Lubricated trocar valve

• US 5,720,730 A
• Filed: 09/01/1995
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph W. Blake III
• Original Assignee: Joseph W. Blake III
• Inventors: Blake, Joseph W. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koo, Benjamin K.
• Application Number:
  US08/522,697
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 604/164, 604/167, 604/280, 604/282, 604/256
• US Class Current: 604/167.02
• 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 2017/00845 of moving parts with respect to each other

Abstract

A sealing arrangement for trocar tubes including an upper ring seal forming the primary seal, and a lower seal valve forming the secondary seal. Both seals form part of a valve system which can be positioned within a removable cartridge. The valve cartridge comprises a tubular open-ended housing in which the seal ring is fitted to the top opening, and with the seal valve located within the housing. The seal valve is elastomeric in tubular form for passing instruments and is provided with upper and lower flanges for placement within the cartridge. The intermediate portion of the valve between the flanges is in the general form of converging and diverging frusto-conical sections which join along a sealing line. A seal is formed between the interior wall surfaces of the valve and the instrument present in the trocar tube. Peritoneal pressure is admitted to the trocar head or housing for pressing the valve in forming the desired seal. With the instrument removed, the valve walls engage each other along the seal line to form the desired seal. The valve walls are layered with hydrogel and a microencapsulated liquid coating substantially extending the shelf-life of the valve, providing lubricity for the valve surface, and improving the sealing characteristic of the base elastomer of the valve body.

Claims

1. An elastomeric sealing valve for a trocar comprising upper and lower peripheral rims joined by a generally cylindrical air tight tube, the tube portion of the valve between the rims being in the general form of upper converging and lower diverging planar wall sections which meet along a diametric sealing line defined by touching interior surfaces of the planar wall sections the lower planar walls comprising return panels which protect the integrity of the seal line by resisting the tendency of instruments to disturb the seal line by inverting the upper planar walls when passing through the seal valve, the interior surface having a layer of non-hydrated hydrogel thereon, and a coating of microcapsules containing a liquid covering the hydrogel layer for releasing the liquid to hydrate the hydrogel when the microcapsules are ruptured.

2. An elastomeric sealing valve for a trocar comprising upper and lower peripheral rims joined by a generally cylindrical air tight tube, the tube portion of the valve between the rims having wall sections which meet along a sealing line defined by touching interior surfaces of the planar wall sections, the interior surface of the valve having a layer of non-hydrated hydrogel thereon, and a coating of microcapsules containing a liquid covering the hydrogel layer for releasing the liquid to hydrate the hydrogel when the microcapsules are ruptured.

3. A trocar tube for receiving trocar obturators and surgical instruments, the trocar tube comprising a housing in the form of a hollow shell with aligned first and second openings in opposite sides of the housing defining a central passage therethrough, the first opening being in the top side of the shell, the second opening being in the bottom side and having a tube affixed thereto, the tube having an axis aligned with the central passage, a primary seal positioned in the housing around the first opening and encompassing the central passage, a secondary seal positioned in the housing to encompass the central passage, the secondary seal having upper and lower peripheral rims joined by a generally cylindrical air tight tube, the tube portion of the valve between the rims being in the general form of upper converging and lower diverging planar wall sections which meet along a diametric sealing line defined by touching interior surfaces of the planar wall sections the lower planar walls comprising return planar walls which protect the integrity of the seal line by resisting the tendency of instruments to disturb the seal line by inverting the upper planar walls when passing through the seal valve, the interior surface of the valve having a layer of non-hydrated hydrogel thereon, and a coating of microcapsules containing a hydrating liquid covering the hydrogel layer for releasing the liquid to hydrate the hydrogel when the microcapsules are ruptured thereby to lubricate the interior surface and to improve the sealing chararacteristic of the valve along the seal line.

4. A trocar tube for receiving trocar obturators and surgical instruments, the trocar tube comprising a housing in the form of a hollow shell with aligned first and second openings in opposite sides of the housing defining a central passage therethrough, the first opening being in the top side of the shell, the second opening being in the bottom side and having a tube affixed thereto, the tube having an axis aligned with the central passage, a primary seal positioned in the housing around the first opening and encompassing the central passage, the surface of the primary seal encompassing the central passage having hydrogel thereon, a secondary seal positioned in the housing to encompass the central passage, the secondary seal having upper and lower peripheral rims joined by a generally cylindrical air tight tube, the tube portion of the valve between the rims being in the general form of upper converging and lower diverging planar wall sections which meet along a diametric sealing line defined by touching interior surfaces of the planar wall sections the lower planar walls comprising return planar walls which protect the integrity of the seal line by resisting the tendency of instruments to disturb the seal line by inverting the upper planar walls when passing through the seal valve, the interior surface of the valve having non-hydrated hydrogel thereon, and a coating of microcapsules containing a hydrating liquid covering the hydrogel of the primary and secondary seals for releasing the liquid to hydrate the hydrogel when the microcapsules are ruptured thereby to lubricate the primary and secondary seals.