Tissue retractor oximeter

A method comprising:

• providing a shaft;
• coupling a handle to a proximal end of the shaft;
• and
• coupling a tip a distal end of the shaft, wherein the tip comprises a tissue oximeter sensor having a first opening and a second opening, an axis passes through the shaft, and the tip comprises a first portion extending a first distance from the axis in a first direction, a second portion extending a second distance from the axis in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction,
• a retractor blade of the tip extends across the axis so there are blade portions on opposite sides of the axis, the retractor blade comprises a first edge and a second edge, opposite to the first edge, a first thickness between the first and second edges, the first edge has a first length that is greater than the first thickness, the first edge is closer to a bottom surface than the second edge, and the blade extends from the bottom surface in a third direction away from an axis that passes through the shaft,
• the first opening is positioned on the bottom surface of the tip a third distance from the first edge, the second opening is positioned on the bottom surface of the tip a fourth distance from the first edge, and
• at least one optical fiber is coupled to the opening of the tip, and the at least one optical fiber is entirely enclosed within an internal channel from the opening of the tip to at least the proximal end of the shaft.

A method comprising:

• providing a shaft;
• forming a first internal channel that extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the shaft;
• providing a handle, coupled to a proximal end of the shaft, wherein the handle comprises an elongated member comprising:
• forming a second internal channel that extends from a first end and to a second end of the handle that is opposite the first end;
• providing a first opening at the first end, coupled to the shaft;
• and
• providing a second opening at the second end, wherein the second internal channel is coupled to the first internal channel, and the second internal channel from the first end to the second end is linear;
• coupling a tip to the distal end of the shaft, wherein the tip comprises a third internal channel coupled to the first internal channel, a retractor blade and an oximeter sensor, the third internal channel extends through the tip to at least two sensor openings of the tip, and an axis of the shaft passes through the retractor blade;
• forming a first edge and a second edge of the retractor blade, wherein the second edge is opposite to the first edge, a first thickness is between the first and second edges, the first edge has a first length that is greater than the first thickness, the first edge is closer to a bottom surface of the tip than the second edge, and the blade extends from the bottom surface in a first direction away from the axis of the shaft;
• providing a first optical fiber;
• and
• providing a second optical fiber, wherein the first optical fiber passes through the first, second, and third internal channels, and a distal end of the first optical fiber is coupled to a first sensor opening of the tip, and the second optical fiber passes through the first, second, and third internal channels and a distal end of the second optical fiber is coupled to a second sensor opening of the tip, and
• the first sensor opening is positioned on the bottom surface of the tip a first distance from the first edge, the second sensor opening is positioned on the bottom surface of the tip a second distance from the first edge.