Surgery – Specula – Retractor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-05-01
Smith, Jeffrey A. (Department: 3732)
Surgery
Specula
Retractor
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224545
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical retractor for permitting a wide variety of surgeries through an operating window. More particularly, the retractor permits surgery through a small outer incision, i.e., outer operating window, while providing a field of operation within the patient's body, i.e., inner operating window, which is larger than the outer operating window.
2. Background Discussion
In many types of surgery it is necessary to make an incision in a patient through the patient's skin and underlying tissues to permit operating on internal organs, etc. of that patient. Thus the incision creates an opening through the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue (including fat cells), fascia (covering muscle), and muscle. In some cases, e.g., coronary by-pass, the incision must also cut through hard body tissue, i.e., sternum. A retractor is often needed to keep the tissues at either side of the incision sufficiently apart to keep open an operating window through which the surgery is performed. For example, sternal retractors are necessary instruments for performing coronary bypass surgery. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,552 to Chaux, incorporated herein by reference. Retractors generally keep the operating window open by pushing the two opposed sides of the incision away from each other. Some retractors for endoscopic surgery are also provided with a fiberoptic mechanism to light the operating area. A retractor with a fiberoptic mechanism is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,617 to Jako. U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,617 to Jako asserts that its retractor has lower and upper blades wherein the angle of the lower blade relative to its lower blade mount and the angle of the upper blade relative to its upper blade mount can be adjusted independently. However, this device is somewhat complex.
Although a wide variety of surgical retractors are known, it would be advantageous to provide a surgical retractor which is easier to use than those commercially available, highly reliable, disposable, and more economical. It would also be advantageous to provide a surgical retractor which economically permits an internal operating window area which is larger than its external operating window.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a surgical retractor which, in a easy to use economical fashion, provides for an internal operating window of much greater area than an external operating window.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of surgery employing the surgical retractor of the present invention.
The apparatus of the present invention is a surgical retractor comprising a U-shaped rack having a first leg, a second leg and a rack crosspiece. The first leg and second leg extend from respective ends of the rack crosspiece and each leg defines a respective transverse slot having open sides. The rack crosspiece defines first and second receiving holes respectively longitudinally aligned with, and in communication with, one of the transverse slots. The surgical retractor also comprises a U-shaped thread assembly comprising a thread assembly crosspiece having traveler rods attached at or adjacent to opposed ends of the thread assembly crosspiece. A threaded rod is rotatably attached to the thread assembly crosspiece, the threaded rod being substantially parallel to the traveler rods and located between the traveler rods. The threaded rod has opposed first and second ends and is connected to the rack by a threaded receiving opening at the rack crosspiece. Each of the traveler rods is slidably connected to a respective one of the legs of the rack assembly by passing through a respective one of the receiving openings into a respective one of the slots.
A first blade and a second blade are also included. The first blade has a sidewall opposed to a sidewall of the second blade. A swivel assembly comprising a first swivel having a first blade mount is rotatably connected to the U-shaped rack opposite the rack crosspiece. A second swivel having a second blade mount is rotatably attached to the ends of the travelers opposite the thread assembly crosspiece. The first swivel comprises a first swivel arm having at least one threaded hole for passing at least one respective threaded screw therethrough. The at least one threaded screw of the first swivel contacts a surface of one of the legs of the rack to adjust an angle of the first blade relative to the legs of the rack. The second swivel has a second arm having at least one threaded hole for passing at least one respective threaded screw therethrough. The at least one threaded screw of the second swivel contacts a surface of the rack to adjust an angle of the second blade relative to the legs of the rack. The blades have respective proximal ends and distal ends. The proximal ends are attached to the respective blade mounts. The distal ends are distal to the blade mounts. By the unique, yet simple, structure of the present invention, the position of the blades is adjustable such that the blade distal ends can be further apart from each other than are the blade proximal ends. This achieves an internal operating window having an area larger than that of its external operating window.
The device may be made entirely of stainless steel or titanium. However, typically at least the blades are made of plastic such as polyurethane, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyethylene, or polypropylene. The polymers may be reinforced with conventional reinforcing agents such as natural or synthetic fibers, e.g., nylon, or carbon black. Preferably, the majority of the parts of the apparatus of the present invention are made of plastic to facilitate using the present retractor as a disposable retractor. Thus, preferably, parts such as the U-shaped racks, U-shaped thread assembly crosspiece, first swivel, second swivel and blades are made of plastic.
A disposable retractor is advantageous to minimize risks of transmitting infection from one surgical patient to another and ensures that a new reliable device is used for every surgery.
REFERENCES:
patent: 475975 (1892-05-01), Clough
patent: 3724449 (1973-04-01), Gauthier
patent: 4852552 (1989-08-01), Chaux
patent: 4924857 (1990-05-01), Mahmoodian
patent: 5503617 (1996-04-01), Jako
patent: 5813978 (1998-09-01), Jako
patent: 2462643 (1977-09-01), None
patent: 9320741 (1993-10-01), None
Cocchia Pasquale
Cohen Lester
Core Surgical, Inc.
Smith Jeffrey A.
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher LLP
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