Transoral retractor for robotic surgery
View Patent ↗A transoral retractor in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a handle, a retractor blade mount attached to the handle, a frame and a pivot mechanism to pivotally mount the frame to the handle. In another embodiment the frame includes side members and is configured with the side members at transverse locations that will be near or beyond the side of the patient's head. The frame and/or pivot mechanism are configured to locate a plane of the frame generally at or near the plane of the patient's oral commissaries, with the side members located below the plane of the oral commissaries.
1. A transoral retractor, including:
a handle;
a retractor blade mount;
a telescoping extension adjustment mechanism attaching the retractor blade mount to the handle;
a frame having proximal members, a distal transverse member including a central portion and a pair of end portions, and side members extending between the proximal members and the end portions, the frame configured with the end portions extending at an angle in a direction toward a patient from the central portion to locate the side members at transverse locations beyond a side of the patient's head and below a plane of the patient's oral commisaries; and
a pivot mechanism for pivotally mounting the proximal members of the frame to the handle; and
a spatula blade mounted to the retractor blade mount, wherein the spatula blade has distal and proximal ends, a long axis between the distal and proximal ends, and a major surface, wherein the major surface is curved in a direction perpendicular to the long axis to cause the distal end to be spaced by a distance of 1-4 cm with respect to the proximal end, a width profile of the spatula blade varies, and a midbody width of the blade is wider than a width of the blade at the distal and proximal ends.
2. The retractor of claim 1 wherein a proximal retractor blade surface width is optimally suited to allow the retractor to distribute force evenly along the tongue and to fit between the interdental arch of the mandible.
3. The retractor of claim 2 wherein a midbody retractor blade surface width is optimally suited to prevent the tongue from prolapsing into the oral cavity.
4. The retractor of claim 3 wherein distally, the blade width and shape is customized to the target tissue including one or more of the tonsil, base of tongue, supraglottis, glottis.
5. The retractor of claim 1 wherein the retractor blade includes side flanges.
6. The retractor of claim 1 wherein the retractor blade includes a suction port.
7. The retractor of claim 1 wherein the retractor blade is curved in first and second directions along the long axis.