Organ manipulator apparatus

Abstract

Organ manipulation devices for atraumatically grasping the surface of an organ and repositioning the organ to allow access to a location on the organ that would otherwise be substantially inaccessible. Methods of accessing a beating heart, retracting the heart using an organ manipulation apparatus, and stabilizing a surgical target area with a stabilizer. Both the organ manipulator and stabilizer are fixed to a stationary object which may be a sternal retractor. A system for performing beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting includes a sternal retractor, organ manipulator and stabilizer.

1 - 101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . A tissue stabilizer configured to stabilize a coronary artery, wherein the tissue stabilizer includes:
 a heart contact member that includes one or more stabilizer feet, wherein each one of the stabilizer feet is configured to engage a surface of a heart, and each one of the stabilizer feet can be rotated, and wherein the one or more stabilizer feet are malleable so that a shape of each one of the stabilizer feet is variable by manual manipulation; and   a device disposed to draw a vacuum through each one of the stabilizer feet.   
     
     
         103 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 102 , wherein the tissue stabilizer further comprises a maneuverable arm that connects the heart contact member via a base member to a tightening mechanism, wherein the maneuverable arm includes multiple articulating joints and tensioning the tightening mechanism freezes orientation of the maneuverable arm. 
     
     
         104 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 103 , wherein the device disposed to draw a vacuum comprises a manifold base, wherein each one of the stabilizer feet can be rotated with respect to the manifold base. 
     
     
         105 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 102 , wherein each one of the stabilizer feet comprises a contact member provided with a compliant seal molded to the contact member. 
     
     
         106 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 105 , wherein the seal is flexible with a Shore hardness of about 50 and has a knife edge taper. 
     
     
         107 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 103 , further comprising a support structure connected to the maneuverable arm. 
     
     
         108 . A tissue stabilizer configured to stabilize a coronary artery, wherein the tissue stabilizer comprises:
 a heart contact member that includes one or more stabilizer feet, wherein each one of the stabilizer feet is configured to engage a surface of a heart, and each one of the stabilizer feet is provided with a seal comprising an adjustable contact surface that is adjustable as to orientation, wherein each seal extends from one of the stabilizer feet by a greater distance at a distal end than elsewhere on the one of the stabilizer feet to provide a variable seal that has a thickness at the distal end that is thicker than at a proximal end of the seal; and   a device disposed to draw a vacuum through each one of the stabilizer feet.   
     
     
         109 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein each one of the stabilizer feet has one or more mechanical stabilization surfaces. 
     
     
         110 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 109 , wherein each one of the stabilizer feet has one or more contact members that grasp a surface of the heart by suction. 
     
     
         111 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein each one of the stabilizer feet has one or more contact members that grasp a surface of the heart by suction. 
     
     
         112 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein shape of the stabilizer feet is variable by manual manipulation. 
     
     
         113 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein shape of the stabilizer feet and of the heart contact member is variable by manual manipulation. 
     
     
         114 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein the stabilizer feet are malleable so that a shape of the stabilizer feet is variable by manual manipulation. 
     
     
         115 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein the heart contact member includes a pair of stabilizer feet, and the heart contact member is connected to a distal end of a stabilizer arm by a connecting element. 
     
     
         116 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 115 , wherein the connecting element includes a ball portion configured and dimensioned to be received in a socket member in a distal connector of the stabilizer arm. 
     
     
         117 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 116 , wherein the connecting element is fixed to a manifold, and a rotatable fitting is connected to the manifold in order to fluidly connect the pair of stabilizer feet to a source of vacuum of the device disposed to draw a vacuum through each one of the stabilizer feet. 
     
     
         118 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 108 , wherein each one of the stabilizer feet comprises a contact member provided with a compliant seal molded to the contact member 
     
     
         119 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 118 , wherein each seal has a Shore hardness of about 50. 
     
     
         120 . The tissue stabilizer of  claim 119 , wherein each seal has a knife edge taper.