Patent ID: 8795165

Claim:
A pivoting dilator comprising: opposed first and second dilator portions hingedly intereconnected to one another with a longitudinal axis extending longitudinally between the first and second dilator portions, each dilator portion extending longitudinally between a proximal end and a distal end, with each distal end defining a tapered tip, each tapered tip tapering from a proximal tip location to a distal tip location with a longitudinal length between the proximal tip location and the distal tip location being greater than a diameter of the opposed first and second dilator portions at the proximal tip location, the first and second dilator portions pivotal between an insertion position wherein the tapered tips are proximate one another such that an enclosed passageway is defined between at least the opposed distal ends with an opening through the tapered tips and a dilating position wherein the tapered tips are spaced from one another; and a gripping surface extending from each dilator portion proximal end, each gripping surface configured such that the gripping surface moves toward the longitudinal axis as the first and second dilator portions are moved from the insertion position to the dilating position wherein an inside surface of each tapered tip defines a contact surface configured such that upon receipt of a force in the longitudinal direction, the first and second dilator portions pivot toward the dilating position.