Trocar with linear movement seal
First Claim
1. A medical device, designed for minimally invasive surgical procedures, comprising:
- a body having proximal and distal ends and a hollow interior defining a path between the proximal and distal ends;
an object sized to pass along the path; and
a seal mounted within the body and fluidly sealing the path with and without the object directed along the path and into the hollow interior, the seal including;
first and second sealing elements positioned along the path, each sealing element movable laterally along a linear path from a sealing position to an object passing position;
means for biasing the sealing elements towards the sealing position;
said first and second sealing elements having confronting sealing surfaces which sealingly engage one another when the sealing elements are in the sealing position so to seal the path when an object is not positioned along the path, said sealing elements configured to permit the object to pass therethrough; and
an object seal, positioned along the path, configured to sealably engage the object when the object is directed along the path to provide a fluid seal between the object and the hollow interior.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A trocar (2) includes a hollow body (4) defining a path between its proximal and distal ends with an obturator assembly (6) positioned along the path. The tip (34, 36) of the obturator assembly has a cutting element (38). A novel gas sealing assembly (114) seals the path along the trocar body and includes first and second sealing elements (122) each movable laterally, typically radially, along a linear path between a sealing position, to seal the path when an object, such as an obturator barrel (14), is not positioned along the path, and an object passing position, when an object is positioned along the path. The gas sealing assembly also includes a flexible, elastic, conical element (144) with a hole (158) at its tip and raised ridges or rings (164) along its inner surface (154), for sealing the path when an object is positioned along the path.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A medical device, designed for minimally invasive surgical procedures, comprising:
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a body having proximal and distal ends and a hollow interior defining a path between the proximal and distal ends; an object sized to pass along the path; and a seal mounted within the body and fluidly sealing the path with and without the object directed along the path and into the hollow interior, the seal including; first and second sealing elements positioned along the path, each sealing element movable laterally along a linear path from a sealing position to an object passing position; means for biasing the sealing elements towards the sealing position; said first and second sealing elements having confronting sealing surfaces which sealingly engage one another when the sealing elements are in the sealing position so to seal the path when an object is not positioned along the path, said sealing elements configured to permit the object to pass therethrough; and an object seal, positioned along the path, configured to sealably engage the object when the object is directed along the path to provide a fluid seal between the object and the hollow interior. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A trocar comprising:
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a body having proximal and distal ends and a hollow interior defining a path between the proximal and distal ends; an object sized to pass along the path; and a seal mounted within the body and fluidly sealing the path with and without the object directed along the path and into the hollow interior, the seal including; first and second sealing elements positioned along the path, each sealing element movable radially along a linear path from a sealing position to an object passing position; means for biasing the sealing elements towards the sealing position; said first and second sealing elements having confronting sealing surfaces which sealingly engage one another when the sealing elements are in the sealing position so to seal the path when an object is not positioned along the path, said sealing elements configured to permit the object to pass therethrough; a flexible, elastic, conical element, positioned along the path, tapering inwardly from a first end in a direction from the proximal end of the body towards the distal end of the body, the conical element including a central opening at a second end thereof, the central opening, when the conical element is in a relaxed, contracted position, having a diameter which is at least slightly smaller than the diameter of the object to provide a fluid seal between the object and the hollow interior; the conical element having an inner surface and the inner surface having a series of raised ring-like elements thereon; and the conical element being movable from the relaxed, contracted position to an open position so that the conical element is adapted to engage objects having an outside diameter of x to at least 2x.
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18. A seal for use with a surgical object and hollow body defining a path, the surgical object and the body being used in a minimally invasive surgical procedure, the body having proximal and distal ends, comprising:
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first and second sealing elements positioned along the path, each sealing element movable laterally along a linear path from a sealing position to an object passing position; first and second spring biasing the sealing elements towards the sealing position; said first and second sealing elements having confronting sealing surfaces which sealingly engage one another when the sealing elements are in the sealing position so to seal the path when an object is not positioned along the path, said sealing elements configured to permit the object to pass therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A medical device designed for minimally invasive surgical procedures comprising:
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a body having proximal and distal ends and a hollow interior defining a path between the proximal and distal ends; an object sized to pass along the path; a seal mounted within the body and fluidly sealing the path with and without the object directed along the path and into the hollow interior, the seal including; first and second sealing elements positioned along the path, each sealing element movable laterally along a linear path from the sealing position to an object passing position; means for biasing the sealing elements towards the sealing position; said first and second sealing elements having confronting sealing surfaces which sealingly engage one another when the sealing elements are in the sealing position so to seal the path when an object is not positioned along the path, said sealing elements configured to permit the object to pass therethrough; and a resilient vent ring, having an interior surface and an exterior surface, mounted along the path within the hollow interior of the body between the seal and the distal end of the body, the vent ring adapted to permit fluid flow from the exterior of the body into the hollow interior, but to prevent fluid flow from the hollow interior to the exterior of the body.
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Specification