Patent ID: 8317817

Claim:
A method of providing access to a spinal location, comprising: providing a device, the device including an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a length between the proximal and distal ends, the elongate body having an outer surface, an inner surface, an unexpanded configuration, an expanded configuration, and providing an access path to the spinal location; positioning the elongate body, in the unexpanded configuration, such that the proximal end is positioned outside the patient and the distal end is positioned inside the patient adjacent the spinal location; expanding the elongate body from a contracted configuration to an expanded configuration by applying a radially outward directed force on the inner surface of the elongate body with an element separate from the device, wherein expanding the elongate body results in the cross-sectional area of the access path being expanded at a first location to be greater than the cross-sectional area of the access path at a second location in the expanded configuration, wherein the first location is distal to the second location; removing the element from the device; and delivering an instrument through the elongate body along the access path to the spinal location; wherein said elongate body is expanded by being guided along a curvilinear path.