Patent ID: 7850608

Claim:
A minimal incision maximal access minimal invasive surgical spine instrument comprising: a first retractor blade member; a second retractor blade member; a support having a first member for supporting said first retractor blade member and a second member for supporting said second retractor blade member, said first member of said support controllably angularly pivotable with respect to said second member of said support about a first pivot axis, and wherein at least one of said first retractor blade member and said second retractor blade member is movable independent of its associated one of said first member and said second member; and a mechanical linkage configured to rotate said first member and said second member in both a first direction and a second direction with respect to each other about said first pivot axis, said mechanical linkage configured to maintain an angular relationship of said first member with respect to said second member, and wherein both of said first retractor blade member and said second retractor blade member are independently pivotable with respect to the associated said first member and said second member about second and third pivot axes, respectively, said first, second and third pivot axes being coplanar and parallel.