Patent ID: 8409090

Claim:
A retractor for manipulating an object, comprising: a body having a proximal end and a distal end; a retraction device having: a head connected to said distal end of said body, said head comprising a curved track having a first portion and a second portion; a connector movably disposed in said body; flexible needles of a shape memory material having a memory shape, said needles connected to said connector and each having a distal tip, said memory shape of said needles including a portion with an arcuate shape biasing said needles in a memory direction out and away from said head and toward the proximal end of said body to position said distal tip of each of said needles closer to said body when said needles are fully extended out of said head than when said needles are only partially extended out of said head, each of said flexible needles slidably disposed within a respective portion of said curved track; and a shim separating said flexible needles from each other while in said respective portion of said curved track; and an actuation device connected to said proximal end of said body and operatively connected to said connector through said body, said actuation device, upon actuation thereof, moving said connector to selectively extend said needles out of said head in different directions and withdraw said needles into said head.