Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Daniel W Drew

Michael D Cronin

Chester O Baxter, Iii

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Christopher J Hess

Andrew T Beckman

Gregory W Johnson

James Walden Voegele

William Jason White

Robert Perrin Gill

Frank L Lyman

A laparoscopic seal assembly includes a seal cap having a seal with an access opening. The seal cap also includes a manifold connection for attachment of a functional apparatus. The seal assembly further includes a retractor. The functional apparatus may be a finger mounted tether or an insufflations passageway. The functional apparatus may be combined or provided separately.

Manifold for laparoscopic seal assembly

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 a fabric and to move the fabric to relocate the tissue to one or more convenient locations during the procedure. The flexible nature of the fabric can allow the fabric to be moveable between an open position, in which the fabric can support tissue, and a closed position, in which the fabric can be folded, rolled, or otherwise compressed in size and fit through a port, such as a trocar or an incision in a tissue wall. Furthermore, the position of the fabric and thus the tissue held in the fabric can be adjusted and readjusted by pushing or pulling one or more grasping elements coupled to the fabric.

Tissue retractors

Iris valve ring

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Loveland, OH, United States of America

Daniel W Drew