CHEST RETRACTOR FOR PERFORMING CARDIAC SURGERY

摘要

A chest retractor for performing cardiac surgery on the coronary organs of the patient, comprising a movable input means to which the surgeon input is applied in the form of a mechanical force or torque, a contacting means which interfaces and retracts the patient's thoracic structure TS when surgeon input is applied to said movable input means, and a surgeon input load-reducing means or surgeon input load-normalizing means provided in at least one mechanical interface between chest retractor components where relative motion occurs. The load-reducing and load-normalizing means are preferably non-lubricated in order to ensure inert and sterile environment during surgery. In certain embodiments, the chest retractor is comprised of a locking means which provides a continuous variable range of substantially-stable lockable open positions of retractor arms. The chest retractor according to this invention improves the efficiency and safety of cardiac surgery by reducing the surgeon input required to achieve retraction, and by allowing said input to be applied more uniformly and in a controlled manner free from sudden movements through the normalization of chest retractor variables.