Pressure sensing self-retaining retractor
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona
InventorsDavid MARGOLIS, McKenzie BIEG, Mark BOSSET, Dania PEREZ, Timor SHAHIN, Evan SMITH, Urs UTZINGER
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Abstract
A surgical self-retaining retractor system includes a self-retaining retractor having first and second tissue engaging members that oppose one another and maintain an opening in an incision. First and second force sensors are respectively coupled to the first and second tissue engaging members such that the force sensors detect force being exerted thereon by tissue when the self-retaining retractor is maintaining an opening through the incision.
Claims11
A surgical self-retaining retractor system, comprising:
- a self-retaining retractor having first and second tissue engaging members that oppose one another and maintain an opening in an incision;
- and
- first and second force sensors respectively coupled to the first and second tissue engaging members such that the force sensors detect force being exerted thereon by tissue when the self-retaining retractor is maintaining an opening through the incision.
A method of monitoring force and/or pressure being exerted by tissue exposed in an operative field in a patient upon tissue engaging members of a self-retaining retractor than maintains the tissue in place, comprising:
- generating signals indicative of the force being exerted by the tissue on the tissue engaging members of the self-retaining retractor that maintains the tissue in place;
- communicating the signals to a processing unit located in a non-sterile field external to a sterile field in which the self-retaining retractor is being used;
- and
- generating an output from the signals communicated to the processing unit, the output being reflective of the force and/or pressure exerted by the tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.