Surgical rib retractor
AssigneeLSI Solutions, Inc.
InventorJude S. Sauer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surgical rib retractor has a housing and a body pivotably coupled to the housing and moveable between a closed position and an open position. The retractor also has a first arm unit coupled to the housing and configured to atraumatically receive tissue. The first arm unit has a first arm, a first strut movable relative to the first arm in a first plane defined by the first arm, and a first frame attached to the first strut. The retractor also has a second arm unit coupled to the body and configured to atraumatically receive tissue. The second arm unit has a second arm, a second strut movable relative to the second arm in a second plane defined by the second arm, wherein the second plane is not parallel to the first plane when the body is in the closed position, and a second frame attached to the second strut.
Claims11
A first arm unit configured to be coupled to a housing, the first arm unit comprising:
- a first arm extending from a first end to a second end;
- a first strut pivotably coupled to the first arm at a first portion of the first arm;
- and
- a first frame assembly coupled to the first strut, the first frame assembly comprising:
- a first top member that extends from a first end to a second end, the first end of the first top member being coupled to a first portion of the first strut;
- a second top member that is separately formed from and not directly coupled to the first top member, the second top member extend ing from a first end to a second end, the first end of the second top member being coupled to a second portion of the first strut;
- a bottom member extending from a first end to a second end;
- an elongated first side member that extends from a first end to a second end, the first end of the first side member is at the second end of the first top member and the second end of the first side member is at the first end of the bottom member;
- an elongated second side member that extends from a first end to a second end, the first end of the second side member is at the second end of the second top member and the second end of the second side member is at the second end of the bottom member;
- and
- a resilient sheet extending between the bottom member and a portion of the first top member and a portion of the second top member, the resilient sheet being configured to provide a surface that contacts a rib or other soft anatomical tissue with a structure that spreads or equilibrates a force of exertion onto the rib or other soft tissue across the resilient sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.