Surgical retractor with mounting rail

Abstract

A retractor assembly for retracting a surgical incision in a patient, having a plurality of perimeter mounting rails. The retractor having first and second generally opposed spreader arms movable relative to each other along a guide member connected thereto, through the actuation of a drive mechanism. Each of first and second spreader arms having respectively a first and second blade portion adapted to retract opposing edges of a surgical incision. The first and second spreader arms and guide member are provided with a mounting rail configured and sized for selectively mounting an instrument-positioning member thereto. The instrument-positioning member is adapted to cooperatively engage mounting rail on either of spreader arms or rack bar and is slidable along a length of the mounting rail when it is in an loosened configuration and adapted to resist any movement along the mounting rail when it is in a locked configuration.

1 . A retractor assembly for retracting a surgical incision in a patient, said retractor assembly comprising: 
 a generally elongated guide member, said guide member having a guide member mounting rail extending along a length thereof;    a first spreader arm and a second spreader arm, said first and second spreader arms being mechanically coupled to said guide member; said first and second spreader arms being movable relative to each other along said guide member between a first position wherein said first and second spreader arms are in a generally adjacent relationship relative to each other and a second position wherein said first and second spreader arms are in a generally spaced apart relationship relative to each other;    a first retractor blade and a second retractor blade respectively extending from said first and second spreader arms, said first and second retractor blades respectively defining a first and a second blade contacting surface for respectively engaging opposed body tissue edges of said surgical incision during retraction thereof;    at least an arm section of said first or second spreader arms having a spreader arm mounting rail extending along a length thereof;    an instrument-positioning member operatively coupled to either one of said spreader arm mounting rails or guide member mounting rail, said instrument-positioning member being moveable between a loosened configuration and a locked configuration wherein respectively; 
 in said loosened configuration said instrument-positioning member is slidable along said mounting rail; and  
 in said locked configuration, said instrument-positioning member resists any movement relative to said mounting rail.