Disposable pouch container for isolation and retrieval of tissues removed at laparoscopy

Claim 1

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state; an elongate member having a forward free end to which the membrane is attached; said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; and means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, there being a rigid extension on said elongate member separate from said membrane and extending to forwardly of said forward free end of the elongate member to provide a support to facilitate closing of the membrane entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented.

Claim 2

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state; an elongate member having a forward free end to which the membrane is attached; said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; and means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, there being a rigid extension on said elongate member separate from said membrane and extending to forwardly of said forward free end of the elongate member to provide a support to facilitate closing of the membrane entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented.

Claim 13

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state, said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented; and an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway is in communication with the internal membrane space with the membrane in its expanded state, wherein the elongate conduit has a cylindrical wall with a cylindrical surface defining the internal passageway, said cylindrical wall having a forward free end, said internal membrane space being defined forwardly of the forward free end of the cylindrical wall, there being an extension forwardly from the forward free end of the cylindrical wall to define a support to facilitate closing of the membrane entryway, wherein the means for closing the membrane entryway includes a string, there being a bore in the extension through which the string extends to facilitate drawing of the string and closing of the membrane entryway from a location remote from the membrane entryway.

Claim 14

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state, said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented; and an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway is in communication with the internal membrane space with the membrane in its expanded state, wherein the elongate conduit has a cylindrical wall with a cylindrical surface defining the internal passageway, said cylindrical wall having a forward free end, said internal membrane space being defined forwardly of the forward free end of the cylindrical wall, there being an extension forwardly from the forward free end of the cylindrical wall to define a support to facilitate closing of the membrane entryway, wherein the means for closing the membrane entryway includes a string, there being a bore in the extension through which the string extends to facilitate drawing of the string and closing of the membrane entryway from a location remote from the membrane entryway.

Claim 16

An apparatus for facilitating the same removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state, said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented; and an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway is in communication with the internal membrane space with the membrane in its expanded state, wherein the means for closing the membrane includes at least one jaw that is attached to at least one of the elongate conduit and membrane so as to be pivotable relative to the elongate conduit between open and closed positions, there being cooperating means on the membrane and one jaw for moving the membrane into its expanded state as an incident of the jaw moving from its closed position into its open position.

Claim 17

An apparatus for facilitating the same removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane is compacted from its expanded state, said membrane having an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; means for closing said membrane entryway from a location remote from said entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented; and an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway is in communication with the internal membrane space with the membrane in its expanded state, wherein the means for closing the membrane includes at least one jaw that is attached to at least one of the elongate conduit and membrane so as to be pivotable relative to the elongate conduit between open and closed positions, there being cooperating means on the membrane and one jaw for moving the membrane into its expanded state as an incident of the jaw moving from its closed position into its open position.

Claim 22

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane occupies less space than it does in its expanded state, said membrane having a free end with an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and having a forward free end; means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway defined by the elongate conduit is in communication with the internal membrane space; means for closing the membrane entryway; and means adjacent the free end of the membrane on at least one of the membrane and elongate conduit for supporting the free membrane end to facilitate closing of the membrane free end without the membrane free end moving significantly, particularly in a lengthwise direction relative to the elongate conduit, as an incident of the closing means closing the membrane entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented.

Claim 23

An apparatus for facilitating the safe removal of a mass from within a body cavity, said apparatus comprising: a membrane that can be selectively placed in a) an expanded state wherein the membrane defines an internal space for reception of a mass to be removed from a cavity and b) a collapsed state wherein the membrane occupies less space than it does in its expanded state, said membrane having a free end with an entryway that is in communication with the internal space defined by the membrane with the membrane in its expanded state; an elongate conduit defining an internal passageway and having a forward free end; means for connecting the membrane to the elongate conduit so that the internal passageway defined by the elongate conduit is in communication with the internal membrane space; means for closing the membrane entryway; and means adjacent the free end of the membrane on at least one of the membrane and elongate conduit for supporting the free membrane end to facilitate closing of the membrane free end without the membrane free end moving significantly, particularly in a lengthwise direction relative to the elongate conduit, as an incident of the closing means closing the membrane entryway, whereby a mass in a cavity can be directed through the membrane entryway into the internal space defined by the membrane, after which the entryway can be closed, whereupon escape of a mass in the internal membrane space through the membrane entryway is prevented.

Claim 25

A method of removing a mass from within a body cavity, said method comprising the steps of: placing a collapsible membrane defining an internal space and having an entryway in communication with the internal space inside of a body cavity containing a mass to be removed from the cavity; directing the membrane relative to a mass to be removed from the cavity so that the mass moves through the membrane entryway; and closing the membrane entryway while supporting the free end of the membrane in a substantially fixed position to maintain the mass within the internal membrane space to prevent exposure of the severed mass within the cavity.

Claim 26

A method of removing a mass from within a body cavity, said method comprising the steps of: placing a collapsible membrane defining an internal space and having an entryway in communication with the internal space inside of a body cavity containing a mass to be removed from the cavity; directing the membrane relative to a mass to be removed from the cavity so that the mass moves through the membrane entryway; and closing the membrane entryway while supporting the free end of the membrane in a substantially fixed position to maintain the mass within the internal membrane space to prevent exposure of the severed mass within the cavity.