FIELD

This application relates to a surgical instrument, and more particularly, to a surgical instrument for use in a vessel harvesting procedure.

BACKGROUND

A significant area of cardiovascular disease involves the build up of plaque inside arteries that feed blood to the muscles of the heart. These deposits can cause occlusions which reduce or interrupt blood flow through these arteries. Coronary artery bypass grafting is a surgical procedure that has been used to address occlusions by creating an alternative blood path that bypasses the occluded artery.

Before a bypass surgery is performed, a vessel needs to be harvested from a patient's body for use as a conduit in the bypass surgery. In endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH) surgical procedures, a long slender cannula with a working lumen may be inserted inside a patient, and advanced into a tunnel next to the saphenous vein in the patient's leg, the radial artery in the patient's arm, or any other targeted vessel for grafting. A surgical tool housed at least partially within the working lumen of the cannula may be placed along the saphenous vein to dissect the vessel away from adjacent tissue, and to sever side-branch vessels along the course of the vessel to be harvested. The surgical tool may be configured to grasp a vessel, and may include one or more operative elements for cutting and/or sealing the vessel. While the surgical tool is used to operate on tissue, an endoscope may be used to view the procedure.

Applicant of the subject application discovers that sometimes during the EVH procedure, blood, fatty tissue, debris, or other bodily substance may stick onto the lens of the endoscope, and/or may smear the endoscope lens. Thus, applicant of the subject application determines that it may be desirable to have a cleaning system for cleaning the lens of the endoscope during the EVH procedure, or during any procedure which requires the use of an endoscope or other types of imaging device.

SUMMARY

In accordance with some embodiments, an apparatus includes a tubular structure having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the body includes a lumen for housing at least a part of an imaging device, and a fluid delivery channel that is fixed in position relative to the body, and an opening that is in fluid communication with the fluid delivery channel, wherein the fluid delivery channel has a first portion, and a second portion that forms an angle with an axis of the first portion.

In accordance with other embodiments, an apparatus includes a tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending between the proximal and distal ends, a lumen located in the body, wherein the lumen has a first portion that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the body, and a second portion that forms an angle with the first portion, and an opening at a surface of the body, wherein the opening is in fluid communication with the second portion of the lumen.

In accordance with other embodiments, an apparatus includes a shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending between the proximal and distal ends, a lumen in the body, a retractor attached to a rod, wherein at least a part of the rod is located within the lumen, and the retractor is slidable relative to the shaft, wherein the retractor comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a first tip, the second portion having a second tip, and wherein the first and second tips are separated from each other to define a space therebetween for allowing a vessel to enter therethrough, and wherein the first and second portions define a region having a first cross-sectional dimension that is larger than a second cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to the first cross-sectional dimension.

Other and further aspects and features will be evident from reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are intended to illustrate, not limit, the invention.

