Patent ID: 7909761

Claim:
A surgical retractor to allow improved access through a surgical opening through the tissue of a patient, comprising: a ring, a plurality of flexible straps, each strap having a proximal end, a distal end, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, said distal end of said plurality of flexible straps connected to said ring, a connector attached to each of said plurality of straps, said connector capable of connecting said strap to a support surface, a malleable flange extending distally from said ring, said surgical retractor having an initial position wherein the first lateral side of each flexible strap is connected to the second lateral side of an adjacent flexible strap, thus forming an elongated sleeve structure, and said surgical retractor having a deployed position wherein at least a portion of the first lateral side of each flexible strap is disconnected from the second lateral side of the adjacent flexible strap, wherein, when the surgical retractor is in the deployed position, a proximal portion of the first lateral side of each flexible strap is disconnected from the second lateral side of the adjacent flexible strap and a distal portion of the first lateral side of each flexible strap remains connected to the second lateral side of the adjacent flexible strap forming a distal sleeve structure.