A procedure for carrying out a surgical operation and a retracting laparoscope for separating organs in surgery

Claim 2

Procedure for carrying out a surgical operation, specially adapted for resecting the gall-bladder, characterized by comprising the steps of applying general anaesthesia to the patient, positioning the patient in a substantially horizontal position; performing a mini­laparotomy by effecting a subcostal right side transverse mid-­clavicular incision of approximately 15 mm in length; performing the elevation of the gall-bladder fundus and division of peritoneal adhesions; setting a retracting laparascope (1) along the ventral aspect of the gall blader and cephalad to the intestinal mass; drawing apart the retracting laparoscope arms (2) thus exposing the full length of the gall-bladder; introducing two sheaths, one on each side of the minilaparotomy through stub wounds; emptying the gall-bladder with syringe; separating the gall-bladder from its liver bed with diathermy and scissors; ligating the cystic duct with ligature or clip applicator and division of same; removing the gall-bladder through the minilaparotomy and closing the same.

Claim 3

A retracting laparoscope (1) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (4) including a window-­like opening (5) defining an edge-portion (17), at least one pair of spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, said arms being swingably supported by said edge-portion and swingable along predetermined paths in opposite directions, and actuating means mounted on one face of said base member for positioning and blocking said arms in any position of their respective paths.

Claim 4

A retracting laparoscope (1) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (4) including a window-­like opening (5) defining an edge-portion (17), at least one pair of spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, said arms being swingably supported by said edge-portion and swingable along predetermined paths in opposite directions, and actuating means mounted on one face of said base member for positioning and blocking said arms in any position of their respective paths.

Claim 5

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 2, characterized in that at least two of said arms are extendable by means of respective telescopic-arms (37), each telescopic-arm is slidable along the corresponding arm and is adapted to be locked in a predetermined position by retaining nuts (38).

Claim 6

A retracting laparoscope (1) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (4) including a window-like opening (5) defining an edge-portion (17), at least four spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, said arms being swingably supported by said edge-portion and swingable along pre­determined paths in opposite directions, each arm being assosciated with a respective lever portion defining a free end including a threaded opening (18), a threaded rod (8) mounted on one face of the base member extending through the threaded opening of an assosciated lever portion (6), each rod having a slidable base (9) slidably retained in respective guide means (10) mounted in the base member, each rod including an actuating head (11) at the end opposite to the respective slidable base.

Claim 7

A retracting laparoscope (1) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (4) including a window-like opening (5) defining an edge-portion (17), at least four spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, said arms being swingably supported by said edge-portion and swingable along pre­determined paths in opposite directions, each arm being assosciated with a respective lever portion defining a free end including a threaded opening (18), a threaded rod (8) mounted on one face of the base member extending through the threaded opening of an assosciated lever portion (6), each rod having a slidable base (9) slidably retained in respective guide means (10) mounted in the base member, each rod including an actuating head (11) at the end opposite to the respective slidable base.

Claim 8

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 4, characterized in that said arms are assosciated in pairs and each pair is connected through an extendable membrane (13).

Claim 9

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 4, characterized in that said arms are assosciated in pairs and each pair is connected through an extendable fan-like member (36).

Claim 10

A retracting laparoscope (20) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas, where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (21) consisting of two articulated parts (21, 22) and including at the zone of the articulation a window-like (5) opening defining a first edge (31) and two second edges (32) which form an acute angle therebetween, the three edges defining a triangle-like configuration for the window-like opening, at least four spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, a first two of said arms being parallel to each other and swingably supported by said first edge, the other second two arms being each swingably supported by each one of said second two edges, the arms being swingable along predetermined paths in opposite directions, the first two arms being always parallel to each other, the second two arms being capable of separating from each other like a fan and maintaining the same distance from each other at a zone where­in they are articulated to the corresponding second edge-portions of the window-like opening, and actuating means (11) mounted on one face of said base member for positioning and blocking said arms in any position of their respective paths, said arms being assosciated with respective lever portions (6) located at a side of the base member corresponding to said face, the lever portions being connected to said actuating means.

Claim 11

A retracting laparoscope (20) for separating organs in surgery, insertable in a previously made incision in the human body, capable of maintaining portions of human organs in spaced-apart position to thus gain visual access to deeper located areas, where an operation or a direct treatment is to be performed, said retracting laparoscope characterized by comprising a base member (21) consisting of two articulated parts (21, 22) and including at the zone of the articulation a window-like (5) opening defining a first edge (31) and two second edges (32) which form an acute angle therebetween, the three edges defining a triangle-like configuration for the window-like opening, at least four spaced-apart arms (2) projecting through said window-like opening, a first two of said arms being parallel to each other and swingably supported by said first edge, the other second two arms being each swingably supported by each one of said second two edges, the arms being swingable along predetermined paths in opposite directions, the first two arms being always parallel to each other, the second two arms being capable of separating from each other like a fan and maintaining the same distance from each other at a zone where­in they are articulated to the corresponding second edge-portions of the window-like opening, and actuating means (11) mounted on one face of said base member for positioning and blocking said arms in any position of their respective paths, said arms being assosciated with respective lever portions (6) located at a side of the base member corresponding to said face, the lever portions being connected to said actuating means.

Claim 12

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 7, characterized in that said arms are assosciated in pairs and one pair, formed by said second two arms, is connected through an extendable membrane (13).

Claim 13

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 7, characterized in that said arms are assosciated in pairs and one pair, formed by said second two arms, is connected through an extendable fan-like member (36).

Claim 14

A retracting laparosocope as in any of claims 2 to 10, characterized in that at least one arm includes a light emitter (12).

Claim 15

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 10, characterized in that said emitter is a cold light emitter (12).

Claim 16

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 10, characterized in that said emitter is an optical fibre emitter.

Claim 17

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 11, characterized in that said base member comprises two parts pivotally connected to each other along a longitudinal axis (24) parallel to said first edge, the two parts having locking means for retaining both parts in a common plane.

Claim 18

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 13, characterized in that said both parts are connected by a detachable pivot connection allowing the parts to be separated for cleaning.

Claim 19

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 14, characterized in that one of said parts of the base member includes a step portion (25) which permits the base member to be adapted to the human body profile.

Claim 20

A retracting laparoscope as in claim 4 or 7, characterized in that at least two of said arms are extendable by means of respective telescopic-arms (37), each telescopic-arm being slidable along the corresponding arm and is adapted to be locked in a predetermined position by retaining nuts (38).

Claim 21

Procedure for carrying out a surgical operation, by means of the use of the retracting laparascope of any of claims 2 to 16.