Patent ID: 9636096
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A system comprising: a retractor for retracting a tissue, comprising a tissue oximeter sensor, wherein the tissue oximeter sensor can make oxygen saturation measurements of the tissue when there is no pulse; a positioning mechanism coupled to the retractor; and a controller coupled to the tissue oximeter sensor and the positioning mechanism, wherein the controller electronically controls the positioning mechanism to adjust a mechanical positioning of the nerve retractor based on an oxygen saturation reading from the tissue oximeter sensor, the retractor comprises a shaft having a proximal end coupled to the linkage element and a distal end comprising a tip, wherein the tip comprises the tissue oximeter sensor and a retractor portion, and the tissue oximeter sensor comprises a first sensor emitter opening, a second sensor emitter opening, a first sensor detector opening, and a second sensor detector opening, wherein any of the three openings are positioned in a linear arrangement on a bottom side of the tip.