Body structure manipulation and dissection system

Abstract

Abstract Hollow body structures may be manipulated and dissected from surrounding tissue using a manipulator device (10) and a dissection device (120). The manipulator includes a rigid shaft (12) having an inflatable balloon (14) at its distal end. By inserting the balloon through a wall of the body structure and inflating the balloon (14), the body structure can be manipulated using the shaft (12) to expose a dissection plane in an optimum manner. The dissection device (120) is used to separate the body structure from its surrounding tissue. The separator device (120) includes a separator head (130) which is a cylindrical body having a plurality of axial channels (136) therein. The dissector head (130) is rotated or oscillated at a high frequency and acts to separate the body structure from the surrounding tissue with minimum damage.

Inventors

• 👤 Albert K. Chin
• 👤 Frederic H. Moll
• 👤 Gail Stevens
• 👤 Robert D. Warner

Bibliographic Details