Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Patent
1996-09-26
1998-03-24
Buiz, Michael
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
606167, A61M 500
Patent
active
057307288
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to gas-tight seals and to trocar systems incorporating such seals.
Trocar systems are used during abdominal operations for maintaining a passage through the abdominal wall of a patient. Trocar systems generally comprise a cannula in the form of an elongate tube terminating in an enlarged upper body and an oturator or cutting tool which is fed through the enlarged upper body and down the elongate tube to pierce the abdominal wall so that the elongate tube can follow the tool through the wall. The cutting tool is then removed leaving the way clear for elongate surgical instruments or equipment, such as endoscopes, to be fed into the abdomen through the tube. To provide space within the abdomen, the abdomen is inflated with a gas and this allows easy access to the various organs located within the abdomen. To maintain gas pressure the trocar system is provided with a flap valve which is urged by the pressure of gas into a closed state. The flap valve must, however, be opened to allow the passage of surgical tools. Accordingly a sealing system is provided in the enlarged upper body to provide a seal around the surgical instrument once it has been inserted into the enlarged upper body. This now creates a gas lock between the flap valve and the seal and so the flap valve can now be opened (either by pushing the instrument against it or by other means) substantially without loss of pressure in the abdomen. The instrument can now be fed into the abdomen and manipulated as required. Usually more than one trocar is used so as to provide multiple entry points into the abdomen.
The diameter of the instruments used is usually much smaller than the diameter of the tube or the enlarged body and so a considerable amount of lateral off-axis movement of the instruments can and does take place in order to effect the desired manipulation of the instrument. Because the seals used are static, any movement of the instrument other than axial can to strain the seal to to the extent of temporarily breaking the seal and so allowing gas to escape. Also most seals are designed with a specific diameter of instrument in mind and so different seals or adaptors are required when changing instruments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the invention to provide an improved seal.
According to the present invention there is provided a trocar comprising an elongate tail portion for insertion through the abdominal wall of a patient and a head portion defining a compartment accommodating a replaceable seal module, the seal module comprising a housing containing a gas impermeable barrier extending across a chamber in said housing and secured to make a substantially gas-tight seal with the internal wall of the chamber, said barrier having a central elastic portion with an opening which can be stretched to accommodate the passage of elongate instruments of different cross section to form a substantially gas-tight seal with such instruments, means for constraining said central portion which allows displacement relative to the compartment in a predetermined plane, substantially without impediment.
According to the present invention there is further provided a replaceable seal module for a trocar comprising a housing defining a chamber, a barrier extending across said chamber to make a substantially gas-tight seal with the internal wall of the chamber, the barrier having a generally central elastic portion with an opening which can be stretched to accommodate the passage of elongate instruments of different cross section to form a substantially gas-tight seal with such instruments, means for constraining the central portion for displacement in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the opening, the outer portion of the barrier allowing displacement of the central portion substantially without resistance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A gas-tight seal embodying the present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying dia
REFERENCES:
patent: 5176652 (1993-01-01), Littrell
patent: 5201714 (1993-04-01), Gentelia et al.
patent: 5342315 (1994-08-01), Rowe et al.
patent: 5380288 (1995-01-01), Hart et al.
patent: 5397335 (1995-03-01), Gresl et al.
patent: 5476475 (1995-12-01), Gadberry
patent: 5496280 (1996-03-01), Vandenbroek et al.
Hoskin, deceased William John
Kemp Nicholas Richard
3i Group plc
Buiz Michael
Lewis William W.
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