Apparatus for introducing a steerable camera assembly into a patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9427255-B2
Application number	US-201213470781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2012
Priority date	May 14, 2012
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A cannula assembly including a seal for an endoscopic internal magnetic camera tether. The seal may include stacked compliant membranes with an aperture in each membrane through which a camera tether may pass. The apertures may overlap. The at least one aperture may be arranged as a slit. Each of the apertures may comprise a wedge-shaped gap. The membranes may include engagement members that couple to engagement members on the cannula assembly. The cannula assembly may provide separate ports for the camera tethers and for a trocar or other endoscopic instrument passing through the cannula assembly. The cannula assembly also may include a rotating housing with two openings and a seal arranged in each opening. The cannula assembly may include a sleeve that encases a cannula tube. The sleeve may include a seal on its end and a channel on its periphery through which a camera tether may pass.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cannula assembly for a surgical trocar assembly, comprising:
a housing comprising a distal end defining an opening and a proximal end defining an opening, wherein the housing includes a passage therethrough between the opening at the distal end and the opening at the proximal end, wherein the passage defines an axis, wherein the distal end is configured to receive a cannula tube aligned with the opening at the distal end, and wherein the opening at the proximal end is larger than the opening at the distal end;
a plurality of compliant membranes arranged as a stack disposed in the passage between the distal end and the proximal end, each of the compliant membranes including an aperture, wherein the passage is configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough, and wherein the surgical instrument is configured to move through the passage to enter a body cavity of a patient to perform a surgical procedure; and
a cannula upper housing defining a sidewall, the cannula upper housing removably attachable to the proximal end of the housing, the cannula upper housing defining a port formed within the sidewall, the port defining an aperture to receive a camera tether through the sidewall, wherein the aperture is configured to substantially seal the camera tether passing therethrough, wherein the port is orthogonal to the axis, wherein the port is proximal to the plurality of compliant membranes, and wherein the passage is configured to receive the camera tether therethrough.

2. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of compliant membranes comprises a first compliant membrane defining a first aperture and a second compliant membrane defining a second aperture.

3. The cannula assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first aperture and the second aperture do not overlap.

4. The cannula assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first compliant membrane defines a circle, wherein the second compliant membrane defines a circle, wherein the first aperture of the first compliant membrane comprises a circle, wherein the second aperture of the second compliant membrane comprises a circle, wherein the first aperture is offset from the center of the first compliant membrane, wherein the second aperture is offset from the center of the second compliant membrane, and wherein the first aperture and the second aperture do not overlap.

5. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of compliant membranes is made of at least one of silicone, latex, and rubber.

6. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a plurality of first engagement members in the passage;
each of the plurality of compliant membranes comprises a plurality of second engagement members; and
the second engagement members of each membrane couple to the first engagement members such that at least a portion of each compliant membrane is stretched between the first engagement members.

7. The cannula assembly of claim 6 , wherein the passage defines a periphery and the plurality of first engagement members comprises a plurality of posts arranged around the periphery of the passage; and
wherein each membrane defines a periphery and the plurality of second engagement members of each membrane comprises a plurality of holes around the periphery of each membrane, and wherein each of the plurality of holes around the periphery of each membrane aligns with one of the plurality of posts around the periphery of the passage.

8. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a retaining ring that is selectively attachable to the passage, wherein the retaining ring retains the stack of the plurality of compliant membranes in the passage when the retaining ring is attached to the passage.

9. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a cannula tube attached to the distal end of the housing.

10. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein the port includes a compliant gasket disposed therein, the compliant gasket defining an orifice.

11. A trocar assembly comprising the cannula assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a cannula tube attached to the distal end of the housing;
an obturator, comprising an obturator shaft having a length greater than a combined length of the housing and the cannula tube, the obturator shaft configured to be slidingly received by the passage through the housing and the cannula tube; and
wherein each aperture in each of the plurality of compliant membranes is dimensioned to accommodate passage of the obturator shaft therethrough.

12. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein the port is formed transversely through the sidewall.

13. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of thumb screws, wherein the housing further comprising a plurality of buttresses, wherein each of the thumb screws comprises a post configured to be matingly received by a corresponding buttress, and wherein the thumb screws are configured to releasably attach the cannula upper housing to the housing.

14. The cannula assembly of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of buttresses comprises a first buttress and a second buttress, wherein the first buttress is located on an outer perimeter of the housing, wherein the second buttress is located on the outer perimeter of the housing, and wherein the first buttress is diametrically opposed to the second buttress.

15. The cannula assembly of claim 1 , wherein the camera tether is configured to be biased towards the side of the passage along the axis through the passage.

16. A cannula assembly for a surgical trocar assembly, comprising:
a lower housing comprising a lower distal end comprising a lower distal opening and a lower proximal end comprising a lower proximal opening, wherein the lower housing defines a lower passage therethrough between the lower distal opening and the lower proximal opening, wherein the lower distal end is configured to receive a cannula tube aligned with the lower distal opening, and wherein the lower proximal opening is larger than the lower distal opening;
a plurality of compliant membranes arranged as a stack disposed in the passage between the lower distal end and the lower proximal end, each of the compliant membranes comprising an aperture, and wherein the lower passage is configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough; and
an upper housing comprising an upper distal end comprising an upper distal opening and an upper proximal end comprising an upper proximal opening, wherein the upper housing defines an upper passage therethrough between the upper distal opening and the upper proximal opening, wherein the upper distal end is configured to couplably attach to the lower proximal end, wherein the upper passage defines a sidewall, and wherein the sidewall defines a port configured to sealably receive a camera tether passing therethrough, wherein the port is proximal to the plurality of compliant membranes, and wherein the lower passage is configured to receive the camera tether therethrough.

17. The cannula assembly of claim 16 , wherein the port is formed transversely through the sidewall.

18. The cannula assembly of claim 16 , wherein the cannula assembly defines a central passage therethrough extending between the lower distal opening and the upper proximal opening, wherein the central passage defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the port is formed transversely to the longitudinal axis.

19. The cannula assembly of claim 18 , wherein the camera tether is configured to be biased towards

Assignees

• Griffith David B
• Conlon Sean P
• Weisenburgh Ii William B
• Hess Christopher J
• Carroll Ii Kempton K
• Ethicon Endo Surgery Inc

Inventors

• Griffith David B
• Conlon Sean P
• Weisenburgh Ii William B
• Hess Christopher J
• Carroll Ii Kempton K

Classifications

• A61B17/3474

  Insufflating needles, e.g. Veress needles · CPC title

• A61B17/3462

  with means for changing the diameter or the orientation of the entrance port of the cannula, e.g. for use with different-sized instruments, reduction ports, adapter seals (expandable cannulas A61B17/3417) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00283

  with a device releasably connected to an inner wall of the abdomen during surgery, e.g. an illumination source · CPC title

• A61B2017/3445

  used as instrument channel for multiple instruments · CPC title

• A61B1/00158 Primary

  using magnetic field · CPC title