Illuminated surgical retractor

1. An illuminated retractor comprising:

a blade having first and second opposing surfaces;

a handle extending at an angle from a proximal end of the blade;

an illumination assembly comprising at least one light source, said illumination assembly being permanently attached to the retractor,

wherein:

said illumination assembly comprises a plurality of retaining tabs and the retractor comprises corresponding acceptance slots, and

said retaining tabs and corresponding acceptance slots are configured to engage with one another in at least two different angular orientations with respect to one another.

2. The illuminated retractor of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the illumination assembly is permanently attached to the first surface of the blade.

3. The illuminated retractor of claim 2 , wherein the corresponding acceptance slots fully penetrate from the first surface of the blade to the second surface of the blade.

4. The illuminated retractor of claim 3 , wherein each of the corresponding acceptance slots forms an acceptance cavity in the second surface of the blade, said acceptance cavity engaging with the corresponding retaining tab, and wherein the retaining tabs do not protrude from said second surface of the blade.

5. The illuminated retractor of claim 4 , wherein the corresponding acceptance slots are located vertically, horizontally or at an angle with an attaching surface of the blade.

6. The illuminated retractor of claim 4 , wherein when the retaining tabs are fully inserted into the corresponding acceptance slots, each of the retaining tabs is disposed in the acceptance cavity of the corresponding acceptance slot.

7. The illuminated retractor of claim 6 , wherein the retaining tabs are configured to be compressed for insertion into the corresponding acceptance slots and wherein the acceptance cavity of each acceptance slot is configured to remove the co p ion on the retaining tab disposed therein.

8. The illuminated retractor of claim 2 , wherein the blade includes a curved portion forming the proximal end of the blade, wherein the handle extends from the curved portion.

9. The illuminated retractor of claim 8 , wherein the illumination assembly is permanently attached to the curved portion of the blade.

10. The illuminated retractor of claim 2 , wherein the illumination assembly further comprises at least one battery and an activation device for energizing the at least one light source.

11. The illuminated retractor of claim 2 , wherein the illumination assembly does not include a light diffusion device and wherein the at least one light source directly emits light toward a distal end of the blade.

12. The illuminated surgical retractor of claim 1 , wherein the retaining tabs are cylindrical.

13. An illuminated surgical retractor comprising:

a blade having first and second opposing surfaces;

a handle extending in a first direction at an angle from a proximal end of the blade;

an illumination assembly comprising at least one direct light source positioned so as to directly emit light toward the distal end of the blade, said illumination assembly being permanently attached to the retractor,

wherein:

the first surface of the blade faces away from the first direction,

the illumination assembly abuts only the first surface of the blade without abutting other surfaces of the blade, and

the illumination assembly includes cover partially enclosing the at least one light source and being permanently attached to the first surface of the blade.

14. The illuminated surgical retract in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the blade and the handle are integrally molded.

15. The illuminated surgical retractor in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the blade includes a curved portion forming the proximal end of the blade, wherein the handle extends from the curved portion.

16. The illuminated surgical retractor of claim 15 , wherein the illumination assembly is permanently attached to the curved portion of the blade.

17. The illuminated surgical retractor of claim 13 , wherein the illumination assembly does not include a light diffusion device.

18. The illuminated surgical retractor of claim 13 , wherein the illumination assembly further includes at least one battery and an activation device for energizing the light source, wherein the cover of the illumination assembly and the first surface of the blade enclose the at least one battery.

19. The illuminated surgical retractor of claim 18 , wherein the activation device comprises a removable tab extending from an opening in the cover of the illumination assembly.