Rectal expander

摘要

There is disclosed medical apparatus of the type for use in surgery such as transanal endoscopic microsurgery, as well as methods of providing access to, inspecting and enabling surgery within a body passage. In one embodiment of the invention, medical apparatus in the form of a rectal expander (10) is disclosed, the expander (10) being adapted for location at least partly within a body passage such as the rectum (12) of a patient (14), the expander (10) having a leading end (18) and an access area in the form of an opening (20) for access from the expander (10) into the rectum (12), at least part of the opening (20) being spaced from the leading end (18), and the expander (10) being controllably movable between collapse and expansion positions, for expanding the rectum (12).

主权项

1. A medical apparatus for location at least partly within a body passage and for expanding the body passage, the apparatus comprising:
a tubular guide member extending between a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the trailing end having an inlet providing access into the tubular guide member, the tubular guide member further having an aperture in a side wall thereof for permitting access into the body passage from the inlet at the trailing end; a handle secured to the trailing end of the guide member; an actuating device mounted to the handle rearwardly of the trailing end of the guide member; and an expansion device comprising a pair of expansion arms extending along respective edge regions of the aperture, wherein one end of each arm is secured to the leading end of the guide member and an opposite end of each arm extends rearwardly of the trailing end of the guide member to engage the actuating device, wherein the arms are configured to be moved by the actuating device between a collapse position and an expansion position by controllably elastically deforming said expansion arms to expand the body passage in the region of the aperture by pushing a wall of the body passage away from the tubular guide member, the expansion arms being uninterruptedly separated by the aperture.