Patent ID: 7166112

Claim:
A method of determining distance between two sites in a surgical wound, comprising; a) providing a measuring device comprising a device for measuring two points comprising: i) a hollow tubular body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, and a longitudinal bore defining a first opening in the distal portion, ii) retraction means having a proximal spring portion and a distal portion comprising a cable, the proximal spring portion being longitudinally disposed within the longitudinal bore and fixed to the proximal end portion of the hollow tubular body, and the distal portion extending through the first opening of the hollow tubular body, and iii) gripping means having a proximal portion and a distal portion, comprising a hook portion, the proximal portion of the gripping means being attached to the distal end portion of the retraction means, b) locating the device at a first site within the surgical wound, c) moving either the first opening or the gripping means to a second site within the surgical wound while maintaining either the first opening or the gripping means at the first site, and d) viewing a measuring scale.