Surgical tool for measurement of valve annulus and cusp geometry

摘要

A surgical tool for visually assessing or measuring the aortic structures contained within a generally tubular aortic root. The surgical tool is appropriately configured and sized to be insertable within an aortic root during surgery. The surgical tool comprises a handle portion and a cylindrical portion connectable thereto. The cylindrical portion defines an external cylindrical surface and extends in height along a tool axis between a base portion and a top portion. The cylindrical portion being optically clear or having at least a section thereof that is sufficiently transparent whereby, in use, when the surgical tool is placed within the aortic root and the aortic structures are in contact with the external cylindrical surface, the aortic structures are visible through said optically clear or sufficiently transparent section. The cylindrical portion preferably further comprises an array of reference datum and measurement increments visible through the optically clear section such that the visualization and measurement of the aortic structures may be effected with reference to the array.