Surgical retractor and liner

A surgical retractor device (10) comprising:

• a tubular liner (12) open at each of opposed ends thereof, said liner (12) being made of a pliable material impervious to solid and fluid contaminants for inserting lengthwise in a wound;
• a continuous skirt (14) of flexible material having opposed first and second ends, said first end (14a) sealingly secured around one of said liner ends (12a) and coaxial with said liner (12) in their fully extended positions;
• an inner O-ring (20) secured around the other one of said liner ends (12b), said inner O-ring (20) having a preformed resilient configuration for overlapping the inner edge of the wound and for squeezing into an oblong shape insertable with a lengthwise portion of the liner (12) adjacent to said inner O-ring (20) in the wound;
• and
• an outer O-ring (18) secured around said one liner end (12a) and said first skirt end (14a), said outer O-ring (18) having surface means formed integral therewith for overlapping the outer edge of the wound and for rolling adjacent portions of said skirt (14) and said liner (12) lengthwise on themselves about the outer O-ring (18) to shorten the liner (12) in predetermined increments;
• said inner (20) and outer (18) rings cooperating with said flexible liner (12) when installed in an incision both to protect the edges of the incision from contamination and to retract the edges from one another to facilitate surgery through the incision,
• whereby the liner (12) length can be adjusted before or after placement in the wound.

A liner and drape device (10) incrementally adjustable lengthwise for use in surgery comprising:

• an elongate flexible liner (12) open at opposite ends;
• a flexible skirt (12) open at opposite ends,
• an inner ring (20) secured to one of said liner ends (12b);
• an outer ring (18) secured around one of said skirt ends (14a) and around the other one of said liner ends (12a), said outer ring (18) having an oblate transverse cross-section defined by a diametrically opposed pair of arcuate surfaces interconnected by an opposed pair of chordal surfaces (18a, 18b);
• a flexible drape (16) having a central aperture (16a) secured around the other one of said skirt ends, the extended length of said skirt (14) being sufficient for said drape (16) to adhere the skin next to the incision;
• and
• said inner (20) and outer (18) rings cooperating with said flexible liner (12) when installed in an incision both to protect the edges of the incision from contamination and to retract the edges from one another to facilitate surgery through the incision.

An incrementally and automatically adjustable surgical device (110) comprising:

• an elongate liner (112) of substantially elastic material open at opposed ends;
• a first resilient ring (120) secured around one of said ends (112b) deformable into an oblong shape for insertion with a portion of said liner (112) into a wound and formed to expand against the inner edge of the wound;
• and
• a second resilient ring (118) secured around the other of said liner ends (112a) and formed with an oblate cross-section having opposed chordal surfaces (118a, 118b) for enabling the gripping and rolling of a remaining portion of said liner (112) in increments on itself and against the outer edge of the wound,
• whereby the liner length may be adjusted in increments before placement in the wound and automatically adjustable lengthwise after placement.

A lengthwise adjustable surgical device (110) for use in surgery comprising:

• a elongate elastic liner (112) open at opposite ends,
• an inner ring (120) secured to said liner (112) at one end (112b),
• an outer ring (118) secured to said liner (112) at the opposite end (112a),
• said outer ring (118) having an oblate transverse cross-section defined by a diametrically opposed pair of arcuate surfaces interconnected by an opposed pair of chordal surfaces (118a, 118b),
• said chordal surfaces (118a, 118b) extending outwardly from said liner (112) in a plane perpendicular to a central axis extending lengthwise of said liner (112),
• said outer ring (118) being in a minimally strained stable condition when said chordal surfaces (118a, 118b) are lying in said plane,
• said outer ring (118) being operable, when rolled 180° about its centroid, to roll said liner (112) about itself and thereby to adjust the length of the liner (112) in increments.