US 5,400,774 AGranted

Four blade medical retractor

OwnerJosue J. Villalta, Jean R. Passemardinventors

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Abstract

A medical retractor for holding open a body cavity. A base plate includes a pair of blades mounted and depending therefrom. A second plate is pivotally mounted to the base plate and has a second pair of blades slidably mounted thereto and depending therefrom. One of the blades is fixedly mounted whereas the three remaining blades are slidably mounted to the plates by arms having teeth engaging releasable locks on the plates. The second plate has a flat smooth surface defining the upper boundary of the retractor providing a snag free environment for the surgeon.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A medical retractor for holding open a body cavity comprising:

a first frame;
a first blade mounted to said frame, said blade extending downwardly from said frame;
a first arm movably mounted to said frame;
a second blade mounted to said arm and extending downwardly from said frame, said second blade spaced from said first blade a first distance along a straight first axis;
first adjustment means between said arm and said frame and having a first condition whereat said second blade may be moved toward said first blade only along said first axis to allow insertion of said first blade and said second blade into a body cavity and having a second condition whereat said second blade may be moved only along said first axis apart from said first blade and held positioning said first blade and said second blade along said first axis at opposite cavity extremes;
a second frame movably mounted to said first frame and movable from a position apart from said first frame to a position atop said first frame, said second frame including a snag free surface facing upwardly when said second frame is positioned atop said first frame defining the upper boundary of the retractor;
a third blade mounted to said second frame, said third blade extending downwardly past said first frame and into said cavity when said second frame is atop said first frame;
a second arm movably mounted to said second frame;
a fourth blade mounted to said second arm and extending downwardly from said second frame, said fourth blade spaced from said third blade a second distance along a straight second axis;
and,
second adjustment means between said second arm and said second frame and having a third condition whereat said fourth blade may be moved independent of said second blade and only along said second axis in a first direction to allow insertion of said fourth blade into said cavity when said second frame is moved atop said first frame and having a fourth condition whereat said fourth blade may be moved only along said second axis in an opposite direction to said first direction and held holding said cavity open, said first adjustment means and said second adjustment means located entirely beneath said snag free surface when said snag free surface faces upwardly, said snag free surface forming the entire upper surface of said retractor.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A medical retractor for holding open a body cavity comprising:

a first frame;
a first blade mounted to said frame, said blade extending downwardly from said frame;
a first arm movably mounted to said frame;
a second blade mounted to said arm and extending downwardly from said frame, said second blade spaced from said first blade a first distance along a straight first axis;
first adjustment means between said arm and said frame and having a first condition whereat said second blade may be moved toward said first blade only along said first axis to allow insertion of said first blade and said second blade into a body cavity and having a second condition whereat said second blade may be moved only along said first axis apart from said first blade and held positioning said first blade and said second blade along said first axis at opposite cavity extremes;
a second frame movably mounted to said first frame and movable from a position apart from said first frame to a position atop said first frame, said second frame including a snag free surface facing upwardly when said second frame is positioned atop said first frame defining the upper boundary of the retractor;
a third blade mounted to said second frame, said third blade extending downwardly past said first frame and into said cavity when said second frame is atop said first frame;
a second arm movably mounted to said second frame;
a fourth blade mounted to said second arm and extending downwardly from said second frame, said fourth blade spaced from said third blade a second distance along a straight second axis;
and,
second adjustment means between said second arm and said second frame and having a third condition whereat said fourth blade may be moved independent of said second blade and only along said second axis in a first direction to allow insertion of said fourth blade into said cavity when said second frame is moved atop said first frame and having a fourth condition whereat said fourth blade may be moved only along said second axis in an opposite direction to said first direction and held holding said cavity open, said first adjustment means and said second adjustment means located entirely beneath said snag free surface when said snag free surface faces upwardly, said snag free surface forming the entire upper surface of said retractor.

8 more elements