Retractor with integrated wound closure
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsWilliam B. Weisenburgh, II, Jerome R. Morgan, Christopher J. Hess, Carl J. Shurtleff, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsWilliam B. Weisenburgh, II, Jerome R. Morgan, Christopher J. Hess, Carl J. Shurtleff, Frederick E. Shelton, IV
Estimating the term…
Methods and devices are provided to allow the same component used to access a surgical site to assist in closing the surgical opening in which it was disposed. In one exemplary embodiment a flexible retractor is provided that includes proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therethrough. A wound closure component is associated with the flexible retractor and is configured to engage tissue adjacent to a surgical incision in which the retractor is disposed and move tissue from one side of the surgical incision toward a second side of the surgical incision to assist in closing the surgical incision. In one embodiment the wound closure component includes strands of suture having hooks disposed on a distal end. In another embodiment the wound closure component includes a ring having hooks disposed around a circumference of the ring. Exemplary methods for closing a surgical opening are also provided.
A surgical access device, comprising:
A flexible retractor for use in a surgical procedure, comprising:
A method for repairing a surgical wound, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.