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US 7,226,413 B2Granted
Nerve root retractor and sucker
AssigneeAeolin, LLC
InventorLaurence M. McKinley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ergonomically and functionally improved combination nerve root retractor and sucker device, system, and methods of using such a nerve root retractor and sucker are provided. The nerve root retractor and sucker of the current invention having an adjustable geometry nerve root retractor/sucker shaft.
Claims23
A nerve root retractor and sucker comprising:
- a handle having proximal and distal ends,
- a nerve root retractor/sucker shaft having a proximal open end and a distal open end and defining a central passage therebetween, wherein the proximal end of the shaft is connected to the distal end of the handle, and wherein the angle between the shaft and the axis of the handle may be controllably and fixedly varied along at least one axis;
- a suction source in fluid communication with the distal opening of the shaft, wherein one or both of the handle and shaft define a suction fluid path between the suction source and the distal opening;
- at least one suction control vent disposed along the suction fluid path such that closing the at least one vent increases the level of suction at the distal opening, and such that opening the at least one vent decreases the level of suction at the distal opening;
- and
- a retractor blade disposed immediately proximate to the distal end of the shaft.
3 more elements
A nerve root retractor and sucker system comprising:
- a handle having proximal and distal ends,
- a plurality of nerve root retractor/sucker shafts each having a proximal open end and a distal open end and defining a central passage therebetween, wherein the proximal end of each shaft may be detachably connected to the distal end of the handle, and wherein the axis along the distal end of each of the shafts and has a length of between about 80 and 220 mm, and wherein the angle between the shaft and the axis of the handle may be controllably and fixedly varied along at least one axis;
- a suction source in fluid communication with the distal opening of the attached shaft, wherein one or both of the handle and shaft define a suction fluid path between the suction source and the distal opening;
- at least one suction control vent disposed along the suction fluid path such that closing the at least one vent increases the level of suction at the distal opening, and such that opening the at least one vent decreases the level of suction at the distal opening;
- and
- a retractor blade disposed immediately proximate to the distal end of each of the plurality of shafts,
- wherein the length of at least two of the plurality of shafts are different.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.