Instrument and method for remotely manipulating a tissue structure

Abstract

A retractor and a surgical tool are posittioned within a cannula, and a dissection cradle of the retractor is positioned at the distal end of the cannula. The retractor includes a dissection cradle that is resiliently supported along an axis skewed relative to the axis of the cannula. The dissection cradle, in operation, is extended to cradle the target vessel, and the retractor may be fully extended to urge the vessel away from the axis of the cannula to isolate a side branch for exposure to a surgical tool. The retractor includes a hollow support and a spray nozzle disposed in the distal end of the retractor to form an irrigation system and lens washer that can be selectively positioned to direct the spray of irrigation fluid at a remote surgical site or at an endoscopic lens.

1 . Surgical apparatus comprising:
 an elongated cannula having an elongated axis between distal and proximal ends, and including an endoscope lumen extending as a hollow bore between the distal and proximal ends for slidably receiving an endoscope therein;   an instrument lumen extending as a hollow bore between distal and proximal ends of the cannula in substantial diametric orientation therein relative to the endoscope lumen;   a pair of auxiliary lumens disposed in substantially diametric orientation on opposite sides of, and in skewed relation to, the diametric orientation of the endoscope lumen and instrument lumen, at least one of the pair of auxiliary lumens extending between distal and proximal ends of the cannula; and   elongated supports slidably disposed within each of the pair of auxiliary lumens to selectively extend beyond the distal end of the cannula, and including a vessel cradle transversely mounted between the distal ends of the elongated supports.   
     
     
         2 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the elongated supports are resiliently skewed laterally relative to the elongated axis of the cannula for lateral displacement therefrom in response to movement of the supports in a direction distally of the distal end. 
     
     
         3 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 1  including a manual control element attached to the elongated support, slidable in the at least one of the auxiliary lumens, near the proximal end of the cannula and disposed for manually activating sliding movement of the support. 
     
     
         4 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 1  in which the vessel cradle includes a substantially U-shaped transverse segment between the elongated supports that is configured for positioning about an endoscope received in the endoscope lumen and protruding from the distal end of the cannula. 
     
     
         5 . Surgical apparatus comprising:
 an elongated cannula having a central axis oriented between distal and proximal ends, and including a plurality of lumens extending between distal and proximal ends of the cannula;   an elongated support having an end effector at its distal end and being slidably disposed within at least one of the plurality of lumens to selectively extend the end effector beyond the distal end of the cannula and away from the central axis thereof.   
     
     
         6 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 5  in which the end effector includes a vessel cradle having a recessed groove aligned substantially along the central axis. 
     
     
         7 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 5  in which the elongated support is resiliently biased away from the central axis to deflect laterally away therefrom in response to slidable extension of the support beyond the distal end of the cannula. 
     
     
         8 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 5  in which the elongated support comprises two legs, each leg disposed within each of a pair of the plurality of lumens, with the end effector configured as a vessel cradle mounted between distal ends of the legs of the elongated support. 
     
     
         9 . Surgical apparatus according to  claim 7  including an instrument lumen extending between distal and proximal ends of the cannula for receiving therein a surgical instrument that can be selectively extended beyond the distal end of the cannula with the end effector laterally deflected away from the central axis. 
     
     
         10 . A surgical procedure performed on a patient with an elongated cannula having a central axis, a bore for receiving an endoscope therein and a support that is resiliently biased laterally away from the central axis and including an end effector mounted on a distal end of the support, the support being slidably mounted to selectively extend beyond a distal end of the cannula, the procedure comprising the steps for:
 introducing the cannula into the body of the patient; and   slidably extending the support and the end effector mounted thereon beyond the distal end of the cannula to effect lateral deflection of the end effector away from the central axis of the cannula.   
     
     
         11 . The surgical procedure according to  claim 10  in which a tissue structure of the patient's body engaged with the end effector is laterally displaced away from the central axis in response to slidable extension of the support beyond the distal end of the cannula. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical procedure according to  claim 11  performed with the cannula including an instrument lumen extending therethrough, the procedure further comprising the step for:
 introducing a surgical instrument through the instrument lumen for performing a procedure with the tissue structure laterally displaced from the orientation of the central axis of the cannula. 
 
     
     
         13 . The surgical procedure according to  claim 12  in which the cannula includes an actuator disposed near the proximal end thereof linked to the support, the procedure further comprising the step for:
 manually manipulating the actuator to selectively extend and laterally displace the distal end of the support within the patient's body away from the central axis of the cannula.