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:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
Jun. 09, 1999
Masao Takahashi, Chigasaki, JP;
Elazer E. Edelman, Brookline, NJ (US);
Kenneth W. Carpenter, Del Mar, CA (US);
Medivas, LLC, La Jolla, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides stabilizing devices and methods of use for temporarily remotely immobilizing a local area of tissue, such as a local area of tissue on a beating heart, or other internal organ, to thereby permit minimally-invasive or robotic surgery thereon. The invention stabilizing device, which is coupled to a vacuum source, features an elastomeric suction body mounted on the steerable tip of a rod-like instrument, such as a steerable catheter. The flexible or steerable tip and elongate suction channel are sized for introduction into an interior body cavity via a small surgical opening. A steering mechanism mounted at the proximal end of the device is used to coil the elongate tip and suction channel into a ring- or horseshoe-shape within the body cavity. Preferably, the suction channel has a flexible, spreadable outer rim portion which is designed to flatten and spread outwardly against the surface of the treatment site as air is withdrawn from the coiled suction channel to distribute the pressure against the treatment site while maximizing the suction field. The suction body is manufactured of a soft, compliant material, such as an elastomeric polymer, to allow the suction channel to be transformed into the coiled conformation without deformation sufficient to defeat its purpose of use, i.e., clinging to the surface of a treatment site under partial vacuum.