The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 17, 1996
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1994
Robert L Lathrop, Jr, San Jose, CA (US);
Rick E Emerson, San Jose, CA (US);
James E Wiley, Los Gatos, CA (US);
James M Sklenar, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Albert K Chin, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Frederick H Moll, San Francisco, CA (US);
David Forster, Woodside, CA (US);
Origin Medsystems, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and method for manipulating parts of the body in surgical procedures, particularly useful for peritoneal distension in laparoscopic surgery. The apparatus comprises a positionable support structure having an extendible horizontal arm rotatably mounted to an extendible vertical post, the post having a clamp at its lower end for mounting to a surgical table. An end segment at the distal end of the horizontal arm has a mount for mounting end-of-arm tooling, for example, peritoneal distension instruments. Locking mechanisms are disposed in the horizontal arm, vertical post and end segment to lock the support structure in a desired position. A motor is disposed within the vertical post for power-assisted extension and retraction of the vertical post. Preferably, the locking mechanisms and motor are controllable using switches mounted on the end segment. The method comprises providing a support structure as described mounted to a surgical table, positioning the distal end of the horizontal arm over a patient on the table, activating locking mechanisms in the horizontal arm and vertical post to lock the support structure in position, attaching peritoneal distension instruments to the distal end of the horizontal arm, and vertically extending the vertical post while the horizontal arm remains locked relative to the post, thereby distending the peritoneum of the patient.