Patent ID: 6958037

Claim:
A surgical wound retractor adapted to dilate a wound stretchable to a desired diameter, the retractor comprising: a first ring having a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound and being adapted for disposition interiorly of the wound; a second ring having a diameter greater than the desired diameter of the wound and being adapted for disposition exteriorly of the wound; at least one retraction element having an outer surface and an inner surface, the retraction element being disposed in a generally cylindrical form between the first ring and the second ring to exert a radial retraction force on the wound, the retraction force being dependent on a distance separating the first ring and the second ring; and at least one retention element being adapted for disposition through the wound along the inner surface of the retraction element and operably connected between the first ring and the second ring to control the distance separating the first ring and the second ring.