Inflatable surgical retractor

1. A surgical retractor device for maintaining a surgical corridor, the device comprising:

a tube of thermally responsive material that is pliable and expansive when heated to a temperature that is above body temperature, and that is rigid when cooled to body temperature;

a balloon that is removably fitted in the tube; and

a coaxial fluid supply line that is sealingly secured to an opening of the balloon, and that is structured and dimensioned to circulate fluid through the inside of the balloon, the fluid supply line comprising an inner tube within an outer tube, the opening of the balloon being secured to an end of the outer tube, the inner tube extending into the balloon, and a distal end of the inner tube being capped and secured to an inside surface of the balloon;

wherein the tube can be inserted through a skin surface to a point of surgical interest while the tube has a relatively narrow diameter compared to its diameter in an expanded state;

wherein the fluid can enter the balloon through at least one opening through a wall of the inner tube, and can exit through the opening of the balloon between the inner tube and the outer tube; and

wherein the fluid of desired temperature and pressure can be circulated through the fluid supply line, to heat the balloon and the tube so as to render the tube pliable, to expand the balloon and the tube while the tube is pliable, and to cool the balloon and the tube so as to render the tube rigid.

2. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one valve for controlling flow of the fluid through the fluid supply line to and from the balloon.

3. The surgical retractor of claim 1 , further comprising:

a guide wire; and

wherein:

the fluid supply line comprises a guide wire tube that is surrounded by the inner tube; and

the guide wire tube is structured and dimensioned to slide over the guide wire.

4. The surgical retractor device of claim 3 , wherein there is at least one radio-opaque mark on at least one of the guide wire, the guide wire tube and the inner tube, to show a depth of insertion relative to anatomical structures on a fluoroscopy image.

5. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one heat exchanger for adjusting temperature of the fluid to be supplied through the fluid supply line to the balloon.

6. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of routing options for the fluid to be supplied through the fluid supply line to the balloon; and

at least one valve for controlling the routing option through which the fluid is supplied to the fluid supply line;

wherein the fluid is adjusted to different temperatures in the different routing options, respectively.

7. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising a waste tank.

8. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply line and balloon can be extracted from the tube, while the tube remains rigid and expanded to maintain the surgical corridor.

9. The surgical retractor device of claim 8 , where at least one of the fluid supply line and the balloon is lubricated with a biocompatible material to facilitate extraction.

10. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a saline solution.

11. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , wherein the thermally responsive material is a shape memory alloy.

12. The surgical retractor device of claim 11 , wherein the tube is a meshed tube.

13. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a thermochromic substance that changes color close to the temperature at which the thermally responsive material becomes pliable and expansive.

14. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , where there is at least one radio-opaque mark on the tube to show a depth of insertion relative to anatomical structures on a fluoroscopy image.

15. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a rigid sheath that is removably fitted around the tube to facilitate insertion to the point of surgical interest;

wherein the sheath can be retracted back over the fluid supply line before the balloon and the tube are expanded.

16. The surgical retractor device of claim 15 , where there is at least one radio-opaque mark on the sheath to show a depth of insertion relative to anatomical structures on a fluoroscopy image.

17. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising an elastic thermal barrier surrounding the tube.

18. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a sensor mounted at a distal end of the tube; and

a transmission line routed adjacent the balloon inside of the tube for transmitting signals from the sensor.

19. The surgical retractor device of claim 18 , wherein the transmission line is an optical fiber.

20. The surgical retractor device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one handle that is structured and dimensioned for attachment to the tube for use in repositioning the tube after it has been expanded.

21. The surgical retractor device of claim 20 , further comprising:

at least one guiding mechanism positioned longitudinally down an inner surface of the tube; and

at least one extension rod connected to the at least one handle;

wherein each of the at least one extension rods is structured and dimensioned for insertion in one of the at least one guiding mechanisms.

22. A method of maintaining a surgical corridor, the method comprising:

providing a tube of thermally responsive material that is pliable and expansive when heated to a temperature that is above body temperature, and that is rigid when cooled to body temperature;

removably fitting a balloon in the tube, an opening of the balloon being sealingly secured to a coaxial fluid supply line, the fluid supply line comprising an inner tube within an outer tube, the opening of the balloon being secured to an end of the outer tube, the inner tube extending into the balloon, and a distal end of the inner tube being capped and secured to an inside surface of the balloon;

inserting the tube through a skin surface to a point of surgical interest while the tube has a relatively narrow diameter compared to its diameter in an expanded state; and

circulating fluid of desired temperature and pressure through the fluid supply line to heat the balloon and the tube so as to render the tube pliable, to expand the balloon and the tube while the tube is pliable, and to cool the balloon and the tube so as to render the tube rigid;

wherein the fluid can enter the balloon through a least one opening through a wall of the inner tube, and can exit through the opening of the balloon between the inner tube and the outer tube.

23. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising:

inserting a guide wire to the point of surgical interest;

wherein the tube inserting step comprises sliding the unexpanded tube and balloon over the guide wire.

24. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising: subsequent to the circulating step again supplying fluid of desired temperature through the fluid supply line to cool the tube and render it rigid.

25. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising: extracting the fluid supply line and the balloon from the tube, while the tube remains rigid and expanded to maintain the surgical corridor.

26. A method as in claim 25 , further comprising: lubricating at least one of the fluid supply line and the balloon with a biocompatible material to facilitate extraction.

27. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising: subsequent to the circulating step again supplying fluid of desired temperature and pressure through the fluid supply line to the balloon to heat and soften the tube.

28. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising:

removably fitting a rigid sheath around the tube to facilitate insertion of the tube to the point of surgical interest; and

retracting the sheath back over the fluid supply line before the balloon and the tube are expanded.

29. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising: surrounding the tube with an elastic thermal barrier.

30. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising:

mounting a sensor at a distal end of the tube; and

routing a transmission line adjacent the balloon inside of the tube for transmitting signals from the sensor.

31. A method as in claim 22 , further comprising:

attaching a handle to the tube; and

using the handle to reposition the tube after it has been expanded.