ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,496,053, issued on Dec. 16.
"Retractor" was invented by Esabelle Barton (Northridge, Calif.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A retractor for retracting tissue and suctioning fluids, having a handle and a blade and a fluid passage therethrough connecting to a suction source, the fluid passage directing suction to perforations in the blade through which undesirable fluids, including surgical plume, may be evacuated. The retractor may be, in whole or part, transparent to observe suctioning. The blade may include a fanned tip for wide tissue-engagement. One or more perforations in the fanned tip may create a wide field of suction. Other perfor...