Patent ID: 7699864

Claim:
An access sheath adapted for providing minimally invasive surgical access, comprising: a tubular member formed from a rolled sheet of thin walled material, the thin walled material including an inner surface, an outer surface, an inner portion including an inner edge and an outer portion including an outer edge; a first component comprising a longitudinal member, the longitudinal member coupled to the inner portion of the thin walled material; a second component comprising a static rod coupled to the outer portion of the thin walled material and a tubular hub immovably coupled to the proximal end of the static rod; and a knob attached to the longitudinal member of the first component, the knob configured to rotate the first component with respect to the second component, wherein rotation of the first component with respect to the second component uniformly unwinds the rolled sheet of thin walled material of the tubular member from a first configuration comprising a lumen of uniform diameter within overlapping layers of the thin walled material to a second configuration comprising a lumen of greater uniform diameter within fewer overlapping layers of the thin walled material.