# US 2017/0281143 A1 · Methods and Devices for Removing a Tissue Specimen from a Patient > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0281143 A1 - Document ID: US20170281143A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/473,801 - Filed: 2017-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-30 - Assignees: Tdl Innovations, LLC - Applicants: TDL Innovations, LLC - Inventors: Glenn W. Laub - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170281143A1 ## CPC - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 50/00: Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers (drapes specially adapted for instruments A61B46/10) - A61B 2017/00287: {Bags for minimally invasive surgery} - A61B 2017/00561: {creating a vacuum} - A61B 2050/007: {Locking clamps} - A61B 2050/0074: {Toggle latches or clamps} - A61B 2090/037: {with a frangible part, e.g. by reduced diameter} - A61B 2217/005: with suction drainage system - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A method for removing a tissue specimen from a patient includes introducing a bag at least partially into a cavity in the body of the patient, the bag comprising an open end and a port, positioning a tissue specimen to be removed from the patient into an interior of the bag by passing the tissue specimen through the open end of the bag, sealing the open end of the bag, removing gas from the interior of the bag through the port while the tissue specimen is contained in the interior of the bag, and entirely withdrawing the bag containing the tissue specimen from the cavity. The bag may include a closure device configured to hermetically seal the open end of the bag, and the port may include a one-way gas valve configured to prevent or retard gas from entering the interior of the bag through the port. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for removing a tissue specimen from a patient comprising: introducing a bag at least partially into a cavity in the body of the patient, the bag comprising an open end and a port; positioning a tissue specimen to be removed from the patient into an interior of the bag by passing the tissue specimen through the open end of the bag; sealing the open end of the bag; removing gas from the interior of the bag through the port while the tissue specimen is contained in the interior of the bag; and entirely withdrawing the bag containing the tissue specimen from the cavity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue specimen comprises lung tissue. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the open end of the bag is positioned within the cavity when the tissue specimen is inserted through the open end of the bag, and wherein the method further comprises withdrawing the open end of the bag from the cavity prior to sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sealing the open end of the bag comprises hermetically sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the open end of the bag comprises a closure device configured to hermetic seal the open end of the bag. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the closure device comprises interlocking components configured to form a hermetic seal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the port is positioned outside of the cavity when the gas is removed from the interior of the bag through the port. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the port comprises a valve, the valve being a one-way gas valve configured to prevent or retard gas from entering the interior of the bag through the port. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the gas is removed from the interior of the bag using a suctioning device, wherein no portion of the suctioning device is inserted into the interior of the bag. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing gas from the bag comprises coupling a vacuum source with the port, wherein the vacuum source is uncoupled from the port prior to entirely withdrawing the bag containing the tissue specimen from the cavity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing gas from the interior of the bag reduces the volume of the tissue specimen contained in the interior of the bag. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein removing gas from the interior of the bag reduces the volume of the tissue specimen contained in the interior of the bag by at least 50%. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein introducing the bag at least partially into the cavity comprises inserting the bag at least partially through a first incision in a body wall defining the cavity, and wherein entirely withdrawing the bag containing the tissue specimen from the cavity comprises withdrawing the bag from the cavity through the first incision. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein withdrawing the bag from the cavity through the first incision does not require enlarging the first incision. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the bag further comprises a spring element configured to open the open end of the bag. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the spring element comprises a loop or portion thereof made from an elastic material and extends at least partially around the open end of the bag. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the spring element is compressed prior to introducing the bag at least partially into the cavity in the body of the patient. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the bag is coiled around the spring element prior to introducing the bag at least partially into the cavity in the body of the patient. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising allowing the spring element to open the open end of the bag prior to positioning the tissue specimen to be removed from the patient into the interior of the bag. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising separating the spring element from the bag prior to sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the bag further comprises a closure device positioned between the spring element and the port, the closure device configured to hermitically seal the bag. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the bag further comprises a tear line positioned between the spring element and the closure device, the tear line configured to allow the spring element to be torn off of the bag. ### Claim 23 A bag for tissue specimen removal comprising: an open end; a closed end opposite the open end; flexible walls extending between the open end and the closed end which define an interior space of the bag; a closure device located proximate the open end and configured to hermetically seal the bag; and a port positioned on one of the flexible walls of the bag at a position between the closure device and the closed end, the port configured to allow gas to exit from the interior space of the bag through the port, wherein the bag is sterilized. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The bag of claim 23, wherein the port comprises a one-way gas valve configured to prevent gas from entering into the interior space of the bag through the port. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The bag of claim 23, further comprising a spring element configured to open the open end of the bag. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The bag of claim 25, wherein the spring element comprises a loop or portion thereof made from an elastic material and extends at least partially around the open end of the bag. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The bag of claim 25, wherein the closure device is positioned between the spring element and the port. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The bag of claim 27, further comprising a tear line positioned between the spring element and the closure device, the tear line configured to allow the spring element to be torn off of the bag. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The bag of claim 28, wherein the tear line comprises a line of perforations on the flexible walls of the bag. ### Claim 30 A method for removing an object from a cavity comprising: introducing a bag at least partially into a cavity, the bag comprising an open end; positioning an object to be removed into an interior of the bag by passing the object through the open end of the bag; inserting a suctioning device into the interior of the bag through the open end of the bag; positioning a clip in an open configuration around the bag and the suctioning device; transitioning the clip to a closed configuration to hermetically seal the bag around the suctioning device; removing gas from the interior of the bag with the suctioning device while the object is contained in the interior of the bag; and entirely withdrawing the bag containing the object from the cavity. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein the object is a tissue specimen of a patient, and wherein the cavity is a body cavity of the patient. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the tissue specimen comprises lung tissue. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The method of claim 30, wherein clip comprises a first leg and a second leg, and wherein transitioning the clip to the closed configuration comprises moving the first leg and the second leg towards each other. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein the first leg and the second leg are connected by a hinge portion configured to allow the first leg and the second leg to pivot toward each other. ### Claim 35 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein the clip further comprises a closure for securing the first leg and the second leg together in the closed configuration. ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, wherein the first leg and the second leg are shaped to define an opening between the first leg and the second leg in the closed configuration, the opening being sized and configured to receive the suctioning device. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the first leg and the second leg includes a concavely curved internal surface which at least partially defines the opening. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein positioning the clip in an open configuration around the bag and the suctioning device comprises positioning the concavely curved internal surface around a portion of the suctioning device. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, wherein the suctioning device comprises a catheter, wherein the method further comprises placing a cuff around at least a portion of the catheter, and wherein the concavely curved internal surface is positioned around the cuff. ### Claim 40 A method for retrieving an object from a first side of a barrier through an opening in the barrier, the method comprising: introducing a bag at least partially through the opening from a second side of the barrier to the first side of the barrier, the bag comprising an open end and a port; positioning the object to be retrieved into an interior of the bag by passing the object through the open end of the bag; sealing the open end of the bag; removing gas from the interior of the bag through the port while the object is contained in the interior of the bag; and entirely withdrawing the bag containing the object from the first side of the barrier to the second side of the barrier through the opening. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the object, prior to being positioned into the interior of the bag, has a broadest dimension which is larger than a broadest dimension of the opening. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the object is a compressible object. ### Claim 43 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein introducing the bag at least partially through the opening comprises introducing at least the open end of the bag through the opening to the first side of the barrier, and wherein the method further comprises withdrawing the open end of the bag from the first side of the barrier to the second side of the barrier through the opening prior to sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 44 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein sealing the open end of the bag comprises hermetically sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 45 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the open end of the bag comprises a closure device configured to hermetic seal the open end of the bag. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The method of claim 45, wherein the closure device comprises interlocking components configured to form a hermetic seal. ### Claim 47 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the port is positioned on the second side of the barrier when the gas is removed from the interior of the bag through the port. ### Claim 48 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein port comprises a valve, the valve being a one-way gas valve configured to prevent or retard gas from entering the interior of the bag through the port. ### Claim 49 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the gas is removed from the interior of the bag using a suctioning device coupled with the port, wherein no portion of the suctioning device is inserted into the interior of the bag. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The method of claim 49, wherein the suctioning device is uncoupled from the port prior to entirely withdrawing the bag containing the object from the first side of the barrier to the second side of the barrier through the opening. ### Claim 51 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein removing gas from the interior of the bag reduces the volume of the object contained in the interior of the bag. ### Claim 52 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein introducing a bag at least partially through the opening from the second side of the barrier to the first side of the barrier comprises inserting the bag through a sleeve to the first side of the barrier. ### Claim 53 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein entirely withdrawing the bag containing the object from the first side of the barrier to the second side of the barrier through the opening does not require enlarging the opening. ### Claim 54 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the bag further comprises a spring element configured to open the open end of the bag. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, wherein the spring element comprises a loop or portion thereof made from an elastic material and extends at least partially around the open end of the bag. ### Claim 56 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, wherein the spring element is compressed prior to introducing the bag at least partially through the opening from the second side of the barrier to the first side of the barrier. ### Claim 57 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, wherein the bag is coiled around the spring element prior to introducing the bag at least partially through the opening from the second side of the barrier to the first side of the barrier. ### Claim 58 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, further comprising allowing the spring element to open the open end of the bag prior to positioning the object into the interior of the bag. ### Claim 59 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, further comprising separating the spring element from the bag prior to sealing the open end of the bag. ### Claim 60 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, wherein the bag further comprises a closure device positioned between the spring element and the port, the closure device configured to hermitically seal the bag. ### Claim 61 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40, wherein the object is a tissue specimen of a patient, wherein the barrier is a body wall of the patient, and wherein the opening is an incision made in the body wall.