Tissue-friendly enhanced friction surface for surgical retractors

#Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to surgical retractors. For example, an example embodiment, provides a tissue-friendly enhanced friction surgical retractor surface. An example embodiment provides a surgical retractor having a tissue-friendly enhanced friction surgical retractor surface.

#Conventional surgical retractors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some have a smooth surface in order to retract without damage to the underlying tissue, whereas other retractors have sharp ends in order to grab into the tissue for their holding power. While the sharper retractors have a tendency to provide improved retraction with a lower chance of slipping, these are not able to be used around certain delicate or cancerous tissue due to the concern for damage to the tissue or contamination of the cancer. The inability to use sharp retractors in certain situations has left a need for a retractor with a surface that will provide increased friction (and therefor stability) while also being gentle to the surrounding tissues.

#Example embodiments provide a surface texture for surgical retractors that is composed of a plurality of partial ellipsoid surface. This surface texture may be placed on any retractor in order to increase the friction between the retractor and the tissue without damaging the tissue or underlying structures. Example embodiments provide a surgical retractor having a surface texture that increases the friction between the retractor and the tissue without damaging the tissue or underlying structures.

#Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

#FIG. 1 provides a schematic diagram of a surgical retractor in accordance with an example embodiment;

#FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, and 2G each provide a schematic diagram of an example surface texture in accordance with an example embodiment;

#The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. The term “or” (also denoted “/”) is used herein in both the alternative and conjunctive sense, unless otherwise indicated. The terms “illustrative” and “exemplary” are used to be examples with no indication of quality level. The terms “generally” and “approximately” refer to within engineering and/or manufacturing limits or allowances, unless otherwise indicated. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

#As shown in FIG. 1, a surgical retractor 100 comprises a handle 110 and a blade 120. The handle 110 may be configured to be held by a surgeon, nurse, and/or the like during a surgical procedure. The blade 120 is configured and/or operable to retract and/or expose tissue during a surgical procedure. In an example embodiment, the blade 120 is fixedly secured to the handle 110 at angle 130. The blade 120 extends from the angel 130 to a free end 135. A surface of the blade 120 comprises a tissue contact surface 122. For example, in an example embodiment, the tissue contact surface 122 is disposed on a surface of the blade 120 extending from the angle 130 to the free end 135 that is at an acute, right, or obtuse angle to a first surface 115 of the handle 110. For example, the angle between the tissue contact surface and the first surface 115 of the handle 110 is less than 180 degrees. The tissue contact surface 122 is configured and/or operable to provide increased friction between the tissue and the tissue contact surface 122 (e.g., compared to a surgical retractor having only a generally smooth planar surface) without damaging and/or while minimizing damage to the tissue contacted by the tissue contact surface 122. In an example embodiment, some or all of the edges of the surgical retractor 100 and/or of the blade 120 are generally smooth, curved, bull-nosed, rounded, and/or not sharp.

#In an example embodiment, the tissue contact surface 122 comprises a generally smooth surface 125 and a plurality of partial ellipsoid surfaces 127. For example, the plurality of partial ellipsoid surfaces 127 form a partial ellipsoid array on the generally smooth surface 125. In an example embodiment, the generally smooth surface 125 is a generally smooth planar surface. In an example embodiment, the generally smooth surface 125 may be a generally smooth curved surface (e.g., concave, convex, having a combination of planar, convex, and/or concave portions, and/or the like).