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US-12616459-B2 - Illuminated medical devices

US12616459B2US 12616459 B2US12616459 B2US 12616459B2US-12616459-B2

Abstract

A surgical retractor comprising a blade having first and second opposing surfaces, and a handle extending from a proximal end of the blade, wherein the first surface of the blade includes a non-slip texture having a preferential grip in a first direction corresponding to direction of extraction of the surgical retractor from an incision and having a minimal or no grip in a second direction opposite to the first direction and in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions.

Inventors

  • Jeffrey Ralph Swift
  • Jason Swift
  • Matthew Traub
  • Nicholas LAUDER

Assignees

  • COOPERSURGICAL, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20250722

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A surgical retractor comprising: a handle; a blade extending at an angle from the handle; a plurality of direct light sources positioned adjacent a surface of the blade and angled at a non-zero degree angle relative to the surface of the blade; and a cover secured to the blade, the cover defining a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of direct light sources, wherein the non-zero degree angle of the plurality of direct light sources relative to the surface of the blade causes light emitted from the plurality of direct light sources to travel toward a distal end portion of the blade when the plurality of direct light sources are activated.
  2. 2 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein the surgical retractor comprises at least one smoke evacuation channel located between the cover and the blade.
  3. 3 . The surgical retractor of claim 2 , wherein the at least one smoke evacuation channel is laterally spaced from each of the plurality of direct light sources.
  4. 4 . The surgical retractor of claim 3 , wherein the at least one smoke evacuation channel comprises a first smoke evacuation channel that is laterally spaced from the plurality of direct light sources in a first lateral direction and a second smoke evacuation channel that is laterally spaced from the plurality of direct light sources in a second lateral direction opposite the first lateral direction.
  5. 5 . The surgical retractor of claim 3 , wherein a distal surface of the cover defines a first smoke evacuation opening in fluid communication with the smoke evacuation channel.
  6. 6 . The surgical retractor of claim 2 , further comprising a vacuum port provided at an end portion of the handle, the vacuum port being in fluid communication with the at least one smoke evacuation channel.
  7. 7 . The surgical retractor of claim 6 , further comprising at least one switch for controlling at least one of the plurality of direct light sources.
  8. 8 . The surgical retractor of claim 7 , wherein the at least one switch is configured to control activation and deactivation of the at least one of the plurality of direct light sources.
  9. 9 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the handle extends into an angled section offset from a central plane of the handle.
  10. 10 . The surgical retractor of claim 9 , wherein the angled section comprises a vacuum port configured to be connected to a vacuum source.
  11. 11 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein a first direct light source of the plurality of direct light sources is provided on the distal end portion of the blade, and a second direct light source of the plurality of direct light sources is provided on a portion of the blade that is proximally spaced apart from the distal end portion of the blade.
  12. 12 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein the surgical retractor comprises an illumination assembly that comprises the plurality of direct light sources, a circuit board, and at least one power source, wherein the plurality of direct light sources are mounted on the circuit board and are electrically connected to the at least one power source.
  13. 13 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of direct light sources are part of an illumination assembly that is at least partially positioned between the blade and the cover.
  14. 14 . The surgical retractor of claim 13 , wherein the illumination assembly further comprises at least one power source and a switch for energizing at least one of the plurality of direct light sources.
  15. 15 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein the handle extends in a first direction from a proximal end of the blade, and the surface of the blade faces away from the first direction.
  16. 16 . A surgical retractor comprising: a blade; a handle extending at an angle from the blade; an illumination assembly comprising a plurality of light sources provided on the blade and angled at a non-zero degree angle relative to a surface of the blade; a cover secured to the blade, the cover defining a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings being aligned with a respective one of the plurality of light sources, wherein the alignment of each of the plurality of openings with the respective one of the plurality of light sources and the non-zero degree angle of the plurality of light sources relative to the surface of the blade permit light emitted from the plurality of light sources to travel toward a distal end portion of the blade; a smoke evacuation assembly configured to be coupled to a vacuum source; and a controller for controlling operation of the illumination assembly, wherein a distal end of the handle extends into a curved section offset from a central plane of the handle.
  17. 17 . The surgical retractor of claim 16 , wherein the controller includes an operating member for controlling activation of the plurality of light sources.
  18. 18 . The surgical retractor of claim 17 , wherein the curved section curves in a same direction as the blade, and the operating member is located along the curved section.
  19. 19 . The surgical retractor of claim 18 , wherein the controller is positioned such that when the handle is gripped by a user, the controller is reachable by a thumb of the user.
  20. 20 . The surgical retractor of claim 16 , wherein the smoke evacuation assembly includes one or more tubes for conveying smoke, fluids and debris away from an operating site, and the one or more tubes are at least partially located between the surface of the blade and the cover secured to the blade.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/360,509, filed on Jul. 27, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/014,385, filed on Sep. 8, 2020 (now U.S. Pat. No. 11,744,568), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/659,924, filed on Oct. 22, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,799,229), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/279,226, filed on Feb. 19, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,512,519), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62/632,571, filed on Feb. 20, 2018, and 62/716,732, filed on Aug. 9, 2018. The entire disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to medical devices and, more particularly, to illuminated medical devices having light sources to illuminate surgical fields. BACKGROUND Illuminating body cavities using a medical device is a well-documented problem in the medical field. In one aspect, existing medical devices fail to provide sufficient illumination. That is, most medical devices with integrated light sources often fail to direct or concentrate illumination to a desired surgical field. In other cases, existing medical devices illuminate an overly large area and create a glare that interferes with a physician's field of view. In another aspect, current lighting technology creates heat as a by-product. Even high efficiency LEDs only convert 30-40% of their energy into light and the rest is converted into heat energy. This heat energy has the potential to burn patients and to damage tissue, and thus, must be avoided. Accordingly, there is a need for a solution that addresses the various shortcomings of existing illuminated medical/surgical devices. A new trend in illuminated medical devices is a “single-use” configuration that eliminates a need for sterilization or a risk of cross contamination. Such medical devices are generally manufactured with light and inexpensive material, such as plastic, and are wholly disposable after a single use. Once disposed, medical devices are incinerated in accordance with “bio-hazardous waste” requirements. However, when a single use illuminated medical device with a battery power source is disposed with the battery still intact, incineration of heavy metals contained in the battery may release toxic gases into the atmosphere causing environmental issues. Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism to separate and/or recycle the batteries from illuminated medical devices prior to their disposal and incineration. Moreover, most illuminated medical devices often require a short assembly of parts prior to their use. This often creates a problem in an urgent environment where surgeons and/or other medical professionals cannot afford to waste precious time in assembling a new device prior to its use. Shipping illuminated medical devices pre-assembled is usually not a viable solution because such method may violate various regulations for manufacturing and shipping medical devices, particularly devices that use batteries or other power sources. Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism that allows for a quick and easy assembly of illuminated medical devices upon use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical device with an illumination assembly having a plurality of light sources in which each light source is particularly configured and positioned to maximize illumination and visibility to desired surgical fields. In certain embodiments, each light source is configured and positioned to provide illumination only to the desired surgical field(s) while not providing or limiting illumination outside of the desired surgical fields. It is another object of the present invention to provide a medical device with an illumination assembly using a flexible circuit board to particularly configure and position light sources for illuminating surgical fields. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a medical device that uses a specially designed flexible circuit board that improves thermal dissipation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a medical device with a simple assembly mechanism that can quickly change from an open circuit configuration to a closed circuitry prior to actual use of the medical device. It is still a further object of the present invention provide a medical device with a mechanism to easily separate batteries from the rest of the medical device prior to disposal. Finally, it is also an object of the present invention to provide a medical device that achieves any one of the above noted objects while having an ergonomic design that gives rise to a more secure grip and an easier control for operating the medical device. In accordance with the present invention, surgical retractor is provided that comprises a handle and a blade extending at