US Patent Issued to Intuitive Surgical Operations on April 29 for "Support apparatus for a medical retractor device" (Washington, California Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 9 -- United States Patent no. 12,285,161, issued on April 29, was assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

"Support apparatus for a medical retractor device" was invented by Christina J. Shuh (Snohomish, Wash.), Ralph Wadensweiler (Sunnyvale, Calif.) and Kyle R. Miller (San Jose, Calif.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A support apparatus for a medical device includes a first sleeve, a second sleeve, and a flexible contact member. The first sleeve is configured to be coupled to a first tool member of an end effector assembly that includes the first tool member, a second tool member, and a clevis, in which the first and second tool members are eac...