Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7182730 | Anal retractor An anal retractor includes four retractor valves (48), which are offset 90° relative to each other and can be moved radially apart from each other. For this the four retractor valves (48) are guided by sleds (30) in radial guide slots (14 | 02/27/2007 |
| 6648902 | Fiberoptic lighting accessory A lighting accessory stem using fiberoptic illumination is provided. In certain embodiments, the lighting accessory system is combinable with a hand tool, for example a forceps, to illuminate the grasping tips of the tool. The lighting accessory system pr... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6478734 | Access platform for internal mammary dissection An access platform having a first and a second blade interconnected to a spreader member that laterally drives the blades apart or together and a sternal pad interconnected to a blade. The superior blade is pivotally coupled to the spreader member such th... | 11/12/2002 |
| 6287250 | Method and apparatus for cardiac lifting during beating heart surgery using pericardial clips A clip which can be temporarily clamped to a cut edge of a pericardium during heart surgery. Two or more of the clips, which may be each connected to a respective flexible member, are clipped to the pericardium and tension is applied to the connectors to ... | 09/11/2001 |
| 6074344 | Grasping retractor The grasping retractor has an arm member and a blade member with a jaw portion at one end and a recurved handle portion at the other end. A clamping bracket is pivotally attached to the blade member, and has a jaw portion located to move into engagement w... | 06/13/2000 |
| 5944657 | Retractor apparatus A surgical retracting device includes a body, at least one pivotable finger, and an actuating assembly that moves the finger between open and closed positions. The body defines a passageway and openings that allow suctioning and irrigating through the dev... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5899853 | Double grip surgical retractor stay A surgical retractor includes an elongated elastic member having first and second end portions. A retractor hook portion is connected to the first end portion of the elastic member. The second end of the elastic member has a receptacle for connecting a pa... | 05/04/1999 |
| 5683349 | Laparoscopic dissection tension retractor device and method A minimally invasive retractor and dissector for internal surgical use on a patent's body has a tubular support for passing into the patient's body. A proximal end on the tubular support located outside the patient's body is in position to provide assess ... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5683405 | Vascular occluder A vascular occluder clip including a resiliently-biased pair of clamping elements extending transversely to longitudinally-extending members. Gripping loops or pads are provided for grasping by the user and compression of the members against the biasing f... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5529571 | Surgical retractor/compressor The surgical instrument of the invention consists of a pair of arms hinged together at an intermediate point for relative pivoting movement. The arms are provided with obliquely oriented handles at one end thereof. The opposite ends of the arms support re... | 06/25/1996 |
| 5474057 | Laparoscopic dissection tension retractor device and method A minimally invasive retractor and dissector for internal surgical use on a patient's body has a tubular support for passing into the patient's body. A proximal end on the tubular support located outside the patient's body is in position to provide access... | 12/12/1995 |
| 5297538 | Surgical retractor/compressor The surgical instrument consists of a pair of arms of different lengths hinged together at an intermediate point for relative pivoting movement. The arms are provided with obliquely oriented handles at one end thereof. The opposite ends of the arms suppor... | 03/29/1994 |
| 5052374 | Hernia retractor A retractor for operating on hernias comprising a frame member and several gripping, hook and elongated gripping instruments that are removably mounted to the frame. Each instrument includes a mounting assembly that permits the rigid locking of the elonga... | 10/01/1991 |
| 4867139 | Hands-free surgical instrument for retracting muscles and tissues A surgical instrument is disclosed which can be clamped onto a bone, held in place without the need of a surgical assistant, and which retracts the muscles and tissues away from the bone also without the need of a surgical assistant. In the preferred embo... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4605990 | Surgical clip-on light pipe illumination assembly A disposable surgical clip-on light pipe illumination assembly constituted by a manually-operated clamp adapted to clip onto an abdominal or other tissue wall surrouding a surgical site. The clamp is provided with a holder to retain a short, flexible ligh... | 08/12/1986 |
| 4432352 | Cervical traction kit Disclosed is a cervical traction kit including a speculum and a tenaculum, both modified, cooperating to place the cervix firmly positioned in traction centrally between the speculum blades to facilitate accurate biopsy, examination and treatment. The upp... | 02/21/1984 |
| 4034746 | Retractor A surgical retractor of the type having a pair of movable handles pivoted on a common pivot pin or hinge member each handle having an elongated arm extending upwardly therefrom for reciprocal expansion or contraction when the handles are reciprocally move... | 07/12/1977 |
| 3951138 | Device for gripping soft tissues during surgical intervention A device for gripping soft tissues during surgical intervention, which comprises two plates adjoining each other by way of the lateral surfaces thereof and adapted to move one along the other. The face of the longitudinal edge of one plate is provided wit... | 04/20/1976 |
