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AssigneesSmith & Nephew, Inc., University of Massachusetts
InventorsJavier Verdura, Maureen E. Carroll, Richard Beane, Steven Ek, Mark P. Callery
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Systems, methods, and miniature instruments are disclosed for minimally invasive surgical procedures. A miniature surgical instrument can be inserted directly into a body cavity through a cannula in a way that a surgeon can insert his or her hand into the cavity through a separate minimal incision and use the miniature instruments. A miniature surgical system can include: a cannula having a hollow body configured to receive a miniature surgical instrument and a tether connected to the instrument; and a plunger sized to engage a proximal end of the body and including a conduit therethrough for receiving the tether. The system can also include the tether and the instrument. During use, the instruments can be quickly and safely removed from the body cavity to enable the surgeon to use his or her fingers, e.g., to manipulate tissue.
A method of conducting minimally invasive surgery in a body cavity of a patient, the method comprising:
A minimally invasive surgery system, the system comprising a surgical instrument exchange cannula configured to provide a sealed passage into a patient's body cavity through a first incision, a hand access port configured to provide a hand-sized opening into the body cavity through a second incision, and a miniature surgical instrument sized to pass through the surgical instrument exchange cannula, configured for manipulation and actuation within the body cavity by a surgeon's hand passed through the hand access port, and sized to be stored within the surgical instrument exchange cannula.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.