| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090023986 | Vessel Harvesting - Apparatus and method for harvesting selected vessels in the body of a patient include manual manipulation of a rigid dissecting endoscope and the reconfiguration thereof to facilitate tissue dissection and tissue dilation in the formation of an anatomical space about the vessel within which side-branch vessels may be manipulated in preparation for severance and removal of the vessel from the anatomical space. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090131747 | Instrument And Method For Remotely Manipulating A Tissue Structure - 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 dissection cradle that is resiliently supported along an axis skewed relative to the axis of the cannula. The dissection cradle, in operation, is extended to cradle the target vessel, and the retractor may be fully extended to urge the vessel away from the axis of the cannula to isolate a side branch for exposure to a surgical tool. The retractor includes a hollow support and a spray nozzle disposed in the distal end of the retractor to form an irrigation system and lens washer that can be selectively positioned to direct the spray of irrigation fluid at a remote surgical site or at an endoscopic lens. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090299131 | Organ Manipulator Apparatus - Organ manipulation devices for atraumatically grasping the surface of an organ and repositioning the organ to allow access to a location on the organ that would otherwise be substantially inaccessible. Methods of accessing a beating heart, retracting the heart using an organ manipulation apparatus, and stabilizing a surgical target area with a stabilizer. Both the organ manipulator and stabilizer are fixed to a stationary object which may be a sternal retractor. A system for performing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting includes a sternal retractor, organ manipulator and stabilizer. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100042099 | ELECTROCAUTERY SURGICAL SCISSORS - A tissue-cutting apparatus includes first and second electrically conductive tissue-cutting blades coupled together about a common pivot for relative movement thereabout between open and closed positions, the first and second tissue-cutting blades, each having an elongated cutting edge with the cutting edges disposed to pass each other in contiguous relationship along the elongated cutting edges as the first and second relatively move from open toward closed positions, an electrode insulated from and attached spaced away from each of the first and second blades on a side thereof remote from the contiguous cutting edges, an electrode extension mounted on and connected to at least one of the electrodes on a side thereof remote from the cutting blade to extend in a direction toward the cutting edge of the associated blade, and conductors connected to the electrodes for supplying electrical signals thereto. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100121349 | TERMINATION DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS - Devices and methods for locking and/or cutting tethers during a tissue modification procedure are described. In some variations, a tether may be used to tighten tissue by bringing two pieces or sections of the tissue together. The tether, which may be under tension, may be locked to maintain the tension, and excess tether may be severed, using one or more of the devices and/or methods. The devices and/or methods may be used, for example, in minimally invasive procedures. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100234843 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATED VESSEL LIGATOR AND TRANSECTOR - Surgical treatment of tissue includes electrocauterization of blood vessels interposed between spaced sets of electrodes of opposite polarity, and includes transection of such tissue by a cutter that is mounted between the spaced sets of electrodes for translational and lateral movement relative to the sets of electrodes. Orientations of the sets of electrodes within a range of angles about an elongated axis of a supporting body are controlled by manual movement of an actuator mounted near a proximal end of the body for movement through a smaller range of angles via linkage connecting the actuator to the electrodes. Tissue dissection with gas insufflation to form an anatomical space in tissue is facilitated by a fluid outlet port located near the tissue-dissecting tip at the distal end of the elongated body that delivers through the tissue-dissecting tip to the dissected tissue a fluid under pressure that is supplied along a lumen within the elongated body. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20120010463 | INSTRUMENT AND METHOD FOR REMOTELY MANIPULATING A TISSUE STRUCTURE - A retractor and a surgical tool are posittioned within a cannula, and a dissection cradle of the retractor is positioned at the distal end of the cannula. The retractor includes a dissection cradle that is resiliently supported along an axis skewed relative to the axis of the cannula. The dissection cradle, in operation, is extended to cradle the target vessel, and the retractor may be fully extended to urge the vessel away from the axis of the cannula to isolate a side branch for exposure to a surgical tool. The retractor includes a hollow support and a spray nozzle disposed in the distal end of the retractor to form an irrigation system and lens washer that can be selectively positioned to direct the spray of irrigation fluid at a remote surgical site or at an endoscopic lens. | 01-12-2012 |