Surgical retractor with curved rotating blades

#Some embodiments of the invention relate to surgical devices and methods, and particularly surgical retractors.

#Surgical procedures often require the creation of a surgical exposure to allow a surgeon to reach deeper regions of the body. The surgical exposure is usually started with an incision of a suitable depth. Surgical instruments known as retractors are then inserted into the incision and used to spread skin, ribs and other soft tissue and bone structures and to pull back skin, muscle and other soft tissue to permit access to the desired area. Several handheld surgical retractors are known. In the case of cardiovascular/thoracic surgeries, it is desirable to reduce pressure points on the nerve and on the ribs.

#Various embodiments of the present invention provide a surgical retractor having two blade-supporting arms, which are mounted to be laterally slideable towards and apart from each other by a toothed rack. Each arm supports a respective retractor blade. In some embodiments, the retractor blades are curved in the same direction as each other, so that the first blade is concave in the first direction, and a second blade is also concave in the same direction. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, a cushioned material or cushioned sleeve is present on the blades where the blades contact the anatomy. The cushioned material or sleeve may be made of a soft silicone. Further, the cushioned material or sleeve may be coated or molded onto the blade structure, or may be a removable sleeve that is manually slid onto or off of the blade structure. Also, alternatively or in addition in sonic embodiments, blade-mounted lighting may be provided. In some embodiments, the lighting may comprise a fiber optic light source that penetrates into and through the blade and terminates in an opening in the blade facing inward so that it shines light inwardly towards the direction of the other blade and/or towards the anatomy. One or both of the two opposed blades may have light sources shining generally inward. In some aspects of some embodiments there is provided a surgical retractor having a pair of arms mounted to be laterally slideable towards and apart from each other; and a respective first and second retractor blade, each supported on a respective arm and curved in the same direction as the other blade. In some aspects of some embodiments there is provided a surgical retractor having a first arm; a first retractor blade connected to the first arm, the first retractor blade having a first inner surface with a convex shape; a second arm; and a second retractor blade connected to the second arm, the second retractor blade having a second inner surface with a concave shape, wherein the first and second arms are mounted to be laterally slideable towards and apart from each other, and so that the first inner surface and the second inner surface face towards each other. In some aspects of some embodiments there is provided a surgical retractor having a first retractor blade connected to the first arm, the first retractor blade having a first inner surface with a convex shape; a second retractor blade connected to the second arm, the second retractor blade having a second inner surface with a concave shape; and a mount to which the first and second retractor blades are mounted to be laterally slideable towards and apart from each other, and so that the first inner surface and the second inner surface face towards each other .

#Examples of the invention are illustrated, without limitation, in the accompanying figures in which like numeral references refer to like elements.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surgical retractor according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical retractor taken from a different angle.

#Some preferred embodiments of a surgical retractor and method will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numbers refer to like parts.

#A preferred embodiment of a retractor is shown in FIGS. 1-6. The retractor 10 generally includes a first arm assembly 12 and a second arm assembly 14. The arm assembly 14 also includes a rack 16, and the arm assembly 12 is slideable along the rack 16 to move the arms 12 and 14 towards or away from each other and lock them in a desired position. The arm 12 supports a blade 20, and the arm 14 supports a blade 22. The blade 20 has an intermediate portion 24 which has a curvature which may be referred to as a concave curvature as it faces towards to blade 22. The blade 22 has an intermediate portion 26 which may be referred to as having a convex curvature as it faces towards the blade 20. The blade 20 is pivotally mounted to the arm 12 by a blade pivot 21. The blade 22 is pivotally mounted to the arm 14 by a blade pivot 23. Attached to the blade 20 is a fiber optic or other light source 30 and similarly attached to the blade 22 is a fiber optic or other light source 32. The fiber optic light source 30 penetrates through the blade 20 and projects through an opening of the blade 20 so that it may shine towards the other blade 22 as shown. The fiber optic light source 32 has a light-emitting tip 42 that projects through the blade and projects through aperture in the blade 22 so that it may shine towards the blade 20.

#The retractor 10 holds an incision between the ribs open during surgery. In particular, the blades 20 and 22 are adapted to reduce pressure and trauma to the ribs and surrounding tissue and nerves, by being designed to anatomically fit the shape of the ribs and avoid pressure points. This is accomplished at least in part by the shape of the blades, where the blades 20 and 22 each have a convex or concave curvature in the same direction as each other. That is, one blade has a convex profile, and looking in the reverse direction, the other blade faces the first blade in a concave direction. The surfaces of the blade having these relative convex and concave profiles, are the outer surfaces of a blade (i.e., the surfaces of the blade facing away from each other). The curved profiles may be implemented on a portion of the blades in the illustrated example, the blades have a substantially constant thickness in these intermediate convex/concave portions, and therefore their inner surfaces (facing towards each other) also feature complimentary convex and concave surfaces. However, this is not necessary and the convex/concave relationship being recited may be only in the outward facing surfaces, which are the surfaces that control the ribs or other anatomy.