Anchoring assembly for a medical instrument

1. An anchor assembly structured to retain a medical instrument within a body cavity, said anchor assembly comprising:

a) a mounting assembly disposed on an exterior of the medical instrument,

b) a base disposed on the medical instrument in adjacent relation to said mounting assembly,

c) an inflatable member formed of an elastomeric material and disposable in an expanded position and a collapsed position,

d) said inflatable member including a retaining portion mechanically secured between said base and said mounting assembly;

e) said base and said mounting assembly being relatively disposed on the medical instrument to define a predetermined spacing there-between;

f) said retaining portion of said inflatable member being at least partially disposed within said predetermined spacing between said mounting assembly and said base; and

g) said retaining portion of said inflatable member being secured in a substantially compressed orientation between said base and said mounting assembly when said inflatable member is in either said collapsed or expanded positions.

2. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said expanded position comprises said inflatable member disposed radially outward from said base and an exterior of the medical instrument.

3. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said retaining portion comprises at least one peripheral segment of said inflatable member, said peripheral segment dimensioned and configured to be retained within said predetermined spacing.

4. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 3 further comprising at least one opening interconnecting said predetermined spacing with an exterior of said mounting assembly and said base.

5. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said at least one peripheral segment comprises a dimension substantially corresponding to said predetermined spacing and sufficiently greater than said opening to restrict passage of said peripheral segment through said opening.

6. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said inflatable member comprises a substantially annular configuration disposed in at least partially surrounding relation to said base; said retaining portion comprising two peripheral segments each disposed at a different opposite end of said inflatable member.

7. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said predetermined spacing comprises two retaining spaces disposed between said base and said mounting assembly, each of said retaining spaces having a different one of said peripheral segments secured therein.

8. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein said mounting assembly comprises a first mounting member and a second mounting member each disposed on the medical instrument in spaced relation to said base so as to define said two retaining spaces.

9. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein said inflatable member is disposed within said retaining spaces in mechanically gripped engagement between opposite ends of said base and said first and second mounting members.

10. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting assembly comprises, a first mounting member and a second mounting member disposed on an exterior of the medical instrument at a predetermined spacing from said base.

11. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said base is disposed adjacent both said first and second mounting members and into mechanically gripping engagement with said retaining portion of said inflatable member, said retaining portion disposed between said base and each of said first and second mounting members.

12. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said predetermined spacing comprises at least two retaining spaces each disposed between a different one of said mounting members and a correspondingly positioned portion of said base, each of said retaining spaces disposed and configured to secure said retaining portion therein.

13. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 12 wherein said retaining portion of said inflatable member comprises at least two retaining segments, each structured to be compressed within a different one of said retaining spaces so as to be mechanically retained therein.

14. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein each of said retaining spaces includes at least one opening, each of said openings disposed in interconnecting relation with a corresponding one of said retaining spaces and an exterior of the medical instrument, said openings disposed and dimensioned to receive a portion of said inflatable member therein.

15. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein each of said retaining segments within one of said retaining spaces has a sufficiently greater dimension than a corresponding one of said openings to restrict passage of said retaining segments through said openings.

16. An anchor assembly structured to retain a cannula within a body cavity, said anchor assembly comprising:

a) a mounting assembly comprising a first mounting member and a second mounting member disposed on the cannula,

b) a base disposed on the cannula between said first and second mounting members,

c) two retaining spaces each disposed between a different end of said base and a correspondingly positioned one of said first and second mounting members,

d) an inflatable member formed of an elastomeric material and disposable between an expanded position and a collapsed position,

e) said inflatable member including a plurality of retaining segments each mechanically gripped within a different one of said retaining spaces, and

f) said base being movably disposed on the cannula and axially positionable into compressed engagement with at least one of said retaining segments.

17. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein each of said retaining spaces includes at least one opening interconnecting said retaining spaces with an exterior of said mounting assembly and the cannula.

18. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein said retaining segments each comprise a dimension substantially corresponding to one of said retaining spaces and being sufficiently greater than a corresponding one of said openings to restrict passage of said retaining segments through said openings.

19. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a securing member mounted exteriorly of the cannula and disposable in engaging relation with an exterior surface of the body cavity.

20. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 19 wherein said securing member is formed of an at least partially flexible material.

21. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of said mounting assembly is, at least initially, movably disposed on the cannula, said mounting assembly and said base axially positionable into compressed engagement with said retaining segments.

22. An anchor as recited in claim 16 , further comprising a path of fluid flow extending between and in fluid communication with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said fluid outlet disposed in fluid communication with an interior of said inflatable member and said path of fluid flow disposed and structured to direct inflating fluid from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet.

23. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein said path of fluid flow is disposed between at least a portion of said mounting assembly and said cannula.

24. An anchor assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein said fluid outlet is formed in said base in interconnecting relation between said path of fluid flow and said interior of said inflatable member.