Patent ID: 8282545
Filing Date: 2012-10-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An intra-corporeal surgical retractor having positional stability for maintaining tissue away from any of a plurality of surgical sites in the body during surgery to stably expose the surgical site permitting improved access thereto, said surgical retractor comprising a free form sealed pouch comprising a fluid impermeable single wall having a pouch shape comprising a flexible material and having an interior space containing a granular substance and a fluid, said single wall free form pouch being essentially formless and comprising an inert pliant plastic material shapeable and deformable in any direction to form a structural barrier and maintain said tissue away from said surgical site said pouch placed near the surgical site to form said structural barrier, means for enabling evacuation of said fluid, said granular substance located in said interior space directly bearing against the inner walls of said impermeable single wall pouch, when said fluid is evacuated from said pouch, said pouch constricts around said granular substance in said interior space to form said structural barrier to have a shape defined by the granular substance bearing directly against the inner wall, said structural barrier becoming relatively rigid to stay in place with positional stability at said body site, said relatively rigid pouch having sufficient rigidity and positional stability to move and maintain said tissue away from said surgical site.