Surgical retractor device

Claim 2

A surgical retractor comprising a frame defining a central opening, a quick-release mounting means releasably and movably secured to said frame, a retractor blade support arm slidably mounted in said mounting means for movement of said retractor blade support arm transversely of said frame to different retracted positions, manually operable latch means on said mounting means and releasably engaging said retractor blade support arm for latching said retractor blade support arm in said different retracted positions relative to said frame, elongated retractor blade means attached at one end thereof to one end of said retractor blade support arm and its other end projected through said central opening for disposition in an incised wound to retract and hold the flesh surrounding the incised wound to enable a surgeon to have access to the wound, and additional readily manually operable latch means carried by said mounting means for latching said mounting means and retractor blade support arm to said frame in different operative positions along said frame, said mounting means, said retractor blade support arm and said retractor blade means being easily and quickly attachable to and removable from said frame as a unit and by the use of only one hand.

Claim 3

A surgical retractor as in claim 1, wherein said retractor blade means includes a retaining lip means on the attached end portion thereof to prevent tissue from slipping over said end of said blade means during performance of surgery on a patient.

Claim 4

A surgical retractor as in claim 2, wherein said retaining lip mEans on said retractor blade means comprises a generally kidney shaped flange having an arcuate channel means in one surface thereof adjacent the concave edge thereof, the one end of said retractor blade being received in said channel means, a semicircular boss on the concave edge of said flange, an opening through said boss for receiving a pivot pin carried by said retractor arm means, and a plurality of arcuately arranged openings in the other surface of said flange for engagement with said pin to latch said retractor blade means against oscillatory movement.

Claim 5

A surgical retractor as in claim 3, wherein said means mounting said retractor arm means to said frame means includes means for latching said retractor arm against movement relative to said frame means, said latch means including a clamping pin extended through one side of said mounting means into engagement with one surface of said retractor arm means, clamping nut means cooperatively engaged with the other end of said clamping pin for urging said clamping pin against one side of said retractor arm means, and clamping arm means connected to said mounting means and extending on the other side of said frame means for exerting a force against said frame means when said clamping nut means is turned against said clamping pin to securely clamp said frame means and said retractor arm means between said clamping arm means and said clamping pin.

Claim 6

A surgical retractor as in claim 1, wherein a flexible tip is on said blade means at said other end to prevent tissue necrosis and the like in tissue when engaged by the blade.

Claim 7

A surgical retractor as in claim 5, wherein said flexible tip on said blade means includes a plurality of snap means along one edge thereof received through a plurality of openings along the other end of said retractor blade, said flexible tip being tapered to a thin edge about the margin thereof.

Claim 8

A surgical retractor as in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a channel means extending along said frame means, and said latch means carried by said retractor arm means includes means engageable with said channel means to attach said retractor arm means to said frame means for movement therealong.

Claim 9

A surgical retractor as in claim 7, wherein said mounting means further includes cooperatively interengaged ratchet and pawl means on said retractor arm means and on said mounting means to enable the retractor arm means to be adjusted transversely relative to said frame means, said ratchet and pawl means including a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along one side of said retractor arm means and a pawl means pivotally carried by said mounting means and engageable with said ratchet teeth in a manner to enable said retractor arm means to be pulled in a first direction to exert traction on tissue at the edge of an incision and to latch said retractor arm means against return movement, said pawl means being operable with one hand to release said retractor arm means for movement in said return direction.

Claim 10

A surgical retractor as in claim 1, wherein said retractor blade means is collapsible and comprises a plurality of freely slidably interengaged blade portions including a first blade portion connected to said retractor arm means for oscillatory movement relative thereto, a second blade portion having its opposite edges turned inwardly in a reverse direction to define channel means at the opposite sides thereof, the opposite edges of said first blade portion being slidably received in said channel means, and a third blade portion having the opposite edges thereof turned inwardly in a reverse direction to define channel means at the opposite edges thereof, the opposite edges of said second blade portion being freely slidably received in said channel means of said third blade portion so that said first, second and third blade portions are telescopically engaged with one another, and cooperating stop means on said first and second blade portions for limiting relative movEment between said first and second blade portions in a first direction, and cooperating stop means on said second and third blade portions for limiting relative movement between said second and third blade portions in said first direction.

Claim 11

A surgical retractor as in claim 7, wherein said frame means has a top side and an underside, and said channel means is in the underside thereof adjacent an outer edge of said frame means, and said latch means includes a pivotally mounted lever having channel engaging flange means at one end thereof slidably engaged in said channel means and a finger engaging portion at the other end thereof for pivoting said latch means to remove said flange means from said channel means, and spring means normally urging said flange means into said channel means to latch said mounting means to said frame means.

Claim 12

A surgical retractor as in claim 1, wherein said frame means is generally ring-shaped.

Claim 13

A surgical retractor comprising a frame defining a central opening, retractor blade support arm means movably mounted on said frame for movement transversely of said frame, retractor blade means pivotally mounted on one end of said retractor blade support arm means at substantially a right angle thereto and disposed in said central opening for disposition in an incised wound, and readily manually operable latch means on said one end of said retractor blade support arm means and said retractor blade means to positively latch the retractor blade means in different selected pivoted positions, said latch means including cooperatively interengaged projection and recess means on said retractor blade support arm means and said retractor blade means.

Claim 14

A surgical retractor comprising a frame defining a central opening, retractor blade support arm means movably mounted on said frame for movement transversely of said frame, retractor blade means pivotally mounted on one end of said retractor blade support arm means at substantially a right angle thereto and disposed in said central opening for disposition in an incised wound, and readily manually operable latch means on said one end of said retractor blade support arm means and said retractor blade means to positively latch the retractor blade means in different selected pivoted positions, said latch means including cooperatively interengaged projection and recess means on said retractor blade support arm means and said retractor blade means.

Claim 15

A surgical retractor as in claim 12, wherein said latch means for latching said retractor blade means against pivotal movement includes an elongate pin means reciprocatably received through a bore in said retractor arm means and extending at one end beyond the end of a boss means on said retractor arm means, said retractor blade means including a plurality of relatively shallow openings or cavities arranged in an arc in alignment with said pin means so that said one end of said pin means extends into a selected one of said openings to latch said blade means against pivotal movement, the other end of said pin means being engageable with and operable by a lever means mounted on said retractor arm means.

Claim 16

A surgical retractor as in claim 12, wherein is included means mounting said retractor arm to said frame means, said mounting means including a channel means extending along said frame means, and latch means carried by said mounting means and including means engageable with said channel means to attach said retractor arm means to said frame means for movement therealong.

Claim 17

A surgical retractor as in claim 14, wherein said mounting means further includes ratchet and pawl means on said retractor arm means and said mounting means to adjust the transverse position of said retractor arm relative to said frame means, said ratchet and pawl means including a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along one side of said retractor arm means, and a pawl means pivotally carried by said mounting means and engageable with said ratchet teeth means in a manner to enable said retractor arm means to be pulled in a first direction to exert traction on tissue at the edge of an incision and to latch said retractor arm means against movement in a reverse direction, said pawl means being operable to release said retractor arm means for movement in said return direction.

Claim 18

A surgical retractor comprising a frame defining a central opening, a mounting means movably mounted on said frame for movement along said frame, a retractor blade support arm slidably received in said mounting means for movement transversely of said frame to different retracted positions and movable with said mounting means along said frame, and a cooperatively interengaged, manually releasable ratchet and pawl on said retraCtor blade support arm and said mounting means to hold said retractor blade support arm in desired different retracted positions and enabling said retractor blade support arm to be grasped with one hand and moved relative to said frame to a desired retracted position whereat the ratchet and pawl positively hold the retractor blade support arm against return movement until manually released.

Claim 19

A surgical retractor comprising a frame defining a central opening, a mounting means movably mounted on said frame for movement along said frame, a retractor blade support arm slidably received in said mounting means for movement transversely of said frame to different retracted positions and movable with said mounting means along said frame, and a cooperatively interengaged, manually releasable ratchet and pawl on said retraCtor blade support arm and said mounting means to hold said retractor blade support arm in desired different retracted positions and enabling said retractor blade support arm to be grasped with one hand and moved relative to said frame to a desired retracted position whereat the ratchet and pawl positively hold the retractor blade support arm against return movement until manually released.

Claim 20

A surgical retractor as in claim 12, wherein said retractor blade means is mounted to said retractor arm means for oscillatory movement relative thereto.

Claim 21

A surgical retractor as in claim 17, wherein means is cooperatively connected with said retractor arm means and with said means blade MeAns to latch said retractor blade means against oscillation.

Claim 22

A surgical retractor as in claim 18, wherein said frame means is generally ring-shaped.

Claim 23

A surgical retractor as in claim 16, wherein a channel means extends along said frame, and latch means is carried by said mounting means and includes means engageable with said channel means to attach said retractor arm to said frame for movement therealong.

Claim 24

A surgical retractor as in claim 20, wherein said ratchet and pawl means includes a plurality of ratchet teeth extending along one side of said retractor arm means and a pawl means pivotally carried by said mounting means and engageable with said ratchet teeth means in a manner to enable said retractor arm means to be pulled in a first direction to exert traction on tissue at the edge of an incision and to automatically latch said retractor arm means against return movement, said pawl means being operable by one hand to release said retractor arm means for movement in said return direction.

Claim 25

A surgical retractor as in claim 16, wherein a retractor blade means is on said retractor blade support arm, said retractor blade means being collapsible and comprising a plurality of freely slidably interengaged blade portions including a first blade portion connected to said retractor arm means for oscillatory movement relative thereto, a second blade portion having its opposite edges turned inwardly in a reverse direction to define channel means at the opposite sides thereof, the opposite edges of said first blade portion being slidably received in said channel means, and a third blade portion having the opposite edges thereof turned inwardly in a reverse direction to define channel means at the opposite edges thereof, the opposite edges of said second blade portion being freely slidably received in said channel means of said third blade portion so that said first, second and third blade portions are telescopically engaged with one another, and cooperating stop means on said first and second blade portions for limiting relative movement between said first and second blade portions in a first direction, and cooperating stop means on said second and third blade portions for limiting relative movement between said second and third blade portions in said first direction.

Claim 26

A surgical retractor as in claim 22, wherein said retractor blade means is pivotally mounted to said retractor blade support arm, means for latching said retractor blade means against pivotal movement comprising an elongate pin means reciprocatably received through a bore in said retractor arm means and extending at one end beyond the end of a boss means on said retractor arm means, said retractor blade means including a plurality of relatively shallow openings or cavities arranged in an arc in alignment With said pin means so that said one end of said pin means extends into a selected one of said openings to latch said blade means against pivotal movement, the other end of said pin means being engageable with and operable by a lever means mounted on said retractor arm means.