| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 604167060 | Means in conduit to produce fluid tight seal between conduit and element only when element is located within conduit and passing through seal means | 13 |
| 20080249475 | TROCAR SEAL - A trocar seal removably connected to a trocar cannula is provided that comprises an instrument seal and a zero seal with the zero seal connected to the instrument seal. A cover is connected to the instrument seal and a sleeve extends from the cover distally towards the end of the instrument seal. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080287877 | Flexible Cannula With Associated Seal - A cannula assembly includes a housing and a cannula member connected to the housing. The cannula member has leading and trailing ends and defines a longitudinal axis. The cannula member further includes a main body, a seal adjacent the leading end and a flexible portion disposed between the main body and the seal. The seal is capable of receiving an instrument therethrough while maintaining a substantial sealed relation with the instrument. The flexible portion is configured to permit movement of the seal relative to the longitudinal axis during manipulation of the endoscopic instrument. The flexible portion of the cannula member may include one or more bellows. The one or more bellows may form a goose neck configuration. Alternatively, the one or more bellows define a series of ridges and grooves. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080294112 | Surgical Access Apparatus With Centering Mechanism - A surgical access apparatus includes a housing member and a portal member extending from the housing member and defining a longitudinal axis. The housing member and the portal member define a longitudinal passage therethrough dimensioned to permit passage of an elongated object. A centering mechanism is mounted relative to the housing member. The centering mechanism includes an annular element mounted for rotational movement within the housing member and about the longitudinal axis and first and second arm elements mounted to the annular element and extending radially inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis. The first and second arm elements are each positioned to intersect the longitudinal passage and are adapted to pivot relative to the housing member. The first and second arm elements are operatively connected whereby pivotal movement of the first arm element upon engagement with the elongated object causes the annular element to rotate in response thereto and effect corresponding pivotal movement of the second arm element. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080294113 | Access Assembly With Ribbed Seal - A ribbed seal for use in endoscopic surgery is intended to be incorporated into a cannula assembly to limit the escape of insufflation gasses from a body cavity by forming a fluid-tight seal around an instrument inserted through the cannula assembly. The ribbed seal includes a relatively flat, disk shaped elastomeric overmold portion having a central aperture sized slightly smaller than the instrument such that the aperture must expand to accommodate the instrument. Molded together with the elastomeric overmold is an array of slender ribs disposed about the aperture. The ribs are designed to be relatively flexible under lateral loads. This allows the seal to bend easily as the surgical instrument is inserted through the aperture thereby maintaining a low insertion and glide force. On the other hand, the ribs are designed to be relatively rigid when loaded axially. This rigidity provides robust radial support for the instrument inserted through the center of the array of ribs. The seal performs a centering function for the instrument due to its combined elasticity and stiffness. Finally, the seal also allows for an instrument to be removed easily while maintaining the required atmospheric integrity. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20080294114 | Surgical Portal Apparatus With Variable Adjustment - A surgical portal apparatus includes a portal member defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal opening therethrough for receiving a surgical object, an adjustable seal disposed within the longitudinal opening and having inner seal portions adapted to permit passage of the surgical object in substantial sealed relation therewith and an adjustment member mounted within the portal member and operatively connected to the adjustable seal. The adjustment member is positioned to intersect the longitudinal passageway to engage the surgical object and move relative to the portal member to thereby cause corresponding relative displacement of the inner seal portions of the adjustable seal and facilitate passage of the surgical object through the adjustable seal. The inner seal portions of the adjustable seal are adapted for relative movement between a first generally approximated position and a second generally displaced position upon movement of the adjustment member. The inner seal portions of the adjustable seal may be dimensioned to substantially prevent passage of fluids when in the first generally approximated position. In one arrangement, the adjustable seal includes first and second seal elements which define the inner seal portions. | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090005739 | MULTI-SEAL TROCAR SYSTEM - A multi-seal trocar system includes a plurality of co-axial sealing elements adapted for forming a seal with either a large or small instrument. Small and large sealing elements are disposed in an in-line arrangement such that a-single port is provided for instrument insertion. A zero seal is disposed distally of the sealing elements to seal a working channel of the system and to prevent backflow when no instruments are inserted. The small sealing element is configured such that insertion of a large instrument automatically moves the small sealing element out of its path, thereby avoiding contact with the large instrument. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090076456 | TROCAR ASSEMBLY - Methods and devices for accessing a body cavity are disclosed. In general, a trocar assembly is provided that can include a housing having a cannula that extends therefrom to define a working channel that is sized and configured to receive a surgical instrument. The trocar assembly can also include a seal unit that is disposed in the housing. The seal unit can be generally configured to allow off-axis insertion of an instrument through the working channel without lateral movement of the seal unit. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, the seal unit can be rotatably disposed in the housing and have at least one seal element that is adapted to selectively seal the working channel. The seal unit can also be adapted to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the assembly and an axis perpendicular thereto. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090149813 | TROCAR SEAL WITH REDUCED CONTACT AREA - Seal assemblies or valves, generally for use in trocar assemblies, are provided for reducing the amount of contact between an instrument being passed into and out of a trocar assembly and an inner surface of a sealing wall of such seal assemblies or valves. In one exemplary embodiment a valve includes an activation extension that is formed on the inner surface of the sealing wall of the valve and is configured such that a distal end of the sealing wall is moved to the open position by an instrument contacting the activation extension. In one embodiment the instrument does not come into contact with the inner surface of the sealing wall during the procedure. In another embodiment a distal-most end of the activation extension can be closer to a longitudinal axis extending through the flange than the inner surface of the sealing wall. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20100016800 | PISTON SEAL FOR SINGLE INCISION SURGERY - A surgical portal apparatus for use during a minimally invasive procedure includes a housing and a portal member extending distally from the housing. The housing and portal member combination defines a longitudinal axis. The portal member is sized to be positioned within tissue and has an opening at the distal end. The apparatus also has a pliable seal and a plurality of concentrically arranged piston members, disposed within the housing. The pistons are engageable with the pliable seal and are adapted for moving relative to the housing to control the diameter of a passage through the inner portion of the seal in response to the insertion of a surgical object. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20120150120 | TROCAR SEAL SYSTEM - A seal assembly for reception of an elongated surgical instrument is provided which includes a body having at least one opening configured and dimensioned to permit entry of an elongated surgical instrument and defining a central longitudinal axis; a seal member formed of a resilient material and defining an aperture therein, the aperture being configured and dimensioned such that insertion of the surgical instrument into the aperture causes the resilient material defining the aperture to resiliently contact the outer surface of the surgical instrument in a substantially fluid tight manner; and a fabric layer juxtaposed relative to the resilient material. A coating may be applied to the seal member to reduce friction between the seal member and surgical instrumentation inserted therein. The coating is preferably a hydrocyclosiloxane membrane prepared by plasma polymerization process. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20130218082 | LOW DRAG, HIGH PRESSURE SEPTUM - A septum is disclosed that can be utilized in a catheter assembly to selectively seal an opening in the catheter assembly. The septum has a tube portion and a plug portion. The plug portion has a slit extending through it. The septum can transition from a non-collapsed state to a collapsed state. When the septum is in a non-collapsed state, the plug portion is offset from the tube portion such that some of the length of the slit extends outward from the distal end of the tube portion. When the septum transitions to the collapsed state, the plug portion is moved inward into the internal cavity such that some of the length of the slit may or may not extend outward from the distal end of the tube portion. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130345637 | TROCAR DEVICE - A trocar device includes a main part that has a first and a second end. A shaft tube is connected to the second end of the main part. A through-opening for receiving an instrument extends from the first end of the main part to the end of the shaft tube that faces away from the main part. A sealing unit is disposed in the main part and has an elastic sealing element having a hollow-cylindrical wall, which divides the through-opening into a first region that runs from the sealing unit as far as the first end of the main body, and into a second region that runs from the sealing unit as far as the end of the shaft tube that faces away from the main part. When the instrument has been properly inserted in the through-opening, the seaing element seals off the two regions from each other. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20190142462 | TROCAR SEAL MEMBRANE COMPRISING MULTI-DIMENSIONAL FLOATING PLEATS | 05-16-2019 |
