Patent ID: 8721538

Claim:
A surgical distractor for distracting tissue of a patient to access structure underlying the tissue of the patient, said distractor comprising: a tube having a distal end adapted for insertion in tissue, a proximal end opposite the distal end, an exterior surface adapted for contacting the tissue, and an interior surface opposite said exterior surface defining a hollow interior extending between the distal end and the proximal end for accessing structure underlying the tissue when the distal end is inserted in the tissue, said distractor being adjustable from a reduced configuration, in which the tube has a reduced width sized for inserting the distal end in the tissue, and an expanded configuration, in which the tube has an expanded width greater than said reduced width sized to provide the hollow interior with a size sufficient for accessing the structure underlying the tissue, and a band having an inner surface surrounding said exterior surface of the tube for limiting the expanded width of the tube, the band including a rack and a worm screw for changing a peripheral length of the band so the band is adjustable for changing the expanded width.