Patent ID: 8840547

Claim:
A retractor for manipulating an object, the retractor comprising: a retractor body having proximal and distal ends; a retraction device having: a head connected at the distal end of the retractor body; and flexible needles of a shape memory material having a memory shape, at least one of the flexible needles having a needle body, the memory shape of the needles including a portion with an arcuate shape housed, at least partially, within the head; an actuation device connected to the proximal end of the retractor body and operatively connected to the needles, the actuation device, upon actuation thereof, moving the needles out of the head and withdrawing the needles into the head; and a rotation joint: having a slot shaped to accept a portion of the needle body; having at least one engaging surface corresponding to a surface of the needle body; and coupling the proximal end of the retractor body to the distal end of the retractor body and allowing the distal end of the retractor body and the retraction device to rotate independent of the proximal end of the retractor body, whereby rotation of the needle body causes rotation of the distal end of the retractor body and the flexible needles relative to the proximal end of the retractor body.