EP0567141A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Valve assembly for introducing instruments into body cavities
Assignee: United States Surgical Corp
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Filing: 1993-04-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-04-23
Abstract
Abstract A valve assembly 10 adapted for introduction of surgical instruments 44 into a patient's body includes a valve body 12 formed of a flexibly resilient material which defines an aperture 14 for reception of the instrument. The aperture is configured and dimensioned such that insertion of the instrument into the aperture will cause the resilient material of the valve body to resiliently engage the outer surface of the instrument in a substantially gas tight manner. The valve assembly includes biasing means 42 for closing the valve body to form a gas tight seal prior to inserting the instrument therethrough.
Inventors
- 👤 Roy D. Gravener
- 👤 Alex Ianniruberto
- 👤 Michael Ciccolella
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:54
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M39/00; A61M39/02; A61M39/06; A61M39/0613; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3462; F; F16; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/168; A61B2017/3464; A61M2039/062; A61M2039/0626; A61M2039/0633; A61M2039/066; A61M2039/0673; A61M2039/0686
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A valve assembly for sealing an incision in a patient's body and adapted for introduction of a surgical instrument into the patient's body comprising: a valve body formed of a flexibly resilient material and defining an aperture for reception of the instrument, said aperture being configured and dimensioned such that insertion of the instrument into said valve body will cause said valve body to resiliently engage an outer surface of the instrument in a substantially gas tight manner; and means to bias at least a portion of said valve body to a configuration whereby said aperture is closed to form a substantially gas tight seal prior to inserting the instrument therethrough.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
14 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1, wherein said biasing means comprises a gel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said valve body is cylindrically shaped and includes an outer diameter which is substantially uniform from a proximal end to a distal end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
A valve assembly according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said valve body is adapted to engage an outer surface of surgical instruments having a multiplicity of diameters in a substantially gas tight manner.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said instrument has a diameter in a range of from 3mm to 15mm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims with an inner wall which tapers inwardly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A valve assembly according to claim 6, wherein said inner wall tapers to a middle portion having lesser diameter than said inner wall at said distal and proximal ends.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A valve assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said aperture has a generally frustoconical, inwardly tapered cross-section from a proximal end to an intermediate portion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A valve assembly according to claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein said aperture is generally tapered inwardly in a generally frustoconical cross-section from said distal end of said valve body to said intermediate portion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A valve assembly according to claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein said aperture has a generally cylindrical cross-section from said intermediate portion to a distal end.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims in which the valve body has a cavity between an inner wall and an outer wall of the body, the inner wall defining an aperture through the valve body.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
A valve assembly according to claim 11, wherein said biasing means comprises a fluid substantially filling said cavity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said biasing means comprising a biasing member located radially outside the valve body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A valve assembly according to claim 13, wherein said biasing means comprises a circumferential collar about a portion of said valve body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, including means for guiding said instrument through said aperture.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A valve assembly according to claim 15, wherein said guiding means comprises a plurality of projecting members positioned on an inner wall of said valve body radially extending into said aperture to engage an instrument inserted into said aperture to substantially prevent contact between said instrument and said inner wall of said valve body.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A valve assembly according to claim 16, wherein the projections are ribs or splines.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
A valve assembly according to claim 17, wherein said rib members extend longitudinally from said proximal end of said valve body.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
A valve assembly according to claim 16, 17 or 18 wherein the projecting members are adjacent at least a proximal end of the valve body.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: at least one ridge member positionable on an inner surface of said resilient material defining said aperture, said ridge member being positioned, configured, and dimensioned to substantially fill a gap formed between said resilient material and said instrument when said instrument is passed through said aperture.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
34 words
A valve assembly according to claim 20, wherein said valve body includes a middle portion which is biased closed by said means for biasing and said ridge member is positionable within a neck portion.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
A valve assembly according to claim 20 or 21, wherein a plurality of said ridge members cooperate to substantially fill said gap.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
58 words
A valve assembly according to claim 20, 21 or 22, wherein said aperture includes a plurality of said ridge members being positioned about said inner surface at predetermined locations such that said ridge members substantially fill the gaps which occur respectively when surgical instruments having a multiplicity of diameters are inserted through said aperture one at a time.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
60 words
A valve assembly according to claim 22 or 23, wherein said plurality of ridge members includes at least a first ridge adapted for use when said instrument inserted has a first diameter and at least a second ridge axially offset from said first ridge and for use when said instrument inserted has a second diameter different from said first diameter.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
47 words
A valve assembly according to any one of claims 20 to 24, wherein said ridge member extends longitudinally along a portion of said inner surface of said resilient material defining said aperture and corresponds with said portion of said valve body associated with said means for biasing.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
33 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said biasing means comprises manually actuated means to selectively open and close said aperture to permit passage of the instrument therethrough.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said biasing means is pivotable.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
A valve assembly according to claim 27, wherein said pivotable biasing means includes a spring actuation for biasing said valve body.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
A valve assembly according to claim 27 or 28, wherein said biasing means includes at least one pivotable cam.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
56 words
A valve assembly according to claim 29, wherein said pivotable cam biases said valve body while allowing an endoscopic portion of said instrument to pass through said valve body such that said valve body engages the surface of said instrument to provide a substantially fluid tight seal after insertion of said instrument into said valve body.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
A valve assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said biasing means includes at least a pair of cams positioned opposite each other and having said body portion of said valve assembly therebetween, said cams working in concert to bias said body portion closed.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
60 words
A valve assembly for sealing an incision in a patient's body and adapted for introduction of surgical instruments into the patient's body comprising: a cylindrical valve body having an inner wall and an outer wall defining a cavity therebetween, said inner wall forming an aperture passing through said valve body; means for facilitating passage of an instrument through said aperture.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
89 words
A valve assembly for sealing an incision in a patient's body and adapted for introduction of surgical instruments into the patient's body comprising: a valve body formed of a flexibly resilient material and having a distal end, a proximal end and a middle portion therebetween, said valve body defining an aperture therethrough; and means for biasing at least a portion of said valve body to a configuration whereby said aperture is closed in said middle portion to form a substantially gas tight seal prior to inserting the instrument therethrough.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
141 words
A valve assembly for sealing an incision in a patient's body and adapted for introduction of a surgical instrument into the patient's body comprising: a valve body formed of a flexibly resilient material and defining an aperture for reception of the instrument, said aperture being configured and dimensioned such that insertion of the instrument into said valve body will cause the valve body to resiliently engage the instrument in a substantially gas tight manner, said aperture having a substantially constant diameter at least at an intermediate portion of said valve body; means to bias said valve body to a configuration whereby said aperture is closed to form a gas tight seal prior to inserting the instrument therethrough; and means to permit said biasing means to be selectively opened or closed so as to allow passage of the instrument through said aperture.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
A cannula housing including a valve assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
149 words
A cannula subassembly including a cannula and a cannula housing adapted for the introduction of surgical instruments into a patient's body comprising: a valve body positioned within said cannula housing having distal end and a proximal end, said valve body formed of a flexibly resilient material and defining an aperture for reception of the instrument, said aperture having a lesser diameter at a portion intermediate said ends than at said distal and proximal ends, said aperture being configured and dimensioned such that insertion of the instrument into said aperture will cause the valve body to resiliently engage the outer surface of the instrument in a substantially gas tight manner; and a pair of plate members positioned to engage said intermediate portion of said valve body, said plate members being biased toward each other to close said aperture to form a gas tight seal prior to positioning the instrument therein.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cannula subassembly according to claim 36, further comprising manually operable means adapted to separate said plate members in a manner to selectively manually open and close said aperture to permit passage of the instrument therethrough.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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