Apparatus for temporarily engaging body tissue

Abstract

An improved tissue engagement device such as a suction stabilizer or retractor. The stabilizer or retractor is provided with one or more suction pods mounted to the distal end of a flexible arm. The flexible arm is coupled to a base assembly, which attaches the arm to an associated retractor or other structure that is fixedly located relative to the operative site. The base assembly includes a fixed portion, which is coupled to the retractor or other fixed mounting point and a rotatable turret, allowing rotation of the arm relative to the fixed portion of the base assembly. A tensioning mechanism mounted to the turret applies tension to compress the turret around a corresponding pivot mounted to the fixed portion of the base to rotationally lock the turret and to lock the arm in its current configuration. If the device is a suction stabilizer, it may carry a spreading/tightening mechanism along with two suction pods and the tensioning mechanism may lock the relative location of the spreading/tightening mechanism relative to the arm and operate to spread the suction pods apart from one another to provide for additional stabilization at the desired anastomosis site. If the device is a suction retractor, the tensioning mechanism may lock a pivotably mounted carrier for a single enlarged suction pod so that the suction pod is held in its desired orientation relative to the arm.

1 . A tissue engaging device, comprising: 
 an elongated arm, flexible to display multiple configurations, having a proximal end and a distal end and a longitudinal axis;    a tissue engagement mechanism, mounted to the distal end of the arm;    a base assembly comprising a fixed base member and a rotatable base member mounted to the proximal end of the arm, rotatable to provide rotation of the axis of the arm at its proximal end relative to the fixed base member;    a tension member extending through the rotatable base member and arm; and    a tensioning mechanism mounted to the rotatable base member, operably coupled to apply tension to the tension member to concurrently rotationally lock the rotatable base member to the fixed base member and lock the flexible arm in its then current configuration.