"Transmission of documents via telephone wires is possible in principle, but the apparatus required is so expensive that it will never become a practical proposition."
Dennis Gabor, British physicist
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8177713 | Motor-driven laparoscopic seal assembly A motor driven seal assembly for permitting hand assisted laparoscopic procedures. The seal assembly includes a seal cap having a seal positioned within a housing, the housing includes a lower seal ring having a track which supports an upper seal ring for rotational... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8133174 | Self constricting orifice seal An apparatus is disclosed for the reception of a surgical instrument inserted through a cannula assembly. An orifice in a seal member defines a central longitudinal axis in general alignment with the cannula assembly. The seal member includes an elastic member for e... | 03/13/2012 |
| 8128559 | Tissue retractors Methods and devices are provided for performing surgical procedures using tissue retractors. In general, the methods and devices allow a surgeon to use a retractor to capture a large or small amount of tissue in the retractor and to move the retractor to relocate ti... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8109873 | Surgical retractor with gel pad A surgical access device has a surgical retractor having a noncompliant outer ring with an annular axis, an inner ring, and a sleeve coupling the outer ring to the inner ring. The noncompliant outer ring is adapted to roll over itself around the annular axis to roll... | 02/07/2012 |
| 8092378 | Remote tissue retraction device A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a... | 01/10/2012 |
| 7972265 | Device and method for remote vessel ligation A retractor and a surgical tool are positioned at the distal end of the cannula. A dissection cradle is located at the distal end of a distal portion of the retractor that is resiliently skewed relative to the cannula axis, and includes two substantially parallel, s... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7955257 | Non-rigid surgical retractor The present invention provides a non-rigid retractor for providing access to a surgical site, such as a patient's spine, during a surgical process. When used in spinal surgery, the non-rigid retractor allows a surgeon to operate on one or more spinal levels. The non... | 06/07/2011 |
| 7951076 | Surgical access system A surgical access device adapted for disposition relative to an incision in a patient comprising a valve including a plurality of overlapping sheets defining an access channel, and a ring having an inner diameter for holding the valve by fixing each of the overlappi... | 05/31/2011 |
| 7846093 | Minimally invasive retractor and methods of use A device, system and method for orthopedic spine surgery using a novel screw-based retractor, disclosed herein, that allows for access to the spine through a minimally or less invasive approach. The retractor device is designed to be coupled to a pedicle screw and t... | 12/07/2010 |
| 7758500 | Soft tissue retractor and method for providing surgical access The present invention provides a retractor for providing surgical access through a passage in tissue, together with methods for its use and deployment. The retractor comprises an anchoring frame having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening therethrough w... | 07/20/2010 |
| 7338441 | Superelastic/shape memory tissue stabilizers and surgical instruments A surgical instrument is used for temporary use in a medical procedure in a mammalian body. The surgical instrument is configured to be changed between two shapes upon application of one or both of heating and cooling. The instrument includes a first member, a secon... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7326177 | Tissue stabilizer having an articulating lift element Devices and methods are disclosed for stabilizing tissue within a patient's body during a surgical operation to provide a relatively motionless surgical field, such as during a coronary artery bypass graft procedure. The devices include tissue stabilizers which enga... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7326178 | Vessel retraction device and method A retractor and a surgical tool are positioned within a cannula, and a dissection cradle of the retractor is positioned at the distal end of the cannula. The retractor includes a first portion with an axis approximately parallel to the axis of the cannula and a seco... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7311661 | Organ retractor and method of using the same The present disclosure relates to an endoscopic retractor apparatus for retracting and/or positioning organs during minimally invasive surgery. The apparatus includes an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends and a lumen extending therebetween, and a retract... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7303568 | Suture and clamp retainer and organizer A suture clamp and/or suture retainer and organizer device for use during a surgical procedure, including an elongated body formed of resilient material and has a plurality of spaced lateral slits through one surface. The slits are individually identified and are si... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7300400 | Pediatric liver retractor A pediatric liver retractor with a supporting shaft configured traversing a pediatric abdominal wall. A hook portion terminating in an insertion tip is configured generally in a U-shape, with a hook aperture and a hook depth, which along with the insertion tip, are ... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7294103 | Retractor with inflatable blades A surgical retractor is configured to provide surgical access in thoracic surgery, for example through an intercostal incision. The surgical retractor includes at least one inflated or inflatable member to cushion the ribs and surrounding tissue from injury or traum... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7276024 | Surgical retractor A retractor for use in surgery, such as chest surgery, comprises two arms (4,6) each adapted to carry a blade (14,16) engageable with one side of an incision, the two arms (4,6) being connected by a pivot (8) at one end portion such that ... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7244260 | Apparatus for holding and arranging threads in surgical operations An apparatus for holding and arranging threads in surgical operations with a flexible structure being in a ring form, connecting straight linear forms or divided linear forms, with flexible metal inserted within foaming material. V shape ditches are cut on the upper... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7226413 | Nerve root retractor and sucker An ergonomically and functionally improved combination nerve root retractor and sucker device, system, and methods of using such a nerve root retractor and sucker are provided. The nerve root retractor and sucker of the current invention having an adjustable geometr... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7214186 | Method and device for retractor for microsurgical intermuscular lumbar arthrodesis An instrument useful in performing lumbar arthrodesis with a minimal approach which spares the lumbar muscles from surgical disruption and includes one of two retractor designs having blades angled approximately 90° with respect to each respective retractor handle.... | 05/08/2007 |
| 7195590 | Surgical device A wound retractor comprises a retracting member for insertion into a wound opening and a proximal member for location member for location externally of a wound opening. The proximal member is movable relative to the retracing member to shorten the axial extent of th... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7195593 | Ligament retractor assembly A ligament retractor assembly including a first retractor paddle, a second retractor paddle, a first elastic member having one end received in an opening of the first retractor paddle and an opposite end received by an opening of the second retractor paddle, and a s... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7186215 | Lifting tool for surgical retractors A lifting tool for use with a standard rib or chest retractor device where the tool acts to obliquely lift and spread open an incision, the chest wall and ribs, the tool having a pair of extended hook members disposed generally parallel and co-planarly on a mounting... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7172554 | Retractor instrumentation for total hip arthroplasty, and methods of using same The present invention is directed to retractor instrumentation for total hip arthroplasty, and methods of using same. In one illustrative embodiment, the device comprises a body, a first pin coupled to the body, and a second pin coupled to said body, wherein at leas... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7166072 | Sexual therapy device The current invention consists of a device for sexual therapy that consists of a handle connected to a long tear shaped flat surface which curves downward at the largest end of the tear. On the flat inward side of the downward part of the tear there is a raised plat... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7153321 | Surgical forceps A surgical forceps has blades of arcuate shape and handles which are urged apart by springs on a guide blade which mounts the blades by a pivot joint. The guide blade projects below the blades. Gripping means formed by bifurcated arms on the guide blade will, when m... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7150714 | Minimally invasive surgical spinal exposure system A minimally invasive retractor system is shown which has a support frame having two opposing pairs of horizontally oriented sides. The sides of the frame can be adjusted to vary an interior space of the frame. Four retractor blades are mounted on the frame for engag... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7147650 | Surgical instrument An endoscopic or laparoscopic instrument includes a distal tool, a rigid or flexible elongated shaft that supports the distal tool, and a proximal handle or control member, where the tool and the handle are coupled to the respective distal and proximal ends of the e... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7141015 | Expandable and pivotally adjustable surgical retractor A surgical retractor is disclosed comprising first and second arms, each arm having a utility end and a handle end; first and second blades connected to the utility end of the first and second arms, each blade being pivotally adjustable about the longitudinal axis o... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7114499 | Retracting eye drape A retracting eye drape assembly is disclosed for use around a patient's eye to seclude and seal off the operative field during eye surgery. The drape assembly includes a retraction member connected to the drape and configured to engage the patient's eyelid, an exten... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7112172 | Endoscopic organ retraction system and method of using the same The present disclosure relates to a retraction system for retracting body organs and/or body tissue in a body cavity. The retraction system includes an elongate shaft configured and dimensioned to be inserted into the body cavity, a retractor device operatively asso... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7090680 | Method for removing orthopaedic hardware A method for gaining access to and removing mechanical fasteners such as pedicle screws. A small arthroscopic incision is made over the location of the fastener. A guide wire is then placed into the incision and attached to the fastener. A series of progressively en... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7074180 | Visualization during closed-chest surgery An improvement in a method for closed-chest, video-assisted diagnostic or surgical treatment of a patient is provided. The improvement comprises draping a video monitor with a transparent sterile surgical drape and positioning the draped monitor within the surgical ... | 07/11/2006 |
| 7056321 | Method of securing vertebrae A method of fixing first and second vertebrae of a patient together at a surgical site includes inserting a first cannula into the body of the patient. A fusion device is moved through the cannula and inserted between the first and second vertebrae. A first fastener... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7022069 | Circumferential retractor apparatus with locking slots A circumferential retractor apparatus including a first retractor paddle, a second retractor paddle and an elastic member. Each of the first and second retractor paddles includes a body portion with an arm extending outwardly therefrom. The arm supports a grasping s... | 04/04/2006 |
| 7018332 | Circumferential retractor apparatus A circumferential retractor apparatus including a first retractor paddle having a grasping surface and a body portion supporting the grasping surface, a second retractor paddle having a grasping surface and a body portion supporting the grasping surface and an elast... | 03/28/2006 |
| 7008377 | Surgical access port A device for retracting edges of an incision in a surface to form an opening including: a flexible, tubular skirt having an upper end, a lower end, and a channel therebetween; a ring connected to the lower end of the skirt for maintaining the lower end in an open co... | 03/07/2006 |
| 7001333 | Surgical retractor system The present invention provides an improved surgical retractor system useful for holding tissue away from a surgical site during a medical or dental procedure. In one embodiment, the surgical retractor system is comprised of a tubular member, such as a cannula, and a... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6997872 | Variable force surgical retractor assembly A surgical retractor assembly for providing a generally constant retracting force at a fixation site on a patient despite possible movements of the fixation site during application of the retracting force. The retractor assembly comprises a support structure engagin... | 02/14/2006 |