SURGICAL RETRACTOR WITH LIGHT
A surgical retractor has a shaft with an integral blade. The shaft and the blade are joined at an angle. The blade has an upper surface. A plurality of LED lights are embedded within the blade and are exposed at the upper surface. The blade surrounding the LED lights is opaque. The retractor may further include a camera mounted on the blade. Also disclosed is a surgical retractor kit including a mounting ring, at least one of the aforementioned surgical retractors, and a coupler for releaseably mounting the retractor to the ring.
1 . A surgical retractor comprising:
a shaft with an integral blade, the shaft and the blade being joined at an angle, the blade having an upper surface, a plurality of LED lights being embedded within the blade and exposed at the upper surface, the blade surrounding the LED lights being opaque.
2 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein each of the LED lights comprises a lens and a LED, the lens being exposed at the upper surface.
3 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein each of the LED lights being flush with the upper surface or protruding above the upper surface.
4 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the plurality of LED lights emit at least 90 lumens.
5 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the blade and shaft having a lower surface with an integral channel therein and a closure member covering the channel.
6 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the channel houses electrical connectors for the LED lights.
7 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 further comprising a power source for the LED lights in communication with the electrical connectors, and the power source being either carried on the shaft or remote from the shaft.
8 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 further comprising a gripping surface on the shaft.
9 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the angle between the shaft and the blade being adjustable.
10 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the shaft being telescoping.
11 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 further comprising a second blade facing the first mentioned blade and being moveable to and from the previous mentioned blade.
12 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 wherein the upper surface being concave.
13 . The surgical retractor of claim 1 further comprising a camera being mounted on the blade.
14 . The surgical retractor of claim 13 wherein the camera being mounted in a second surface adjacent to the upper surface.
15 . A surgical retractor kit comprising a mounting ring, at least one surgical retractor according to claim 1 , and a coupler for releaseably mounting the retractor to the ring.
16 . A surgical retractor comprising:
a shaft with an integral blade, the shaft and the blade being joined at an angle, the blade having an upper surface, a plurality of lights facing up from the upper surface, a second surface at an angle to the upper surface, and a camera disposed in the second surface, wherein the camera faces down the blade and away from the upper surface.
17 . The surgical retractor of claim 16 where the camera being a CCD camera.
18 . The surgical retractor of claim 16 where the lights being LED lights.
19 . The surgical retractor of claim 16 where the angle being 5-90°.