Surgical gripper with foldable head
OwnerMark Sorochkin, Eleonora Sorochkininventors
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Abstract
The surgical gripper/retractor of the present invention provides a foldable gripping head that may be deployed in a folded position for insertion into a body cavity of a patient. Once so inserted, the displaceable head components of the foldable gripping head may be rotated to an open position so as to expose the tissue contact surfaces. The tissue contact surfaces are configured so as to be displaceable into the corresponding head component. In such a configuration, once the tissue contact surfaces are brought into abutment with the desired tissue, the tissue contact surfaces are displaced into the corresponding head component, thereby creating sufficient suction force to provide temporary adhesion to the tissue.
Claims36
A surgical gripper for gripping body tissue, the surgical gripper comprising:
- (a) a support rod;
- and
- (b) at least a first head component displaceably mounted to a distal end of said support rod , said at least first head component including at least a first tissue contact surface configured to temporarily adhere to the tissue by suction force, said at least first head component configured to alternate between a closed position, in which said at least first tissue contact surface is closed against another surface, for insertion into and out of a patient's body, and an open position for gripping the tissue.
A surgical gripper for gripping body tissue, the surgical gripper comprising:
- (a) a support rod;
- (b) at least one head component mounted to a distal end of said support rod;
- and
- (c) at least a first tissue contact surface configured such that at least a suction portion of said first tissue contact surface is displaceable into said at least a first head component, and when said tissue contact surface is in contact with the tissue a seal line between said first tissue contact surface and the tissue substantially circumscribes said suction portion, such that when said suction portion is displaced into said head component, a suction force is created between the tissue contact surface and the tissue, thereby providing temporary adhesion to the tissue, said displaceable tissue contact surface being a barrier to prevent the introduction of foreign material into the mechanism of the surgical gripper, displacement of said suction portion being actuated by vacuum pressure.
A method of gripping body tissue in a patient's body during a surgical procedure, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a surgical gripper that includes:
- (i) a support rod;
- (ii) at least a first head component displaceably mounted to a distal end of said support rod, said at least a first head component configured to alternate between a closed position, in which said at least first tissue contact surface is closed against another surface, for insertion into and out of a patient's body, and an open position for gripping the tissue;
- and
- (iii) at least a first tissue contact surface configured such that at least a suction portion of said first tissue contact surface is displaceable into said at least a first head component, and when said tissue contact surface is in contact with the tissue a seal line between said first tissue contact surface and the tissue substantially circumscribes said suction portion, such that when said suction portion is displaced into said head component, a suction force is created between the tissue contact surface and the tissue, thereby providing temporary adhesion to the tissue, said displaceable tissue contact surface being a barrier to prevent the introduction of foreign material into the mechanism of the surgical gripper;
- (b) inserting said surgical gripper, while in a closed position, into the patient's body;
- (c) displacing said at least a first head component to an open position;
- (d) positioning a distal end of said surgical gripper such that said tissue contact surface abuts the body tissue;
- and
- (e) displacing said tissue contact surface so as to temporarily adhere to the tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.