Patent ID: 8758235

Claim:
A foldable retractor, comprising: an arcuate deformable frame defined from a first arm extending through a first portion of an outer circumference of the frame, and a second arm defining a remaining portion of the outer circumference; the first and second arms each including opposite first and second end portions, wherein the respective first end portions and the respective second end portions are hingedly connected together; and wherein the first and second arms of the frame are biased toward a first configuration wherein the combined first and second arms are aligned substantially continuously through the combined first and second end portions and the frame extends through substantially a single plane, further comprising a deformable membrane secured around at least a portion of the arcuate frame to form a continuous restraining structure across a central opening of the frame, wherein the first and second arms may be manipulated to a second configuration wherein the first and second arms substantially overlap each other, wherein when the frame is in the second configuration, the first and second end portions of each of the first and second arms may be pulled away from each other to transfer the frame to a third configuration wherein the first and second arms are substantially elongate and the retractor is capable of extending within a substantially straight lumen, and wherein the first and second arms are biased to return to the second configuration as the retractor is withdrawn from the lumen.