Patent ID: 8262567

Claim:
A tissue retractor comprising: a flat base support unit having a topside and an underside and including on the topside at least one securing mechanism that is formed as a layer, and the underside is flexible to be conformable to an external surface and designed to be removably attached to the external surface proximate to an incision; at least one tissue hook having an assembly of a tissue engagement portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion including a transversely elongated slot that has a length transverse to a longitudinal direction of the assembly, wherein the tissue engagement portion is capable of engaging at least a portion of the periphery of tissue opened by the incision; and a retractable member that is inelastic along its central longitudinal axis and flexible around at least one axis deviating from said central longitudinal axis, wherein at least a portion of the retractable member includes a strap-like fastener strip that has its width larger than its thickness throughout an entire length of the strip and has a first end and a second end, the fastener strip adapted to receive the mounting portion of the tissue hook by movably passing through the slot of the mounting portion, and wherein the first end of said fastener strip is attached to the base support unit, and the second end of the fastener strip is threaded through the slot of the mounting portion and loops back to the base support unit to form a looped-back portion that is retractable, while movably passing through the slot of the mounting portion, in a direction away from the mounting portion such that the tissue engagement portion retracts tissue to which it is engaged, wherein the looped-back portion has an underside having a face that faces the securing mechanism on the topside of the base support unit and that includes a securing mechanism formed as a layer that is designed to removably attach the looped-back portion to the securing mechanism on the topside in a retracted position of the looped-back portion.