Patent US5454367A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5454367A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of using endoscopic inflatable retraction device with fluid tight elastomeric window
Assignee: Covidien AG
•
Filing: 1993-08-13
•
Granted: 1995-10-03
•
Expires: 2013-08-13
Abstract
Abstract An inflatable retractor including a main envelope enclosing a main chamber is provided. The main envelope is provided in a collapsed state. An elastomeric window is also provided. The main envelope of the inflatable retractor is placed adjacent the organ inside the body, and the main chamber is expanded to an expanded state to retract the organ. Following inflation of the main chamber to the expanded state, the elastomeric window is attached to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover part of the main envelope. The surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber. An aperture is pierced in the pan of the main envelope covered by the elastomeric window to provide access for the surgical instrument to contact the tissue. The elastomeric window provides a gas-tight seal to maintain the main chamber in the expanded state.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederic H. Moll
- 👤 Charles Gresl, Jr.
- 👤 Albert K. Chin
- 👤 Philip K. Hopper
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 21:02
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3417; A61B17/02; A61B17/0218; A61B17/0281; A61B17/22; A61B17/22031; A61B17/22032; A61B90/00; A61B90/50; A61B17/3462; A61B17/00234; A61B2017/00238; A61B2017/00261; A61B2017/00535; A61B2017/00557; A61B17/30; A61B2017/306; A61B17/32; A61B2017/320044; A61B2017/320048; A61B2017/348; A61B2017/3482; A61B2017/3484; A61B2017/3486; A61B90/30; A61B2090/306; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1002; Y10T156/1003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for retracting an organ inside the body to provide access to adjacent tissue for a surgical instrument, the method comprising steps of: providing an inflatable retractor including a main envelope enclosing a main chamber, the main envelope being in a collapsed state; providing an elastomeric window; placing the main envelope of the inflatable retractor adjacent the organ; inflating the main chamber to an expanded state to retract the organ; following inflation of the main chamber to the expanded state, attaching the elastomeric window to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover part of the main envelope; passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber; and piercing an aperture in the part of the main envelope covered by the elastomeric window to provide access for the surgical instrument to contact the tissue, the elastomeric window providing a gas-tight seal to maintain the main chamber in the expanded state.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for retracting an organ inside the body to provide access to adjacent tissue for a surgical instrument, the method comprising steps of: providing an inflatable retractor including a main envelope enclosing a main chamber, the main envelope being in a collapsed state; providing an elastomeric window; placing the main envelope of the inflatable retractor adjacent the organ; inflating the main chamber to an expanded state to retract the organ; following inflation of the main chamber to the expanded state, attaching the elastomeric window to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover part of the main envelope; passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber; and piercing an aperture in the part of the main envelope covered by the elastomeric window to provide access for the surgical instrument to contact the tissue, the elastomeric window providing a gas-tight seal to maintain the main chamber in the expanded state.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
120 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the method additionally includes a step of providing a gripping instrument; in the step of providing an inflatable retractor, the retractor additionally includes a gripping tab attached to the main envelope inside the main chamberl and the step of inflating the main chamber comprises steps of: inflating the main chamber, optimizing orientation of the main chamber relative to the tissue by repeating steps of: observing the orientation of the main chamber, ands, if the orientation is incorrect: partially deflating the main chambers: re-orientating the main chamber by gripping the gripping tab with the gripping instrument and manipulating the gripping instrument; and reinflating the main chamber, until the orientation of the main chamber is correct.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: the main envelope is maintained in the collapsed state by lacing; and the step of placing the main envelope of the retractor adjacent the organ includes steps of: providing an insertion tube, pushing the main envelope through the insertion tube from outside the body, and unlacing the lacing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: the main envelope is maintained in the collapsed state by a peelable sheath; and the step of placing the main envelope of the retractor adjacent the organ includes steps of: providing an insertion tube, pushing the main envelope through the insertion tube from outside the body, and peeling the peelable sheath away from the main envelope.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 4, wherein: the peelable sheath includes a tear strip, and the step of peeling the peelable sheath includes removing the tear strip to release the peelable sheath from the main envelope.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: in the step of providing an inflatable retractor, the retractor additionally comprises a flexible sheath attached the main envelope; and the method further comprises steps of: inserting a pointed instrument into the main chamber to engage with the flexible sheath, driving the flexible sheath through to outside the body with the pointed instrument, inserting the surgical instrument from outside the body through the flexible sheath into the main chamber.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: in the step of providing an inflatable retractor, the main envelope includes a marker; and the step of placing the main envelope of the retractor adjacent the organ includes a step of observing the marker to determine an orientation of the main envelope in the collapsed state relative to the organ.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, additionally comprising a step of passing the surgical instrument through the aperture to treat the tissue.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 8, wherein: in the step of providing an inflatable retractor, the retractor additionally includes a main inflation tube attached to the main envelope and communicating with the main chamber; and in the step of passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber, the surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber through the main inflation tube.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 9, wherein in the step of passing the surgical instrument through the aperture to treat the tissue, the surgical instrument is passed through the elastomeric window, and the elastomeric window forms a gas-tight seal with the surgical instrument.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of claim 8, wherein: in the step of attaching the elastomeric window to the main envelope, the elastomeric window is attached to cover a first part of the main envelope; in the step of piercing an aperture, the aperture is pierced in the first part of the main envelope; the method additionally comprises steps of: providing an additional elastomeric window, attaching the additional elastomeric window to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover a second part of the main envelope, and piercing an additional aperture in the second part of the main envelope; and in the step of passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber, the surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber through the additional aperture.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 8, wherein, in the step of passing the surgical instrument through the aperture to treat the tissue, surgical instrument is passed through the elastomeric window, and the elastomeric window forms a gas-tight seal with the surgical instrument to maintain the main chamber in the expanded state.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1, additionally comprising steps of: pulling the tissue into the main chamber through the aperture; and using the surgical instrument inside the main chamber to treat the tissue.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 13, wherein: the step of providing an inflatable retractor, the retractor additionally includes a main inflation tube attached to the main envelope and communicating with the main chamber; and in the step of passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber, the surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber through the main inflation tube.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 14, wherein, in the step of pulling the tissue into the main chamber through the aperture, the tissue is pulled through the elastomeric window, and the elastomeric window forms a gas-tight seal with the tissue.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 13, wherein, in the step of pulling the tissue into the main chamber through the aperture, the tissue is pulled through the elastomeric window, and the elastomeric window forms a gas-tight seal with the tissue.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of claim 13, wherein: in the step of attaching the elastomeric window to the main envelope, the elastomeric window is attached to cover a first part of the main envelope; in the step of piercing an aperture, the aperture is pierced in the first part of the main envelope; the method additionally comprises steps of: providing an additional elastomeric window, attaching the additional elastomeric window to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover a second part of the main envelope, and piercing an additional aperture in the second part of the main envelope; and in the step of passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber, the surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber through the additional aperture.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
123 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: in the step of attaching the elastomeric window to the main envelope, the elastomeric window is attached to cover a first part of the main envelope; in the step of piercing an aperture, the aperture is pierced in the first part of the main envelope; the method additionally comprises steps of: providing an additional elastomeric window, attaching the additional elastomeric window to the main envelope inside the main chamber to cover a second part of the main envelope, and piercing an additional aperture in the second part of the main envelope; and in the step of passing the surgical instrument into the main chamber, the surgical instrument is passed into the main chamber through the additional aperture.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US1060350A
Cited
US1275520A
Cited
US1947649A
Cited
US2663020A
Cited
US3039468A
Cited
US3173418A
Cited
US3626949A
Cited
US3774596A
Cited
US3831587A
Cited
US3863639A
Cited
US4083369A
Cited
US4240433A
Cited
US4183102A
Cited
DE2847633A1
Cited
US4291687A
Cited
SU797668A1
Cited
EP0010650A1
Cited
US4254762A
Cited
FR2474304A1
Cited
US4357940A
Cited
GB2071502A
Cited
US4709697A
Cited
US4430076A
Cited
US4535773A
Cited
US4447227A
Cited
US4601710A
Cited
US4601710B1
Cited
US4598699A
Cited
US4739762A
Cited
US4739762B1
Cited
US4654030A
Cited
EP0246086A2
Cited
EP0251976A2
Cited
US4775371A
Cited
EP0275230A2
Cited
US4779611A
Cited
US4919152A
Cited
US4878495A
Cited
US4944443A
Cited
US5007898A
Cited
US4966583A
Cited
US5002557A
Cited
US5083576A
Cited
FR2646088A1
Cited
US4984564A
Cited
US5122122A
Cited
US5049132A
Cited
US5197971A
Cited
DE9104383U1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-10-02 | 1999-04-03 | 1999-10-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-10-02 | 2003-04-03 | 2003-10-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-10-02 | 2007-04-03 | 2007-10-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |