US 12,310,569 B2
Surgical retractor having clamping mechanism
Dan Farley, Traverse City, MI (US); Josh Delickta, Elk Rapids, MI (US); Christopher T. Martin, Empire, MI (US); and Travis Witulski, Traverse City, MI (US)
Assigned to THOMPSON SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, INC., Traverse City, MI (US)
Filed by Thompson Surgical Instruments, Inc., Traverse City, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/581,230.
Application 18/581,230 is a continuation of application No. 17/202,665, filed on Mar. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,931,019.
Application 17/202,665 is a continuation of application No. 16/299,400, filed on Mar. 12, 2019, granted, now 10,952,713, issued on Mar. 23, 2021.
Application 16/299,400 is a continuation of application No. 15/232,466, filed on Aug. 9, 2016, granted, now 10,226,241, issued on Mar. 12, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/203,144, filed on Aug. 10, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2024/0188949 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/02 (2006.01); F16B 2/18 (2006.01); A61B 90/57 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/02 (2013.01) [F16B 2/18 (2013.01); A61B 90/57 (2016.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A clamping apparatus, the clamping apparatus comprising:
one or more clamps, each comprising a clamp top side, a clamp bottom side, and a passage configured to circumscribe a received elongated member, wherein the clamp top side of an uppermost clamp of the one or more clamps comprises an aperture with a tapered inner surface;
a washer comprising a top surface and a lower surface that mates with the tapered inner surface of the aperture;
a shaft comprising a shaft upper portion and a shaft lower portion, wherein the shaft extends through the washer, the aperture, and each clamp of the one or more clamps;
a handle coupled to the shaft upper portion; and
a lower device secured to the shaft lower portion, wherein the lower device permits adjusting a magnitude of a clamping force applied between the handle and the lower device when the handle is rotated to a clamping position.