Patent ID: 8262569

Claim:
A surgical retractor for creating an access path between an incision site and a surgical site during a surgical procedure, comprising: a frame having a base member, a cross member, and a pair of generally parallel curved rails extending between said base member and said cross member, said rails being fixedly attached to both said base member and said cross member such that the base member and cross member are not moveable relative to each other; a tubular member coupled to said frame and having a first blade portion and a second blade portion, said first blade portion removably secured directly to said base member, said second blade portion secured to a sliding member configured to slide along said rails, said first and second blade portions capable of relative movement with respect to each other from a first contracted position to an expanded position by movement of said second blade portion along said rails, and a lock mechanism disposed on said sliding member, said lock mechanism pivotable between an open position in which the sliding member moves along said rails, and a locked position in which movement of the sliding member relative to the rails is prevented, wherein the lock mechanism is biased in the locked position; wherein said first and second blade portions define at least in part an access path extending between the incision site and the surgical site.