# US 11,896,208 B2 · Surgical retractor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,896,208 B2 - Document ID: US11896208B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/000,252 - Filed: 2020-08-21 - Published: 2020-12-10 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-27 - Assignees: AOD Holdings, LLC - Applicants: Aod Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Thomas D. Ferro; Donald J. Lee; Joseph Phillips; Christiana M. Ferro; Austin T. Ferro; Scott C. Gill - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896208B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/02: for holding wounds open, e.g. retractors; Tractors - A61B 2017/00473: {Distal part, e.g. tip or head (A61B2017/00464 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/00858: {high friction or non-slip} - A61B 2090/0801: {Prevention of accidental cutting or pricking} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A surgical retractor and configured to minimize tearing of the gloves without compromising the ability to grip tissue. The surgical retractor has a handle, a blade, and a plurality of retraction elements. The retraction elements may be fixed to the blade but arranged in a specific configuration that a minimizes tearing of the gloves without compromising the ability to grip tissue. The retraction elements may also be made deployable by having a deployed configuration in which the retraction elements are exposed, and a stowed configuration in which the retraction elements are hidden. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surgical retractor, comprising: a distal end comprising a handle extending longitudinally to form a neck; a proximal end comprising a blade, where the blade comprises two or more curved fingers, where terminal ends of each finger project in a distal direction towards the handle; a releasable lock located at a proximal end of the neck, where the releasable lock is configured to allow for the removable attachment of the blade to the neck; and a textured surface formed on an inside top surface of each finger, where the textured surface comprises a tightly meshed anisotropic pattern of retractor elements that terminate before the terminal ends of each finger such that the terminal ends minimize tissue trauma and preserve glove integrity, wherein the anisotropic pattern comprises a repeating pattern of retraction elements where a first group of retraction elements overlaps back walls of a second group of retraction elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, wherein the anisotropic pattern further comprises barrier elements configured as non-sharp projections. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The surgical retractor of claim 2, wherein the barrier elements further comprise a semi-cylinder shape having a flat base attached to the top surface and having a curved surface projecting upward and away from the top surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, wherein the anisotropic pattern further comprises at least two rows of barrier elements aligned anteriorly to the retraction elements, where each row of barrier elements has a height that is less than the height of each of the barrier elements in an adjacent row, where the height of the barrier elements progressively decreases for each row of barrier elements positioned further away from a first row of retraction elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, where the handle further comprises a through hole adjacent the neck. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, where the retraction elements are arranged in rows, where each retraction element comprises a concave anterior side having a tip projecting in an anterior direction that is generally parallel to the blade. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The surgical retractor of claim 6, wherein the back wall is ramped upwardly and away from the posterior edge terminating at an anterior side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, wherein the releasable lock comprises a release button having a first position and a second position, wherein when the release button is in the second position the blade can be disconnected and removed from the neck. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The surgical retractor of claim 1, wherein the blade further comprises a notch that cooperates with the releasable lock to connect the blade to the neck. ### Claim 10 A surgical retractor, comprising: a distal end comprising a handle extending longitudinally to form a neck; a proximal end comprising a blade, where the blade comprises two or more curved fingers, where terminal ends of each finger project in a distal direction towards the handle; a releasable lock located at a proximal end of the neck, where the releasable lock is configured to allow for the removable attachment of the blade to the neck; and a textured surface formed on an inside top surface of each finger, where the textured surface comprises a tightly meshed anisotropic pattern of retractor elements that terminate before the terminal ends of each finger such that the terminal ends minimize tissue trauma and preserve glove integrity, wherein the anisotropic pattern comprises retraction elements comprising alternating pairs of small ramps and large ramps, wherein each pair of the small ramps have a first ramped tooth and a second ramped tooth such that both teeth increase in height from a first end to a second end, wherein each pair of the large ramps has a first ramped tooth and a second ramped tooth such that both teeth increase in height from a first end to a second end, and wherein the first end of the small ramps are adjacent the second end of the large ramps such that the small ramp pairs and large ramp pairs face in opposite directions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The surgical retractor of claim 10, wherein the first end of the small ramps is flush with the top surface and the second end of the small ramps is elevated above the top surface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The surgical retractor of claim 10, wherein the first end of the large ramps is flush with the top surface and the second end of the large ramps is elevated above the top surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The surgical retractor of claim 10, wherein the second end of the large ramps are higher than the second end of the small ramps. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The surgical retractor of claim 10, wherein the pairs of large ramps and small ramps are alternatively arranged in a plurality of rows to form uniform columns of pairs of small ramps and uniform columns of pairs of large ramps. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The surgical retractor of claim 10, wherein the blade is plastic and configured for a single use, and the handle and neck comprise metal and configured for sterilization and reuse.