Patent ID: 8376937
Filing Date: 2013-02-19
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A surgical retractor system for monitoring the characteristics of tissue adjacent a surgical site and communicating that information to a health care provider, comprising: a retractor comprising a sensor disposed on the retractor, the sensor being configured to measure a parameter indicative of at least one characteristic of the tissue adjacent the first or the second blade; a sensor system comprising a removable sleeve sized and shaped to extend about one of the first and second blades of the retractor, the removable sleeve comprising the sensor configured to measure the parameter indicative of at least one characteristic of the tissue; and a processing system in communication with the sensor configured and arranged to receive information from the sensor indicative of the measured parameter, the processing system having a threshold stored therein indicative of excessive trauma to the tissue, the processing system being configured in a manner such that it compares the received information to the stored threshold and communicates information to the health care provider regarding the comparison.