Patent ID: 8376937

Claim:
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 first blade for interfacing with tissue on a first side of a surgical site; a second blade for interfacing with tissue on a second side of the surgical site opposite the first side of the surgical site; a body portion supporting the first blade relative to the second blade, the body portion being adjustable in situ in a manner that changes tissue parameters by displacing the first blade relative to the second blade to displace tissue and provide access to a surgical site; 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.