concave tip attached to the distal end of said shaft, said tip including retaining structures for retaining the vessel adjacent said tip as said tip is moved along the vessel; and
,wherein the retaining structures include a pair of tabs extending upwardly at the distal end of said tip for reception of a vessel therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A dissection device useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said device comprising:
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a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle attached to the proximal end of said shaft; and
a shallow, concave tip attached to the distal end of said shaft, said tip including retaining structures for retaining the vessel adjacent said tip as said tip is moved along the vessel; and
,wherein the retaining structures include a pair of arms extending upwardly from said tip at a location displaced from the distal end of said tip, the pair of arms defining a confinement space for reception of a vessel therein. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A dissection tip useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said tip comprising:
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a shallow concave body including retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent a vessel as said tip is advanced along the vessel;
wherein the retaining structures include a trough formed in the distal end of said tip for reception of a vessel therein; and
,wherein the trough includes a sharp front edge.
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24. A dissection tip useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said tip comprising:
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a shallow concave body including retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent a vessel as said tip is advanced along the vessel; and
,wherein the retaining structures include a pair of tabs extending upwardly from said tip at the distal end of said tip for reception of a vessel therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A dissection tip useful for minimally-invasive surgical procedures involving a vessel of the body, said tip comprising:
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a shallow concave body including retaining structures for assisting in retaining said tip in position adjacent a vessel as said tip is advanced along the vessel; and
,wherein the retaining structures include a pair of arms extending upwardly from said tip at a location displaced from the distal end of said tip, the pair of arms defining a confinement space for reception of a vessel therein. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for dissecting a vessel from surrounding tissue within the body of a person using visualization of the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin, which method comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a dissecting tip and a light source mounted adjacent the dissecting tip and directing light laterally;
positioning the dissecting tip and light source posterior of the vessel with light directed laterally outward in the direction of the vessel;
visualizing the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin by means of the light source directing light past the vessel and through the person'"'"'s skin;
advancing the dissecting device along the vessel by means of said visualizing of the vessel, the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to dissect the vessel from surrounding tissue; and
,wherein the dissecting tip has a reflecting surface and the light source is positioned adjacent the reflecting surface of said dissecting tip to reflect therefrom.
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38. A method for dissecting a vessel from surrounding tissue within the body of a person using visualization of the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin, which method comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a dissecting tip and a light source mounted adjacent the dissecting tip and directing light laterally;
positioning the dissecting tip and light source posterior of the vessel with light directed laterally outward in the direction of the vessel;
visualizing the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin by means of the light source directing light past the vessel and through the person'"'"'s skin;
advancing the dissecting device along the vessel by means of said visualizing of the vessel, the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to dissect the vessel from surrounding tissue; and
,wherein the dissecting tip includes retaining structures for retaining a vessel in position adjacent said tip, said method further comprising positioning the vessel within the retaining structures carried by the dissecting device for assisting in retaining the dissecting tip adjacent the vessel. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for harvesting a vessel from within the body of a person using visualization of the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin, which comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a dissecting tip and a light source mounted adjacent the dissecting tip and directing light laterally;
positioning the dissecting tip and light source posterior of the vessel with light directed outwardly in the direction of the vessel;
visualizing the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin by means of the light source directing light past the vein and through the person'"'"'s skin;
advancing the dissecting device along the vessel by means of said visualizing of the vessel, the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to dissect the vessel from surrounding tissue;
transecting the vessel at proximal and distal locations;
removing the vessel from the body; and
,wherein the dissecting tip has a reflecting surface and the light source is positioned adjacent the reflecting surface of said dissecting tip to reflect therefrom.
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50. A method for harvesting a vessel from within the body of a person using visualization of the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin, which comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a dissecting tip and a light source mounted adjacent the dissecting tip and directing light laterally, positioning the dissecting tip and light source posterior of the vessel with light directed outwardly in the direction of the vessel;
visualizing the vessel through the person'"'"'s skin by means of the light source directing light past the vein and through the person'"'"'s skin;
advancing the dissecting device along the vessel by means of said visualizing of the vessel, the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to dissect the vessel from surrounding tissue;
transecting the vessel at proximal and distal locations;
removing the vessel from the body; and
,positioning the vessel within retaining structures carried by the dissecting device for assisting in retaining the dissecting tip along the vessel.
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51. A method for dissecting a vessel from surrounding tissue within the body of a person which comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a shallow, concave dissecting tip having retaining structures for assisting in retaining the dissecting tip in position with respect to the vessel as the tip is advanced relative to the vessel;
positioning the dissecting tip with the vessel received by the retaining structures of said tip; and
advancing the dissecting tip along the vessel, the retaining structures of the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to retain the dissecting tip in position relative to the vessel to cause dissection of the vessel from surrounding tissue. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method for harvesting a vessel from within the body of a person which comprises:
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making an incision in the body adjacent the vessel;
inserting a dissecting device into the person through the incision, the dissecting device including a shallow, concave dissecting tip having retaining structures for assisting in retaining the dissecting tip in position with respect to the vessel as the tip is advanced relative to the vessel;
positioning the dissecting tip with the vessel received by the retaining structures of said tip;
advancing the dissecting tip along the vessel, the retaining structures of the dissecting tip operating in said advancing to retain the dissecting tip in position relative to the vessel to cause dissection of the vessel from surrounding tissue;
transecting the vessel at proximal and distal locations; and
removing the vessel from the body. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification