Patent ID: 8747308

Claim:
A lateral vaginal retractor in combination with a speculum for use in a variety of gynecological procedures, said speculum comprising: an upper blade and a lower blade for engaging inner walls of upper and lower portions of a vagina in order to dilate the vagina in a vertical direction, said lower blade is attached to a body which has a pair of arms extending vertically therefrom, and said upper blade is pivotally attached to an upper portion of said arms extending vertically from said lower blade, adjustment means for spreading said upper and lower blades, and means for locking the upper and lower blades in a selected position, and said lateral vaginal retractor comprising: a first end and a second end, a pair of arms extending from said first end toward said second end, each of said pair of arms comprising a first portion and a second portion, each said first portion having a free end portion remote from said second portion, each said first portion diverging from another said first portion thereby creating an angle between said first portions, and each said first portion creating an angle with each said second portion, and a handle portion, and wherein said handle portion comprises a first handle portion and a second handle portion, and each said second portion extending from said first handle portion and said second handle portion, respectively, and an arm portion joined to each said second portion, and wherein each said second portion extends from each said first portion in a first plane, and wherein said first plane contains a lower surface of a second portion of each arm, and wherein each handle portion extends from each said second portion in a second plane, such that each handle portion forms a substantially L-shape with each said second portion, and wherein said second plane contains upper edges of the first and second handle portions and extends downwardly with respect to said first plane, and wherein the pair of arms and the handle portion form a single continuous strip extending between the free end portions.