ACCESS APPARATUS WITH SHALLOW ZERO CLOSURE VALVE
First Claim
1. A surgical access assembly for use with a surgical access device, which comprises:
- a housing defining a central longitudinal axis;
an elongate access member extending from the housing, the housing and the access member having a longitudinal passage dimensioned to permit passage of a surgical instrument;
an instrument seal disposed within the housing and being adapted to establish a substantial fluid tight seal about the instrument; and
a zero closure valve mounted relative to the housing and being adapted to assume an open condition upon passage of the surgical instrument and a substantially closed position in the absence of the instrument, the zero closure valve including a valve periphery and first and second lips depending from the valve periphery, the first and second lips having lip edge surfaces in juxtaposed relation to define a slit when the valve is in the closed position thereof, at least one of the lips having a general arcuate internal lip surface leading to the lip edge surface to define a sloping configuration dimensioned to facilitate passage of the surgical instrument through the valve.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical access assembly for use with a surgical access device includes a housing defining a central longitudinal axis, an elongate access member extending from the housing whereby the housing and the access member having a longitudinal passage dimensioned to permit passage of a surgical instrument, an instrument seal disposed within the housing and being adapted to establish a substantial fluid tight seal about the instrument and a zero closure valve mounted relative to the housing and being adapted to assume an open condition upon passage of the surgical instrument and a substantially closed position in the absence of the instrument. The zero closure valve includes a valve periphery and first and second lips depending from the valve periphery. The first and second lips have lip edge surfaces in juxtaposed relation to define a slit when the valve is in the closed position thereof. At least one of the lips has a general arcuate internal lip surface leading to the lip edge surface to define a sloping configuration dimensioned to facilitate passage of the surgical instrument through the valve. Each of the first and second lips may define a general arcuate lip surface. In one embodiment, the internal arcuate lip surface of each of the first and second lips includes an outer surface portion arranged at a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the seal housing and an inner surface portion arranged at a second angle relative to longitudinal axis and being different from the first angle. The first angle is greater than the second angle.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A surgical access assembly for use with a surgical access device, which comprises:
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a housing defining a central longitudinal axis; an elongate access member extending from the housing, the housing and the access member having a longitudinal passage dimensioned to permit passage of a surgical instrument; an instrument seal disposed within the housing and being adapted to establish a substantial fluid tight seal about the instrument; and a zero closure valve mounted relative to the housing and being adapted to assume an open condition upon passage of the surgical instrument and a substantially closed position in the absence of the instrument, the zero closure valve including a valve periphery and first and second lips depending from the valve periphery, the first and second lips having lip edge surfaces in juxtaposed relation to define a slit when the valve is in the closed position thereof, at least one of the lips having a general arcuate internal lip surface leading to the lip edge surface to define a sloping configuration dimensioned to facilitate passage of the surgical instrument through the valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification