38 results about "Intercostal space" patented technology

A sternum reinforcing device to be used after a sternotomy or a sternal fracture, made of a biocompatible material, comprises an elongated modular member (10) with a pair of legs (20, 30), that are joined each other by a body portion (4), and a pair of arms (6, 7). The legs (20, 30) can be fitted in an intercostal space of the thorax of a patient, laterally to the sternum, and can be bent in a mutually opposite direction, on the internal side of the thorax, after being fitted therein. The arms (6, 7), extending from one side to the other of the body portion (4) and orthogonally to the pair of legs (20, 30), constitute a male part and a female part, respectively, of a prismatic type coupling for consecutive modular members.

Surgical methods and instruments are disclosed for performing port-access or closed-chest coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery in multivessel coronary artery disease. In contrast to standard open-chest CABG surgery, which requires a median sternotomy or other gross thoracotomy to expose the patient's heart, post-access CABG surgery is performed through small incisions or access ports made through the intercostal spaces between the patient's ribs, resulting in greatly reduced pain and morbidity to the patient. In situ arterial bypass grafts, such as the internal mammary arteries and/or the right gastroepiploic artery, are prepared for grafting by thoracoscopic or laparoscopic takedown techniques. Free grafts, such as a saphenous vein graft or a free arterial graft, can be used to augment the in situ arterial grafts. The graft vessels are anastomosed to the coronary arteries under direct visualization through a cardioscopic microscope inserted through an intercostal access port. Retraction instruments are provided to manipulate the heart within the closed chest of the patient to expose each of the coronary arteries for visualization and anastomosis. Disclosed are a tunneler and an articulated tunneling grasper for rerouting the graft vessels, and a finger-like retractor, a suction cup retractor, a snare retractor and a loop retractor for manipulating the heart. Also disclosed is a port-access topical cooling device for improving myocardial protection during the port-access CABG procedure. An alternate surgical approach using an anterior mediastinotomy is also described.

The invention provides devices and methods for performing less-invasive surgical procedures within an organ or vessel. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a method of closed-chest surgical intervention within an internal cavity of a patient's heart or great vessel. According to the method, the patient's heart is arrested and cardiopulmonary bypass is established. A scope extending through a percutaneous intercostal penetration in the patient's chest is used to view an internal portion of the patient's chest. An internal penetration is formed in a wall of the heart or great vessel using cutting means introduced through a percutaneous penetration in an intercostal space in the patient's chest. An interventional tool is then introduced, usually through a cannula positioned in a percutaneous intercostal penetration. The interventional tool is inserted through the internal penetration in the heart or great vessel to perform a surgical procedure within the internal cavity under visualization by means of the scope. In a preferred embodiment, a cutting tool is introduced into the patient's left atrium from a right portion of the patient's chest to remove the patient's mitral valve. A replacement valve is then introduced through an intercostal space in the right portion of the chest and through the internal penetration in the heart, and the replacement valve is attached in the mitral valve position.

A surgical access assembly configured and dimensioned for positioning within an intercostal space defined between a patient's adjacent ribs to facilitate passage of a surgical instrument into an internal work site. The surgical access assembly includes a body portion that may be either partially or wholly formed from a resilient material such that the surgical access assembly is resiliently deformable to facilitate conformity with the intercostal space in order to minimize the application of force to the patient's tissue upon insertion and removal of the access assembly and manipulation of the surgical instrument.

Disclosed are several embodiments of a battery-less piezo-electric defibrillation system (2) comprising external piezo-electric defibrillator (4) and at least one electrode (5) connected thereto. The system includes a piezo-electric generator (6) connected to direct cardiac access-(5), or indirect subcutaneous electrode assemblies (30). The piezo-electric generator (6) is energized by a spring-driven striker element (8) and produces electrical pulse for defibrillation. The direct cardiac access electrodes (5) engage the heart muscle directly via the intercostal space. Alternatively, indirect subcutaneous electrodes (34a) are positioned under patient's skin.

An apparatus and method of imaging an imaging region (7) employ an acoustic transducer array (10′) to produce image data for the imaging region (7), wherein there are one or more obstructions (15-1, 15-2, 15-3) between the acoustic transducer array (10′) and at least a portion (5) of the imaging region (7). One or more processors exploit redundancy in transmit/receive pair paths among the acoustic transducers in the acoustic transducer array (10′) to compensate for missing image data of the imaging region (7) due to the one or more obstructions (15-1, 15-2, 15-3), and produce an image of the imaging region (7) from the compensated image data.

Several embodiments of a battlefield defibrillation system (2) comprising external defibrillator (6) and at least one electrode (8) connected thereto are described. The system includes direct cardiac access-(8), or indirect subcutaneous electrodes (30). The direct cardiac access electrodes (26) engage the heart muscle directly via the intercostal space. Indirect subcutaneous electrodes are positioned under patient's skin. Several design features are implemented to aid precise electrode positioning and facilitate system operation by an untrained personnel.

The invention discloses an ultrasonic probe of which an acoustic head (210) is deflected by a set angle in such a way that the plane (202) of the scanning surface (201) corresponding to the acoustic head (210) intersects the plane (401) of the trigger (400), and an angle alpha formed by the intersection is an acute angle. This angle can be set according to the specific application object of the probe, for example, and the angle can be set according to the inclination angle of a human rib. As the acoustic head (210) and the trigger (400) are staggered by a certain angle, that the scanning surface (201) of the acoustic head (210) can be aligned with the intercostal space without deflection of the trigger can be ensured when the operator uses a probe to detect some obliquely extending targets, such as the human rib. Therefore, the operator can still maintain a normal holding manner without causing discomfort to the operator.

A device for creating an intercostal transcutaneous access to an, in particular endoscopic, operating field including a base body, which closely surrounds an incision all-side frame-shaped and with at least two websmounted on the base body, which can be introduced into an intercostal space, by which two ribs arranged next to each other can be moved apart. To create a device for creating an intercostal transcutaneous access to an, in particular endoscopic, operating field which allows individual pressing apart of the ribs, it is proposed according to the invention that the at least two webs are mounted adjustable relative to each other on the base body.

A pacemaker system is configured to sense electrical and mechanical activity of the heart tissue within a mammalian body and to generate a corresponding signal responsive to the sensed cardiac activity. The system includes a flexible electrical generator that contains EKG (ECG) electrodes for measuring electrical activity and ECHO piezoelectric electrodes for measuring mechanical activity of the heart and Doppler blood flow. The generator is embedded in a flexible shield, and is contoured to conform to the anatomy of the intercostal space to be embedded between the ribs of a patient and in the position overlying the heart. The system provides for pacing as well as defibrillation, responsive to the readings of the heart activities. A microprocessor analyzes a cardiac situation, based on the sensor's readings, produces a diagnosis, and generates control signals, such as “pacing pulse” in a life-threatening situation, or “observe” in a non life-threatening situation.

A wearable chest injury training mold, related to the field of medical models, including a simulated skin vest that matches the human body. The simulated skin vest includes a front piece that matches the chest of the human body, and two pieces that match the shoulders of the human body. Shoulder connecting pieces, side pieces matching with the left and right sides of the human body; simulated ribs, simulated blood vessels and simulated chest cavity are set in the simulated skin vest, and a pouch is installed on the simulated skin vest, and simulated plasma or gas, and the pouch is connected with the simulated chest cavity; a protective bottom plate is set between the simulated skin vest and the human body, and the protective bottom plate is connected with the simulated skin vest. Through the above design, the present invention can wear the simulated skin vest on a real person. The skin tissue, ribs and intercostal spaces and other tissues are highly simulated. The anatomical structure and anatomical position are close to normal human body, and the puncture feeling is close to real human body.