In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a lifting apparatus for pivoting a surgical retractor with respect to a patient it is being used on. The lifting apparatus has a bridge for engaging at least one arm of a surgical retractor. The bridge has a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween. The bridge further includes a distal coupling attached to the distal end of the bridge for releaseably attaching the bridge to the surgical retractor. The lifting apparatus further comprises an elevator. The elevator is for applying an upward force to the proximal end of the bridge, so that when the apparatus is attached to a surgical retractor, the elevator pivots the retractor upward about the distal coupling. The elevator includes a bridge coupling for attaching to the proximal end of the bridge. A resilient pad is releaseably attached to the base of the lifting assembly and is positioned between the base and the chest of the patient.
This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/012,204 (END 509) filed on Jan. 23, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,194.
A surgical retractor includes a frame and hinges associated with the frame for making the frame conformable to the chest or other anatomical structure of a patient. Retractor blades are operatively associated with the frame for retracting soft tissue or bone structure. Where the surgical retractor includes opposing pairs of retractor blades for retracting soft tissue or bone structure in two relatively generally perpendicular directions, a method of using the device includes making an incision in the skin of a patient, placing the device over the incision, using one opposing pair of retractor blades to retract skin and soft tissue in a first direction and using the second opposing pair of retractor blades to retract bone in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction.
A lifting tool for use with a standard rib or chest retractor device where the tool acts to obliquely lift and spread open an incision, the chest wall and ribs, the tool having a pair of extended hook members disposed generally parallel and co-planarly on a mounting flange member.
A device (1) for retracting tissue with a retaining element (2) with a throughgoing cutout (7) and with a blade (18) mounted on a retractor arm (16), retractor arm (16) being seated movably in cutout (7), wherein cutout (7) of retaining element (2) is formed in a groove shape.
An incision in a ventricle wall is spread without applying axial force to the ventricle wall by inserting an array of pins and then spreading that array while a cannula is inserted along the track formed by the pins.
A surgical retractor includes a pair of small grips that are disposed at the ends of arms that can be moved toward or away from each other. The grips engage and separate the sides of an incision that has been made in a patient. A lifting mechanism that can be attached to one of the arms enables one side of the incision to be raised relative to the other side of the incision. The lifting mechanism includes a clamp that can be connected to the retractor and a foot that is connected to the clamp and which is movable relative thereto. The foot is engageable with the patient such that extension of the foot causes a selected grip to be raised. Retraction of the foot permits the selected grip to be lowered. In the preferred embodiment, the foot is disposed at one end of a notched rack; a rotatable pinion is in contact with the notches to extend and contract the rack; and a pivotally movable pawl permits movement of the rack in one direction and prevents movement of the rack in the other direction.
