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US 6,149,584 AGranted
IMA Retractor
OwnerSeshadri Rajuinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is a sternal retractor comprising a curved crossbar and a pair of arms perpendicularly attached to the crossbar, at least one of which may slide over the length of the crossbar. Sternum engaging blades extend from the arms in a general direction from the concave side to the convex side of the retractor. The present invention lifts the ribcage, allowing access to the internal mammary artery while decreasing tissue damage associated with current retractors.
Claims15
A retractor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a curved crossbar having a convex and a concave side,
- (b) a first arm attached to said curved crossbar;
- and
- (c) a second arm movably attached to said curved crossbar, said first and second arms adapted to mount a retractor blade on the end of said arms distal from said curved crossbar, such that when said retractor blades are mounted thereon, said retractor blades extend from said arms in a general direction from said concave side of said curved crossbar to said convex side of said curved crossbar.
1 more element
A retractor apparatus comprising:
- (a) a curved crossbar having a convex and a concave side,
- (b) a first arm attached to said crossbar, engageable with tissue to be retracted, such that the portion of said arm used to contact the tissue extends from said arm in a direction from said concave side of said crossbar to said convex side of said crossbar;
- and
- (c) a second arm movably attached to said crossbar, engageable with tissue to be retracted, such that the portion of said arm used to contact the tissue extends from said arm in a direction from said concave side of said crossbar to said convex side of said crossbar.
1 more element
A method of opening a sternum and lifting a ribcage for surgery comprising:
- (a) cutting open the sternum,
- (b) providing a retractor apparatus comprising:
- (i) a curved crossbar having a convex and a concave side,
- (ii) a first arm attached to said curved crossbar;
- and
- (iii) a second arm movably attached to said curved crossbar, said first and second arms adapted to mount a retractor blade on the end of said arms distal from said curved crossbar, such that when said retractor blades are mounted thereon, said retractor blades extend from said arms in a general direction from said concave side of said curved crossbar to said convex side of said curved crossbar,
- (c) mounting said retractor blades on said arms,
- (d) placing said retractor blades between sternal halves;
- and
- (e) operating said retractor apparatus until said sternum has been opened to a desired distance.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.