Patent ID: 7993344

Claim:
A device to insert an elongated member into a patient during a surgical procedure, the device comprising: an elongated substantially curved guide including a distal end that is placed within the patient and a proximal end that is positioned outside of the patient, the guide including opposing sidewalls and an outer wall that extends between the opposing sidewalls that form a channel sized to receive and partially extend around the elongated member; wherein the channel is open along an inner side of the guide opposite from the outer wall and between the sidewalls substantially between the distal end and the proximal end, wherein the guide is constructed from first and second sections that are relatively movable to adjust a width of the channel measured between the sidewalls, and wherein the first and second sections include opposing tapered sections that connect together to form the outer wall, wherein the first section includes a greater width at the distal end of the guide and the second section includes a greater width at the proximal end of the guide.