Patent ID: 7524285

Claim:
A system for retracting tissue in a patient, comprising: a retractor including: a first portion having a proximal end and a distal end; a second portion having a proximal end and a distal end, said second portion forming with said first portion a working channel in communication with an exterior of said first and second portions at said proximal ends and said distal ends with said working channel being enclosed between said proximal and distal ends by said first portion being positioned in overlapping relation to said second portion along said working channel from said distal end toward said proximal end, wherein said working channel is enlargeable by laterally moving each of said first and second portions away from one another to position said first and second retractor portions in non-overlapping relation to form a space that opens said working channel said between first and second retractor portions at least from said proximal end toward said distal end and pivoting each of said distal ends of said first and second portions away from one another; and a sequential dilation instrument comprising at least two tissue dilators positionable one over the other to enlarge an opening in the tissue of the patient, said working channel of said retractor being sized for positioning about a last inserted one of said at least two tissue dilators.