ABSORBING FLUIDS IN A SURGICAL ACCESS DEVICE

• US 20090270685A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cilag Gmbh International (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Mumaw, Daniel J., Franer, Paul T., Gilker, Thomas A., Minnelli, Patrick J., Bookbinder, Mark J., Mollere, Rebecca J., Duke, Daniel H., Tanguay, Randall, Moreno, Cesar E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/203
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/122 using cleaning tools, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3462 with means for changing the diameter or the orientation of the entrance port of the cannula, e.g. for use with different-sized instruments, reduction ports, adapter seals expandable cannulas A61B17/3417
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3498 Valves therefor, e.g. flapper valves, slide valves haemostasis valves A61M39/06; check valves A61M39/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3437 with means for removing or absorbing fluid, e.g. wicks or absorbent pads
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3464 with means acting on inner surface of valve or seal for expanding or protecting, e.g. inner pivoting fingers

Abstract

The present invention generally provides methods and devices for removing fluid from a surgical instrument. Surgical access devices and seal systems are generally provided having one or more valves or seal assemblies to create a closed system between the outside environment and the environment in which the surgical access device is being inserted. In one embodiment, a seal assembly is provided and can include a seal having an opening configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough and a fluid remover in the form of an absorbent element, a scraper element, a wicking element, or any combination thereof can be associated with the seal and configured to remove fluid from the opening and/or a surgical instrument.

Claims

1. A seal assembly for use in a surgical access device, comprising:

a seal having an opening configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough; and

an absorbent element associated with the seal and configured to absorb fluid away from at least one of the opening and a surgical instrument passed through the opening.

2. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent element is positioned adjacent to the opening such that it is configured to contact and absorb fluid away from a surgical instrument passed through the opening in the seal.

3. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal is configured to scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument passed through the opening, and the absorbent element is configured to absorb fluid scraped off of the surgical instrument by the seal.

4. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening extends between proximal and distal surfaces of the seal, and the absorbent element is positioned adjacent to one of the proximal and distal surfaces of the seal.

5. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent element is formed integrally with the seal.

6. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises at least one of an instrument seal configured to form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough and a zero-closure seal configured to form a seal when no surgical instrument is disposed therethrough.

7. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent element is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polyester, rayon, cellulose acetate, nylon polyester, polyolefin, spunbond polyethylene terephethalate, polyurethane foam, and combinations thereof.

8. The seal assembly of claim 1, further comprising a scraper element positioned adjacent to the absorbent element and configured to scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument passed through the opening in the seal.

9. The seal assembly of claim 8, wherein the scraper element includes an opening formed therethrough and configured to circumferentially scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument passed therethrough.

10. The seal assembly of claim 8, wherein the scraper element comprises a cone-shaped scraper extending distally from a distal surface of the seal and having an opening for receiving and scraping a surgical instrument.

11. The seal assembly of claim 10, wherein the absorbent element is substantially cone-shaped and the cone-shaped scraper is nested within the substantially cone-shaped absorbent element.

12. The seal assembly of claim 8, wherein the scraper element comprises a disc having an opening for receiving and scraping a surgical instrument and the absorbent element comprises an absorbent ring positioned adjacent to the disc and configured to absorb fluid scraped by the disc.

13. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a flexible member and a multi-layer protective member and the absorbent element is positioned between layers of the multi-layer protective member.

14. The seal assembly of claim 13, wherein the absorbent element comprise a multiple layer absorbent element.

15. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a zero-closure seal and the absorbent element comprises at least two absorbent flapper doors positioned adjacent to a distal surface of the zero-closure seal.

16. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a zero-closure seal having a first member nested within a second member, and wherein the absorbent element is positioned between the first and second members of the zero-closure seal and is configured to absorb fluids as the zero-closure seal opens and closes.

17. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent element comprises at least two absorbent bars configured to contact and absorb fluid away from a surgical instrument passed through the opening in the seal and between the at least two absorbent bars.

18. The seal assembly of claim 1, wherein the absorbent element comprises a plurality of absorbent elements and the seal assembly further comprises a plurality of scrapers in communication with the plurality of absorbent elements, the plurality of scrapers being configured to scrape fluid from a surgical instrument passed through the opening in the seal.

19. A surgical access device, comprising:

a housing defining a working channel sized and configured to receive a surgical instrument;

a seal disposed within the housing and having an opening positioned to receive a surgical instrument passed through the working channel therethough; and

an absorbent element disposed in the housing and configured to absorb fluid to prevent fluid from being re-deposited on surgical instruments passed through the working channel.

20. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element is positioned to absorb fluid off of a surgical instrument passed through the housing.

21. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element is positioned to absorb fluid away from the opening in the seal.

22. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the housing includes a proximal portion containing the seal and a distal cannula extending distally from the proximal portion and configured to be inserted into a body cavity.

23. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element is formed integrally with the seal.

24. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polyester, rayon, cellulose acetate, nylon polyester, polyolefin, spunbond polyethylene terephethalate, polyurethane foam, and combinations thereof.

25. The surgical access device of claim 19, further comprising a scraper disposed in the housing and configured to scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument passed through working channel.

26. The surgical access device of claim 25, wherein the absorbent element is configured to absorb fluid scraped by the scraper.

27. The surgical access device of claim 25, wherein the scraper is substantially cone-shaped and has an opening for receiving and scraping a surgical instrument.

28. The surgical access device of claim 27, wherein the absorbent element is substantially cone-shaped and the scraper is nested within the absorbent element so that the absorbent element is configured to absorb fluids scraped by the scraper.

29. The surgical access device of claim 25, wherein the scraper comprises a disc having an opening for receiving and scraping a surgical instrument and the absorbent element is positioned adjacent to the opening in the disc.

30. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element comprises a plurality of absorbent elements, and the surgical access device further comprises a plurality of scrapers in communication with the plurality of absorbent elements and configured to scrape fluid from a surgical instrument passed through the working channel.

31. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the seal includes a multi-layer flexible member and the absorbent element is positioned between layers of the multi-layer protective member.

32. The surgical access device of claim 19, wherein the absorbent element and the seal are positioned in contact with one another and have substantially the same shape.

33. A method for removing fluid from a seal opening, comprising:

passing a surgical instrument through an opening in a seal in an access device, wherein fluid on the instrument is absorbed by an absorbent element in the access device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the absorbent absorbs fluid away from the instrument.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the absorbent absorbs fluid away deposited on the seal by the instrument.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein a scraper element disposed in the access device scrapes fluid from the surgical instrument as it is passed through the access device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the absorbent element absorbs fluid scraped by the scraper.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the absorbent element absorbs fluid as the seal opens and closes.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the access device comprises a trocar and the method further comprises inserting a trocar through tissue to form a working channel extending into a body cavity.