Patent ID: 7288065

Claim:
A device for use in a surgical procedure in which an incision is made between two juxtaposed ribs of a patient, the device comprising: a first arm member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion having a rib engaging blade; a second arm member having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion having a rib engaging blade; a mechanism interposed between the first and the second arm members and arranged to mechanically drive the arm members toward and away from each other, wherein operation of the mechanism to drive said arm members away from each other in a first direction relative to one another, when said rib engaging blades are each respectively engaged with a rib on opposite sides of the incision, also drives movement of one of said arm members and one of said rib engaging blades in a second direction relative to the other of said arm members different from said first direction.