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A forehead support apparatus for resting a standing users forehead against a wall above a bathroom commode or urinal or beneath a showerhead.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8142356 | Method of manipulating tissue Devices and methods for moving tissue and/or moving the devices relative to the tissue during a surgical procedure are disclosed. The devices and methods disclosed herein can be used in conventional, open surgical procedures, or in minimally invasive surgical proced... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8118739 | Endonasal speculum A short (60-70 mm) endonasal speculum for performing operations within and around the sellar region of the human head includes two side members each of which is composed of a handle and an elongated blade. The handles are attached to each other by a hinge and one of... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8052599 | Endorectal trocar An endorectal trocar provided with body for endorectal introduction that defines open internal channel and leak-tight barrier that extends across internal channel and exhibits passageways for rectoscopy instruments, the body and the leak-tight barrier are two distin... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8038612 | Virtual ports devices and method A device auxiliary to surgery, for anchoring and lifting cavity walls or internal organs of a patient. The device provides a virtual port, that is an instrument that can be non-invasively, or minimally invasively and removably attached to the undersurface of a patie... | 10/18/2011 |
| 7785255 | Ligament protection instruments A ligament protector for use in protecting a ligament during an orthopedic procedure is disclosed. The ligament protector includes at least two wings and bone mounting elements. A handle may be removably coupled to the ligament protector. ... | 08/31/2010 |
| 7384393 | Vaginal speculum A vaginal speculum having a universal connection between the handle and each of a plurality of blades, for selectively detaching and attaching one or more of the blades at any one of a plurality of angles between the handle axis and the blade axis. Preferably, the v... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7366561 | Robotic trajectory guide A surgical alignment device is shown that is controlled remotely through the use of an actuator, where the actuator in turn controls at least one local adjustment device. The alignment device is suited for neurosurgery, although it is not exclusively limited to neur... | 04/29/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7338434 | Method and system for organ positioning and stabilization This invention provides a heart positioning device, method and system for positioning, manipulating, holding, grasping, immobilizing and/or stabilizing a heart. The heart positioning device may include a suction head and a shaft with a means for remotely changing th... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7311662 | Illuminated retractor for use in connection with harvesting a blood vessel from the arm An illuminated surgical retractor for defining and illuminating a subcutaneous surgical field in the space near a vessel (such as the radial artery or the basilic vein) during a procedure for harvesting the vessel, wherein the illuminated surgical retractor includes... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7264589 | Method for humerus retraction A method for performing surgery on a shoulder joint utilizes one positionable support arm attached to a retractor support apparatus. The method includes incising a patient to expose the shoulder joint. After exposing the shoulder joint, the humeral ball is dislocate... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7250028 | Endoscopic beating-heart stabilizer and vessel occlusion fastener Devices, systems and methods related to endoscopic surgery, particularly related to robotic surgical operations, provide a tissue stabilizer for endoscopically stabilizing a target tissue within a patient's body. For stabilizing a beating heart during a closed-chest... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7235049 | Surgical retractor and method of positioning an artery during surgery The present invention relates to a surgical retractor that immobilizes tissue at a surgical site. A preferred embodiment of the retractor is used during minimally invasive direct coronary bypass procedures to arrest movement of the grafting site while the heart cont... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7235048 | Device for retracting tissue A device (1) for retracting tissue with a retaining element (2) with a throughgoing cutout (7) and with a blade (18) mounted on a retractor arm (16), retractor arm (16) being seated movably in cutout (7), wherein cuto... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7217287 | Method of treating diseased valve A device and method for improving flow through a native blood vessel valve, such as the aortic valve, are provided. The present invention allows a miniature valve to be implanted into affected leaflets percutaneously, obviating the need for coronary bypass surgery. ... | 05/15/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7204840 | Deep organ access device and method Devices and methods provide accurate targeting, placement, and/or stabilization of an electrode or other instrument(s) into the brain or other body organ, such as to treat severe tremor or other neurological disorders. Targeting is performed using any form of image-... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7201716 | Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods... | 04/10/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7189234 | Interspinous process implant sizer and distractor with a split head and size indicator and method The present invention enables a physician to distract a previously created opening, determine the size of the opening, and alternatively, subsequently assist in inserting an implant between adjacent spinous processes. The distracting device has two prongs which sepa... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7189201 | Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue A method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue. In particular, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue within a patient's body cavity. In one embodiment, the tissue immobil... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7165548 | Methods and devices for use in performing pulmonary procedures Systems, methods and devices for performing pulmonary procedures, and in particular treating lung disease. A flow control element includes a valve that prevents airflow in the inhalation direction but permits airflow in the exhalation direction. The flow control ele... | 01/23/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7090751 | Apparatus and methods for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces A processing chamber comprising a reaction vessel having an electro-reaction cell including a virtual electrode unit, an electrode assembly disposed relative to the electro-reaction cell to be in fluid communication with the virtual electrode unit, and an electrode ... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7077805 | Ligament retractor assembly for use in performing knee surgery A ligament retractor assembly including a first retractor paddle, a second retractor paddle and an 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. Each of t... | 07/18/2006 |
| 7070561 | Adjustable weighted vaginal speculum An adjustable weighted speculum for use during vaginal surgery to separate the vaginal walls. The speculum includes a telescopic blade including a primary blade having first and second ends and a recess extending therethrough, and a secondary blade having a first an... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7048683 | Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue A method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue. In particular, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of heart tissue to thereby permit surgery on a coronary vessel in that area wit... | 05/23/2006 |
| 7037305 | Heart presentation device and method A medical instrument for positioning an internal organ during surgical and diagnostic procedures is provided. In one embodiment, the medical instrument includes a body having a tissue grasping element and an actuating member effective to move the tissue grasping ele... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7033392 | Posterior oblique lumbar arthrodesis Instruments and methods for spinal stabilization are disclosed. In preferred embodiments, the invention provides greater stabilization of vertebral bodies through methods including combinations of external fixation systems and intervertebral implants to provide grea... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7014608 | Guided retractor and methods of use The present invention provides methods and apparatus in which a surgical retractor comprises a plurality of mechanically coupled tissue retaining walls that are guided into position along one or more guides previously implanted into the patient. The walls are prefer... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7011094 | Bronchial flow control devices and methods of use A flow control device includes a sealing component that can be positioned within a bronchial lumen. The sealing component can comprise two or more overlapping segments that are movable relative to one another such that the segments collectively form a seal that can ... | 03/14/2006 |
| 7001332 | Surgical deflector tool A suture deflector for retracting a body tissue by deflecting a surgical suture that is simultaneously attached to a body tissue and a surgical retractor. The suture deflector imparts a deflecting force on the surgical suture to retract a body tissue between a first... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6994669 | Apparatus and method for cardiac surgery The invention provides a stabilizer having a foot to stabilize a patient's heart. The stabilizer has a first foot which is larger than a second foot. The first foot has lateral surfaces which are used to retract other parts of the heart while contact surfaces stabil... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6951538 | Retractor and method for spinal pedicle screw placement To avoid traditional muscle dissection required in the placement of a screw for a pedicle screw fixation, a retractor is provided having a guide of an appropriate length to provide access from the skin surface to the dorsal aspect of the vertebra over the pedicle. T... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6936001 | Heart stabilizer A heart stabilizer that may include a wrist which couples an end effector to a first linkage. The end effector and wrist may be inserted through an incision in the chest of a patient to assist in performing a minimally invasive coronary procedure. The wrist provides... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6929606 | Retractor and method for spinal pedicle screw placement To avoid traditional muscle dissection required in the placement of a screw for a pedicle screw fixation, a retractor is provided having a guide of an appropriate length to provide access from the skin surface to the dorsal aspect of the vertebra over the pedicle. T... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6902569 | Trajectory guide with instrument immobilizer A method and apparatus accurately maintains alignment of a surgical instrument. The apparatus includes a base with an attached movable member. The movable member includes a passage forming a portion of a trajectory path. A relaxable or rigid material has a similar p... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6860877 | Heart stabilizer support arm A support arm for a heart stabilizer that can be used to stabilize a heart during a beating heart coronary artery bypass graft procedure. The support arm may have an arm that is coupled to a table mount and an end effector. The table mount is adapted to be mounted t... | 03/01/2005 |
| 6830546 | 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... | 12/14/2004 |
| 6817978 | Illuminated retractor for use in connection with harvesting a blood vessel from the arm An illuminated surgical retractor for defining and illuminating a subcutaneous surgical field in the space near a vessel (such as the radial artery or the basilic vein) during a procedure for harvesting the vessel, wherein the illuminated surgical retractor includes... | 11/16/2004 |
