Flexible lifting apparatus

US5681341A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Origin Medsystems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• John P. Lunsford · Redwood City, US
• Edwin J. Hlavka · Minneapolis, US
• Edmund J. Roschak · Mission Viejo, US
• Daniel T. Wallace · Redwood City, US
• Charles Gresl · San Francisco, US
• David B. McCallum · San Francisco, US
• Dana G. Mead · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 1995
• Grant date: Oct 28, 1997
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2050/314
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A lifting apparatus for deployment through a laparoscopic incision in a body wall to apply an external lifting force over a large area of the body wall. The apparatus provides a broad lifting surface that is capable of applying a lifting force of at least 40 pounds (180 Newtons) to an area of a body wall sufficiently extensive to reduce the lifting pressure exerted on the body wall to well below that which could cause pressure trauma to the body wall, yet delivers this broad lifting surface through the body wall via an incision about 14 mm long. The apparatus comprises a body wall engaging element capable of passing in a packaged state through the laparoscopic incision, and being inflatable to an inflated state. In the inflated state, the body wall engaging element is substantially toroidal, provides a broad lifting face, and bounds a central hole. The body wall engaging element includes an equatorial portion facing into the central hole. The apparatus also includes a flexible lifting element that has a flexible portion capable of passing through the laparoscopic incision. The flexible portion is attached to the equatorial portion of the body wall engaging element and extends from …