Patent ID: 6818003
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A blood vessel harvesting cannula having outer walls defining a central bore therewithin, a proximal terminus, a distal terminus and a longitudinal axis, said cannula being comprised of:a harvesting head, a tubular control segment and a sliding operation arm, wherein the sliding operation arm is slidably affixed to a superior portion of both the control segment and the harvesting head thereby enabling fore and aft movement of the sliding operation arm relative to the proximal and distal terminus of the cannula; a main vessel alignment slot penetrating through a portion of the outer walls of the harvesting head and sliding operation arm, said slot beginning at the distal terminus of said cannula and ending within the outer wall of the sliding operation arm, said main vessel alignment slot communicating with the central bore of the harvesting cannula; at least one branch vessel capture notch located between a portion of the outer walls of the cannula comprising a distal terminus of the sliding operation arm and a superior portion of the harvesting head adjacent thereto, wherein the at least one branch vessel capture notch is circumferentially aligned relative to the longitudinal axis of the cannula and communicates with the central bore thereof and wherein the branch vessel capture notch is lateral to and communicates with the main vessel alignment slot, and wherein the capture notch includes a means there within for severing branch vessels from a blood vessel to be harvested; and a main vessel retention means for retaining a vessel to be harvested within the central bore of the harvesting head.