Covidien LP

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Nse Products, Inc.

Rebecca Ann Wilkins

Cormac O'Prey

Thomas John Hector Copeland

Daniel Leonard Fuller

Trevor John Beckett

Christopher John Silk

Valerie Anne Scott

Daniel Brady

Wai Ting Chan

Stephen Phillip Brown

Gregory A Trees

Gavin Martin Monson

Iain Ansell

Charlotte Adele Clark

Carl Gordon Hewett

David Ian Ruddenklau

Gordon J Leather

David John Stocks

Robin Michael Lee

Wai T Chan

Kevin Gregory Fuller

Oliver Brian Godbold

Henry Charles Innes

Stephen Brown

A surgical access assembly for positioning within an opening in tissue including an outer frame positionable outside a patient and defining an opening therein dimensioned to receive a surgical instrument therethrough. The outer frame includes first and second portions. The first portion is biased into locking engagement with the second portion such that a first engagement structure is in locking engagement with a second engagement structure. An inner member is positionable within a patient and a flexible member extends between the inner member and outer member and is operatively associated with the outer member. The first portion is movable to overcome the bias to move the first and second engagement structures to a disengaged position, wherein in the disengaged position at least one of the first and second portions is movable with respect to the other portion to adjust the tension on the flexible member to retract tissue.

Thoracic access port

An apparatus includes a selectively actuated fluid system having a plurality of selected fluid reservoirs, for example replaceable cartridge-type fluid reservoirs. A first subset of the reservoirs can be selectively actuated to dispense an individual fluid from the selected reservoir. A second subset of the reservoirs can be simultaneously actuated to dispense two or more fluids in mixed form.

Selectively actuated fluid dispenser

A surgical access assembly for accessing a cavity of a patient includes a proximal frame member, a distal frame member, and a membrane between the proximal and distal frame members. The proximal frame member is positionable adjacent an external surface of tissue and has first and second frame portions movable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition to expand an opening defined therethrough. The membrane defines a loop disposed about at least a portion of the proximal frame member at a proximal end thereof and is engaged to the distal frame member at a distal end thereof. The membrane is transitionable between a crumpled condition and an extended condition upon transitioning of the proximal frame member between the contracted condition and the expanded condition.

Thoracic access assembly

A surgical access assembly for positioning within an opening in tissue including an outer frame positionable outside a patient and defining an opening therein dimensioned to receive a surgical instrument therethrough. The outer frame includes a first portion, a second portion and a locking portion. An inner member is positionable within a patient and a flexible member extends between the inner member and outer frame and is spreadable by actuation of the outer frame.

Expandable surgical access port

A medical instrument is disclosed. The medical instrument includes a housing, a control lever rotatably coupled to the housing, at least one electrical contact, a radio frequency (RF) generation circuit coupled to and operated by the battery and operable to generate an RF drive signal and to provide the RF drive signal to the at least one electrical contact and an initialization clip coupled to housing and the control lever to prevent operation of the RF generation circuit and movement of the control lever.

Battery initialization clip

A surgical access port for accessing a cavity of a patient having an outer frame including first and second frame portions, wherein at least one of the frame portions is movable with respect to the other frame portion. The outer frame has a first length greater than the first width, wherein movement of at least one of the frame portions away from the other frame portion increases the outer frame to a third length greater than the first length. An inner member has a second length and a second width, the second length being substantially transverse to the first length of the outer frame and the second width being substantially transverse to the first width of the outer frame. A flexible member extends between the outer frame and inner member and is movable by movement of at least one of the frame portions.

A surgical access assembly for positioning within an opening in tissue including an outer member positionable outside a patient and defining an opening therein to receive a surgical instrument. The outer member has a first portion and a second portion wherein at least one of the first and second portions is movable with respect to the other portion. The assembly also includes an inner member positionable within a patient and a flexible member extending between the inner member and outer member, wherein movement of one of the first and second portions of the outer member adjusts tension on the flexible member to retract tissue. A locking mechanism locks the outer member in a plurality of select expanded positions. The locking mechanism includes first engagement structure on the first portion engageable with the second portion and a slidable member movable to a locking position to retain the first and second portions in the select expanded position.

Expandable thoracic access port

A method of accessing an internal portion of a patient including the steps of providing an access assembly including an outer frame, an inner member and a flexible member, inserting the inner member through an opening in tissue into a body of a patient with the flexible member extending proximally through the opening in tissue, moving at least a first portion or second portion of the outer member to a select unlocked spread position to enlarge the opening in tissue and the passageway through the flexible member, and subsequently moving the locking member to move the first and second engagement structures into a locking position to lock the first portion in the select spread position.

Growing community of inventors

Royston, United Kingdom

Rebecca Ann Wilkins