Surgical retractor with light

Abstract

A surgical retractor has a shaft with an integral blade. The shaft and the blade are joined at an angle. The blade has an upper surface. A plurality of LED lights are embedded within the blade and are exposed at the upper surface. The blade surrounding the LED lights is opaque. The retractor may further include a camera mounted on the blade. Also disclosed is a surgical retractor kit including a mounting ring, at least one of the aforementioned surgical retractors, and a coupler for releaseably mounting the retractor to the ring.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A surgical retractor comprising:
 a shaft with an integral blade, the shaft and the blade being joined at an angle, the blade having an upper surface, a plurality of LED lights being embedded within the blade and exposed at the upper surface, the blade surrounding the LED lights being opaque.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein each of the LED lights comprises a lens and a LED, the lens being exposed at the upper surface. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein each of the LED lights being flush with the upper surface or protruding above the upper surface. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of LED lights emit at least 90 lumens. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the blade and shaft having a lower surface with an integral channel therein and a closure member covering the channel. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the channel houses electrical connectors for the LED lights. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  further comprising a power source for the LED lights in communication with the electrical connectors, and the power source being either carried on the shaft or remote from the shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  further comprising a gripping surface on the shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the angle between the shaft and the blade being adjustable. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the shaft being telescoping. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  further comprising a second blade facing the first mentioned blade and being moveable to and from the previous mentioned blade. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  wherein the upper surface being concave. 
     
     
         13 . The surgical retractor of  claim 1  further comprising a camera being mounted on the blade. 
     
     
         14 . The surgical retractor of  claim 13  wherein the camera being mounted in a second surface adjacent to the upper surface. 
     
     
         15 . A surgical retractor kit comprising a mounting ring, at least one surgical retractor according to  claim 1 , and a coupler for releaseably mounting the retractor to the ring. 
     
     
         16 . A surgical retractor comprising:
 a shaft with an integral blade, the shaft and the blade being joined at an angle, the blade having an upper surface, a plurality of lights facing up from the upper surface, a second surface at an angle to the upper surface, and a camera disposed in the second surface, wherein the camera faces down the blade and away from the upper surface.   
     
     
         17 . The surgical retractor of  claim 16  where the camera being a CCD camera. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical retractor of  claim 16  where the lights being LED lights. 
     
     
         19 . The surgical retractor of  claim 16  where the angle being 5-90°.