Patent ID: 7384392

Claim:
A hand-held, disposable, surgical instrument to manipulate a patient's tissues, comprising: (a) a grip handle, shaped and dimensioned to be held by a user's hand and having a base end, a top end, and a centerline, the grip handle comprising a polycarbonate; (b) a first blade extending from the base end of the grip handle and having an underside, the blade being generally flat and having at least a portion of its length generally perpendicular to the grip handle, the first blade comprising a polycarbonate; (c) a second blade extending from the base end of the grip handle, the blade being generally flat and having at least a portion of its length generally perpendicular to the grip handle, the second blade being divided longitudinally into a left segment and a right segment, the left segment and the right segment each being pivotable about the base end of the grip handle, the axis of pivoting being generally collinear with the centerline of the grip handle, the second blade comprising a polycarbonate; (d) a blade actuator on the grip handle, comprising a sliding switch, whereby movement of the sliding switch to a first position causes the segments of the second blade to pivot about the base end of the grip handle such that the left segment and the right segment are separated, thereby defining an expanded position of the second blade, whereby movement of the sliding switch to a second position causes the segments of the second blade to pivot about the base end of the grip handle such that the left segment and the right segment come together, thereby defining a retracted position of the second blade, the second blade being generally parallel to the first blade when the second blade is in the retracted position; (e) a light at the underside of the first blade, the light comprising at least one light emitting diode positioned to illuminate the patient's tissues proximate the first blade and the second blade; (f) a power source within the grip handle and in electrical communication with the light, the power source comprising at least one battery; and (g) a light switch at the top end of the grip handle to interrupt and reestablish the electrical communication between the power supply and the light, the light switch comprising a push-button toggle.