US 2011/0301423 A1 · SURGICAL RETRACTOR SYSTEMS

Abstract

Positioning mechanisms can be used with surgical retractor systems to allow a surgeon to easily laterally move, tilt and lengthen each individual retractor blade used in the system. A lateral retraction mechanism provides the necessary actuating forces to laterally move and hold tissue at the surgical site. A retractor blade tilt mechanism can be used to change the angular position of a retractor blade at a surgical site. This tilt mechanism allows the surgeon to further increase the size of the surgical site by tilting one or more of the retractor blades allowing the distal end or toe of each blade to move laterally via a tilting action. A retractor blade holding mechanism allows the surgeon to hold each retractor blade in a fixed position within a blade holder and allows the surgeon to easily change the length of the retractor blade which extends out of the blade holder.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A ratchet mechanism, comprising:

a support frame;
an elongate rack mounted for bidirectional movement relative to the support frame;
a shaft mounted on the support frame for axial rotation;
a handle coupled to the shaft for axially rotating the shaft;
a pinion carried by the shaft configured for engagement with the rack;
the handle mounted for pivotal movement around a pivot axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the shaft between a locked position and an unlocked position;
and
a locking member in contact relationship with the handle for inhibiting rotation of the shaft when the handle is in the locked position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Surgical retractor systems

Life of this patent

Surgical retractor systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24