Surgical device for enclosing an internal organ

Claim 1

A medical device for enclosing an internal bodily organ or tissue during surgery comprising: a) a continuous, filamentary stand having a distal noose portion secured with a knot, strand a proximal free end portion, said free end portion enclosed within a generally rigid, longitudinal tubular sleeve so as to facilitate handling of said device, said knot configured in a manner so as to allow movement of the free end portion proximally and to prevent the noose portion from loosening when engaged about said bodily organ or tissue; b) a surgical bag having an open end therein, said bag fixedly attached along substantially the entire perimeter of said open end thereof to said noose portion of said filamentary strand along substantially the entire circumferential length of said noose portion thereof; and c) means for pulling said free end portion of said filamentary strand proximally so as to continually reduce the diameter of said noose portion thereby continually closing said open end of said surgical bag; wherein said tubular sleeve is tapered at its distal end, and said knot abuts said tapered distal end when said ree end portion of said filamentary strand is pulled proximally, and said tapered distal end has a cross-sectional diameter effective to prevent said knot from passing through said tubular sleeve when said free end portion of said filamentary strand is pulled proximally.