The invention relates to an arcuate surgical assist device for mounting on an operating table.

A surgeon and surgical assistant traditionally work close to the location on the body of the patient where the operation takes place. The anaesthetist is located close to the head of the patient so that the vital signs of the patient can be properly monitored.

An increasing number of operations have been carried out in recent years by means of keyhole surgery.

Instruments are introduced here into the body via small incisions and the operation is performed with these

instruments. The instruments for such keyhole surgery are often long and tube-like, whereby the surgeon and assistant often find themselves at a position relative to the patient other than that where the operation is taking place.

In addition, the handling of these instruments is tiring due to the weight and because the instruments must be held continuously. A surgeon and/or assistant will hereby support with their arms around the patient. It is however also the case that the patient him/herself is unintentionally used as support and may then incur injury.

Since the surgeon is often located at the head of the patient during the keyhole surgery as a result of the elongate instruments, it therefore occurs that the patient incurs injury on and around the head. A further occurrence is that instruments are accidentally dropped and these

instruments can then fall onto the patient. This can also result in injury.

In a more traditional setup it is usual to place on the operating table a rack which runs over the patient at the position of the head and over which lie the sterile cloths so that a separating wall is formed between the head of the patient and the body of the patient. The head of the patient is safeguarded by this arrangement, and the vital functions can be properly monitored.

However, because of the use of the elongate keyhole surgery instruments such a rack forms an obstruction to the surgeon, whereby the rack is often removed.

Known from US 5152486 is a rack for hanging cloths which can also serve as support for the surgeon or assistant. This rack extends however over the whole width of the operating table and is secured on two sides of the

operating table, whereby it can still form an obstacle to a surgeon during performing of keyhole surgery and it obstructs the anaesthetist in his/her actions.

It is now an object of the invention to reduce or even avoid the above stated drawbacks.

This object is achieved according to the invention with an arcuate surgical assist device for mounting on an operating table, which device comprises:

- an upright attachable with a first end to an operating table;

- an elongate support frame which is arranged with a first end on the second end of the upright and extends substantially perpendicularly from the upright; and

- a support cushion arranged with a clamp connection on the elongate support frame.

The arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention is attached with the upright to the operating table. The arcuate surgical assist device can be positioned here above the head of the patient so that the head is protected and a support surface is in addition provided on which the surgeon and/or assistant can support their arms.

Because the arcuate surgical assist device is attached with the upright to one side of the table, the arcuate device can be positioned such that there is sufficient space on the opposite side.

The arcuate surgical assist device according to invention is further provided with a support cushion which is arranged with a clamp connection on the elongate support frame. This support cushion provides a comfortable support surface. In addition, it can be easily detached because of the clamp connection. This moreover provides the anaesthetist with space to monitor the face of the patient during the operation and to be able to carry out procedures on the patient.

The width of the support cushion is preferably selected such that the width corresponds to the average distance between eyebrow and chin of the patient. Optimal protection of the face of the patient is thus obtained, wherein the support cushion obstructs the surgeon as little as possible .

Following the operation the support cushion can then be easily detached and discarded together with the sterile cloths, while the upright and support frame of the arcuate surgical assist device can be used for a subsequent operation. A new support cushion is then clamped here onto the support frame. The support cushion can optionally also be embodied such that it is reusable in further operations.

In a preferred embodiment of the arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention the elongate support frame comprises at least two parallel tubes, and on the underside of the support cushion at least one protrusion is arranged which clamps between the two parallel tubes.

The two parallel tubes form a wide support frame on which the cushion can lie in stable manner. In addition, one or more protrusions of the support cushion can extend between the two tubes, whereby the support cushion can be clamped fixedly between the two parallel tubes.

The surfaces of the at least one protrusion which lie against the two parallel tubes are preferably concave in order to form a snap connection between the support cushion and the elongate support frame.

Because of the concave surfaces the surfaces can engage partially round the tubes and form a snap

connection therewith. The snap connection also makes it clear to the users when the support cushion has been arranged properly on the support frame, and the support cushion is prevented from detaching during the operation due to the varying loads .

In another preferred embodiment of the arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention the support frame is telescopic for the purpose of adjusting the length of the support frame.

Because the support frame is given a telescopic form the length of the support frame can be set and adapted to requirements during the operation. When both the surgeon and the assistant desire support, the support frame can then be adjusted over the whole width of the operating table and, when the surgeon wants more freedom of movement, the length of the support frame can be shortened.

Depending on the selected length of the support frame, a support cushion of a suitable length can be clamped onto the support frame.

In yet another embodiment of the arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention the elongate support frame is tiltable round an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support frame. When the operating table is tilted, for instance for the Trendelenburg position, the upper surface of the support cushion can still be kept horizontal by tilting the support frame. In yet another embodiment of the arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention a removable lighting unit is arranged opposite the support cushion on the elongate support frame.

It is usual during keyhole surgery to use as little light as possible in the operating room, since this can impede the surgeon when looking at the monitor of the camera. The drawback of the lack of light is that the anaesthetist can no longer assess the colour of the face of the patient, and can thereby no longer easily determine whether sufficient oxygen is present in the blood or other abnormal situations or conditions .

By arranging a lighting unit under the support frame of the arcuate surgical assist device, which frame is normally placed over the face of the patient, sufficient light can be beamed very locally onto the patient in order to determine the colour of the face, to enable the insertion of central lines, to assess and manipulate the tube or stomach probe, as well as to make other medical procedures possible without this obstructing the surgeon.

The lighting unit is removable so that a new lighting unit can be placed for each new operation, thus preventing the battery of the lighting unit becoming depleted during the operation.

The lighting unit can optionally also be integrated into the arcuate surgical assist device, whereby the lighting unit is arranged more permanently on the arcuate device .

The removable lighting unit preferably

comprises a movement sensor for controlling the lighting. The light can thus remain off unless the anaesthetist makes a hand movement in the vicinity of the lighting unit, whereby the light comes on and, among other things, the colour of the face and can be determined. After a specific time the light will go off automatically.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention a stop is arranged on the upright which is

adjustable in longitudinal direction of the upright. During mounting of the arcuate surgical assist device on an operating table the stop prevents the arcuate surgical assist device sliding too far downward and possibly injuring the patient.

The invention further relates to a combination of an arcuate surgical assist device according to the

invention and an operating table, wherein the upright of the arcuate surgical assist device is arranged with the first end on the edge of the operating table.

Operating tables are often provided along the peripheral edge of the table top with a standardized fastening rail to which the upright of the arcuate surgical assist device can be easily attached.

The invention further relates to a support cushion for an arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention, wherein the support cushion comprises an elongate foam body, which foam body has at least a lower surface and an upper surface parallel to the lower surface, wherein at least one protrusion is arranged on the lower surface.

The foam body provides a comfortable support surface, while because of the foam material it can be easily shaped and is moreover elastic, whereby the clamping action of the protrusions can be obtained.

Two mutually opposite clamping surfaces are preferably formed by the at least one protrusion for clamping the support cushion fixedly with the clamping surfaces onto a support frame of an arcuate surgical assist device.

The clamping surfaces are more preferably concave. The clamping surfaces can hereby engage partially round the tubes of the support frame and thus form a reliable snap connection with which the support cushion can be clamped onto the support frame.

These and other features of the invention are further elucidated with reference to the accompanying

drawings .

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the arcuate surgical assist device mounted on an operating table .

Figure 2 is a perspective bottom view of the support cushion according to invention.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the arcuate surgical assist device according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows an operating table which has a base 1 and a cushion 2 placed thereon and on which an arcuate surgical assist device 3 is arranged.

The arcuate surgical assist device 3 has an upright 4 which is mounted with a first end on base 1 of the operating table. Upright 4 runs vertically upward and is bent at the top, whereby it is coupled to a support frame

comprising two parallel tubes 5, 6. These parallel tubes 5, 6 can tilt around the free end 7 of upright 4.

Support frame 5, 6 takes a telescopic form by means of tube 8 which can slide with both ends in the parallel tubes 5, 6. The length of support frame 5, 6, 8 can thus be adjusted as desired.

Subsequently arranged on support frame 5, 6, 8 is a support cushion 9 which in this figure is shown detached. When tube 8 has been pushed partially or wholly into the two parallel tubes 5, 6, a support cushion 10 of smaller

dimensions can also be placed on support frame 5, 6, 8.

Figure 2 shows support cushion 9 which has a foam body 11 with a lower surface 12, an upper surface 13 and a peripheral wall 14 (see also figure 3) . Arranged on lower surface 12 are protrusions 15, 16, 17 with which support cushion 9 can be clamped onto support frame 5, 6, 8. It will be apparent that the protrusions can be designed as desired.

Figure 3 shows support cushion 9 in cross- section and clamped onto support frame 5, 6, 8. Protrusion 15 lies here with a concave surface 18 against tube 5 and protrusion 16 lies with a concave surface 19 against tube 6. In addition to the clamping action, a snap connection is also obtained because of the hollow shape of surfaces 18, 19, whereby support cushion 9 can be attached reliably to support frame 5, 6, 8.

A lighting unit 22 is further attached in this embodiment at free end 8 to support frame 5, 6, 8 using an adhesive strip 21. Lighting unit 22 preferably comprises a movement sensor so that the anaesthetist can activate the light with a hand gesture when he/she wishes to monitor the colour of the patient lying under arcuate surgical assist device 3.