US 12,490,968 B2
Retractors
Forbes Butterfield, Glasgow (GB); Colin Crosland, Glasgow (GB); Kenneth Mccorkindale, Glasgow (GB); and Lewis Kingsley, Glasgow (GB)
Assigned to SURE RETRACTORS LIMITED, Glasgow (GB)
Filed by SURE RETRACTORS LIMITED, Glasgow (GB)
Filed on Jul. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,164.
Application 17/861,164 is a division of application No. 16/759,685, granted, now 11,395,645, previously published as PCT/GB2018/053199, filed on Nov. 5, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 1718242 (GB), filed on Nov. 3, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0338853 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0206 (2013.01) [A61B 2017/00407 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0256 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A retractor comprising:
an elongate support member having a screw thread along at least part of its length;
a first arm having a first anatomy engaging member depending therefrom;
a second arm having a second anatomy engaging member depending therefrom and a threaded portion which cooperates with the screw thread to move the second arm along the support member; and
a driver operable to move the second arm along the support member by cooperation of the threaded portion and the screw thread whereby separation between the first and second arms changes, wherein
each of the elongate support member, the first and second arms, and the first and second anatomy engaging members is formed substantially completely of a plastics material;
each of the first and second anatomy engaging members is integrally formed in a unitary structure and comprises a blade having an attached end attached to a corresponding arm, and a free end extending from the attached end; and
each of the first and second anatomy engaging members is attached releasably to the corresponding arm by an annular snap-fit of the attached end around the corresponding arm.