Trocar

• US 5,817,062 A
• Filed: 06/27/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heartport, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Heartport, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Ray, Pinaki, Flom, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): YEH, LUKE
• Application Number:
  US08/672,164
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 604/104, 604/105, 604/106, 604/107, 604/108, 604/109, 604/174, 604/175, 604/178
• US Class Current: 604/174
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3417 Details of tips or shafts, e.g. grooves, expandable, bendable; Multiple coaxial sliding cannulas, e.g. for dilating syringe needles A61M5/32; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3419 Sealing means between cannula and body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3482 inside
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3484 Anchoring means, e.g. spreading-out umbrella-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/349 Trocar with thread on outside
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3492 against the outside of the body

Abstract

A thoracic trocar having a deflectable member. The deflectable member has a frustoconical outer surface and is movable between first and second positions. The outer surface is angled toward the distal end in the first position and angled toward the proximal end in the second position. The first and second positions are both stable, unbiased positions and the deflectable member is movable from the first position to the second position upon application of the necessary force.

Claims

1. A device used for introducing a surgical instrument into a patient, comprising:

a body having a proximal end and a distal end;

an instrument delivery lumen extending through the body; and

a deflectable member coupled to the body and being made of an elastomeric material, the deflectable member having an outer surface which is angled toward the distal end of the body when the deflectable member is in a first, unbiased position, the deflectable member also having a free end and an attachment end which is coupled to the body, the free end extending around the instrument delivery lumen and being spaced apart from the body when the deflectable member is in the first position, the deflectable member being deflectable from the first position to a second position, the free end being positioned nearer the proximal end than the attachment end when in the first position and being positioned further from the proximal end than the attachment end when in the second position, the deflectable member having an inner surface opposite the outer surface, the inner and outer surfaces having a frustoconical shape.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the second position is a stable, unbiased position.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein:

the outer surface of the deflectable member extends around the instrument delivery lumen.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the deflectable member is configured to deflect from the first position to the second position upon application of a force between 2 and 5 lbs.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the body includes a helical thread on an exterior surface.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable obturator extending through the instrument delivery lumen and beyond the distal end of the body.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a clamp coupled to the body, the clamp being configured to clamp a body structure between the deflectable member and the clamp.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the outer surface is angled toward the proximal end when the deflectable member is in the second position.

9. A device used for introducing a surgical instrument into a patient, comprising:

a body having a proximal end and a distal end;

an instrument delivery lumen extending through the body; and

a deflectable member coupled to the body and being made of an elastomeric material, the deflectable member having an outer surface which is angled toward the distal end of the body when the deflectable member is in a first, unbiased position, the deflectable member also having a free end and an attachment end which is coupled to the body, the free end extending around the instrument delivery lumen and being spaced apart from the body when the deflectable member is in the first position, the deflectable member being deflectable from the first position to a second position, the free end being positioned nearer the proximal end than the attachment end when in the first position and being positioned further from the proximal end than the attachment end when in the second position;

the body including an elastomeric sheath;

the deflectable member being integrally formed with the elastomeric sheath.

10. A method of providing an instrument delivery path into a patient comprising the steps of:

providing a trocar including a body having a deflectable member and an instrument delivery lumen, the deflectable member being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a stable unbiased position, the deflectable member being movable from the first position to the second position upon application of a deflecting force to the deflectable member, the deflectable member having a free end and an attachment end, the attachment end being coupled to the body and the free end being spaced apart from the body, the free end being positioned closer to the proximal end than the attachment end when the deflectable member is in the first position and the free end being positioned further from the proximal end than the attachment end when the deflectable member is in the second position;

inserting the trocar into the patient thereby forming an opening in the patient the deflectable member being in the first position after being inserted into the patient so that withdrawal of the trocar is resisted by the free end contacting the patient;

introducing an instrument into the patient through the instrument delivery lumen;

removing the instrument from the instrument delivery lumen; and

removing the trocar from the patient after the instrument removing step, the trocar removing step being carried out so that the free end engages the patient and the deflecting force is exerted on the deflectable member to move the deflectable member from the first position toward the second position.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

positioning an obturator in the instrument delivery lumen before the inserting step; and

removing the obturator before the introducing step.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the trocar removing step being carried out so that the deflecting force is between 2 to 5 lbs to move the deflectable member to the second position.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

clamping a body structure between the deflectable member and a clamp which is coupled to the body.