Method and apparatus for temporarily immobilizing a local area of tissue
US6464629B1 · kind B1 · utility
81Cited by
116References
55Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2017/306
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is a method and apparatus for performing beating heart surgery, in which a single articulating arm supports multiple suction pods. Once the suction pods are applied to the heart surface, tightening a cable fixes the arm in place. Then, the suction pods may be spread apart from each other to tighten the surface of the cardiac tissue lying between the suction pods. In one embodiment, fixation of the arm as well as the spreading apart of the suction pods may occur concurrently or almost concurrently through the tensioning of a single cable. Additional embodiments of the method, system and its components are shown.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.