Intraluminal retractor

An intraluminal retractor, comprising:

• an actuator comprising an elongated element;
• a plurality of shaping segments positioned sequentially along a length of the actuator, each shaping segment including:
• a body including a first half and a second half capable of being assembled with each other over the elongated element to define an orientation of each shaping segment relative to an orientation of at least one adjacent shaping segment;
• a channel extending through a length of the body, the channel including a first half recessed in an abutting surface of the first half of the body and a second half recessed in an abutting surface of the second half of the body, the channel capable of receiving a portion of the actuator and enabling each shaping segment to be oriented in a plurality of orientations about the portion of the actuator, and
• ends, including a proximal end and a distal end opposite from one another,
• at least one shaping segment of the plurality of shaping segments including at least one end comprising a flat surface oriented perpendicular to a length of the channel through the at least one shaping segment;
• the intraluminal retractor having a relaxed configuration in which adjacent shaping segments of the plurality of shaping segments are at least partially spaced apart from one another, the intraluminal retractor being flexible while in the relaxed configuration, and
• the intraluminal retractor having a contracted configuration in which adjacent shaping segments of the plurality of shaping segments abut one another, orientations of the adjacent shaping segments about the portion of the actuator defining a shape of the intraluminal retractor while in the contracted configuration.

An intraluminal retractor, comprising:

• an actuator comprising an elongated element;
• a plurality of shaping segments positioned sequentially along a length of the actuator, each shaping segment including:
• a body including a first half and a second half capable of being assembled with each other over the elongated element to define an orientation of each shaping segment relative to an orientation of at least one adjacent shaping segment;
• a channel extending through a length of the body, the channel including a first half recessed in an abutting surface of the first half of the body and a second half recessed in an abutting surface of the second half of the body, the channel capable of receiving a portion of the actuator and enabling each shaping segment to be oriented in a plurality of orientations about the portion of the actuator;
• and
• ends, including a proximal end and a distal end opposite from one another,
• at least one shaping segment of the plurality of shaping segments including ends comprising flat surfaces oriented obliquely to a length of the channel through the at least one shaping segment, the flat surfaces of the ends of the at least one shaping segment being oriented non-parallel to one another;
• the intraluminal retractor having a relaxed configuration in which adjacent shaping segments of the plurality of shaping segments are at least partially spaced apart from one another, the intraluminal retractor being flexible while in the relaxed configuration, and
• the intraluminal retractor having a contracted configuration in which adjacent shaping segments of the plurality of shaping segments abut one another, orientations of the adjacent shaping segments about the portion of the actuator defining a shape of the intraluminal retractor while in the contracted configuration.