Non-radiopaque Surgical Retactor with Bendable Implement Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical retractors for minimally invasive cardiac procedures often limit access and visualization due to limited retraction capabilities and radiopaque materials, requiring additional personnel to hold deployment devices, which complicates heart valve and coronary artery surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A retractor system formed from non-radiopaque materials with flexible, bendable arms that can create large access openings and hold surgical implements, featuring a combination of rigid and soft tissue retractors to facilitate improved visualization and reduce the need for additional operators during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If radiopaque materials are used in surgical retractors, then visibility of the retractor structure is improved, but visualization of the surgical field through X-ray is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor employs a hybrid material strategy where only critical structural components are made radiopaque for visibility, while the portions obstructing the surgical field are made non-radiopaque or radiolucent. This local differentiation of material properties allows simultaneous achievement of retractor visibility and surgical field visualization.
2Ease of operation
If traditional open-chest surgical access is used, then access to the heart is improved, but patient trauma and recovery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical access approach is segmented into multiple small incisions rather than a single large sternotomy. The retractor system is correspondingly segmented into multiple arms that can be independently positioned through these smaller access points, collectively providing the necessary exposure while minimizing patient trauma.
3Reliability
If additional personnel are used to hold deployment devices, then procedural control is improved, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor system integrates deployment device holding capability directly into the retractor structure itself. The arms of the retractor can simultaneously perform tissue retraction and secure holding of deployment devices, merging multiple functions into a single integrated system and eliminating the need for additional personnel.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If small incisions are used for minimally invasive access, then patient trauma is reduced, but access opening size is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The retractor arms are designed to extend in multiple dimensions from the small incision points. By utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement rather than simple planar expansion, the system creates a large functional access opening volume through multiple arms positioned at different angles and depths, overcoming the limitation of small incision size.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical site retractor is configured to retract tissue, such as in an intercostal procedure. The retractor may be formed from non-radiopaque material for improved monitoring via x-ray imaging. The retractor may have a rigid retractor and a soft tissue retractor, where the rigid retractor has a plurality of legs and the soft tissue retractor extends between the legs to prevent soft tissue from extending between said legs. The retractor may have a bendable arm with an implement holder, such as distal cuff or clip adapted to resiliently hold an implement such as a tube of an elongated port-access device. A method involves partly installing the surgical site retractor, expanding the surgical site retractor, deploying the surgical implement from outside the body through the incision and into the patient, resiliently capturing the implement with the holder of the arm, and bending the arm to hold the implement in a desired position.