Method of establishing pneumoperitoneum

1. A method of establishing pneumoperitoneum comprising the following steps:

providing a housing manufactured from strong non-collapsible material capable of withstanding an internal negative pressure of 50 to 250 mm Hg and having an opening for resting on an abdominal wall of a patient, a user adjustable vacuum valve, and a pass-through;

providing an external vacuum system, said vacuum system exerting a negative pressure of 50-250 mm Hg in said housing;

exerting negative pressure via said vacuum system with a first conduit comprising vacuum tube via said vacuum valve into said housing to form a tight seal between a housing seal and said abdominal wall of a patient;

forming an abdominal wall bubble within the housing by exerting sufficient negative pressure with said vacuum system into said housing to elevate the abdominal wall away from underlying organs or vascular structure of the patient;

introducing a penetrator device into said housing via said pass-through;

piercing the abdominal wall with said penetrator device by continuing to exert said negative pressure with said vacuum system to advance the abdominal wall toward and into contact with the penetrator device;

upon contacting said abdominal wall, continuing to exert said negative pressure with said vacuum system to continue advancing said abdominal wall into said penetrator, said penetrator device piercing and penetrating through said abdominal wall;

forming a peritoneal space by elevating said abdominal wall by exertion of said negative pressure into said housing and by providing a second conduit that injects inert gas into said peritoneal space; and

increasing separation between the abdominal wall and the underlying organs or vascular structure of the patient by injecting said inert gas via said second conduit into said a peritoneal space between the abdominal wall and the organs or vascular structure that underlies the abdominal wall of the patient.

2. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , wherein the penetrator device comprises a tip that is selected from a group consisting of needle and trocar.

3. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , wherein the penetrator device is a punch biopsy cutting tool.

4. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , wherein the penetrator device contains an optical device or integral camera at a tip thereof to allow direct visualization of the passage through tissue.

5. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , wherein the step of injecting inert gas employs an inert gas that is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, helium, nitrogen, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

separating the housing into two sections after penetration by the penetrator device and the release of the negative pressure; and

removing said housing from the abdominal wall;

wherein the penetrator device is left in place through the abdominal wall.

7. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneum as described in claim 1 , wherein the housing containing an opening for an adapter plate having a pass-through for the penetrator device is removed from the abdominal wall after penetration by the penetrator device and the release of the negative pressure, and wherein the penetrator device is left in place through the abdominal wall.

8. The method of establishing pneumoperitoneums as described in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a penetrator device valve for connection of said second conduit to a pressurized source of inert gas; and

providing a pressure regulator for connection to said first conduit to regulate the amount of negative pressure exerted with said housing by said external vacuum system.