MINIMALLY INVASRIVE SURGERY GUIDE TUBE
A guide tube for a minimally invasive surgical system has a single channel that accepts two or more surgical instruments. The channel has two or more bores, and a body segment of each instrument extends through a unique one of the bores. A slot connects two of the bores along the length of the channel. A distal component of one of the instruments is larger than the instrument's bore, and so the component slides through the slot, and in some aspects through some or all of the other bore, as the instrument is inserted through the guide tube. After the instrument has been inserted, a second instrument can then be inserted through the other bore.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A minimally invasive surgery guide tube comprising:
a channel that longitudinally extends through the guide tube;
wherein the channel comprises a first bore that receives a body segment of a first surgical instrument, a second bore that receives a body segment of a second surgical instrument; and
wherein the channel comprises a slot that connects the first bore and the second bore along the length of the channel.
3 . The guide tube of claim 2:
wherein the channel is pinched to retain the body segment of the first surgical instrument within the first bore.
4 . The guide tube of claim 2 , further comprising:
a spacer that retains the body segment of the first surgical instrument within the first bore.
5 . The guide tube of claim 2:
wherein the channel comprises a third bore that receives a body segment of a third surgical instrument; and
wherein the channel comprises a second slot that connects the second bore and the third bore along the length of the channel.
6 . The guide tube of claim 2:
wherein the channel comprises a V-shape cross section.
7 . The guide tube of claim 2:
wherein the channel comprises a T-shape cross section.
8 . The guide tube of claim 2:
wherein the channel comprises a V-shape cross section;
wherein the first bore is at the first end of the V-shape; and
wherein the second bore is at either the vertex or the second end of the V-shape.
9 . The guide tube of claim 8:
wherein the channel comprises a third bore that receives a body segment of a third surgical instrument;
wherein the second bore is at the vertex of the V-shape; and
wherein the third bore is at the second end of the V-shape.
10 . (canceled)
11 . A method comprising:
forming a channel that longitudinally extends through a minimally invasive surgery guide tube;
wherein the channel comprises a first bore that receives a body segment of a first surgical instrument, a second bore that receives a body segment of a second surgical instrument; and
wherein the channel comprises a slot that connects the first bore and the second bore along the length of the channel.
12 . The method of claim 11:
wherein the channel is pinched to retain the body segment of the first surgical instrument within the first bore.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
placing a spacer in the channel;
wherein the spacer retains the body segment of the first surgical instrument within the first bore.
14 . The method of claim 11:
wherein the channel comprises a third bore that receives a body segment of a third surgical instrument; and
wherein the channel comprises a second slot that connects the second bore and the third bore along the length of the channel.
15 . The method of claim 11:
wherein the channel comprises a V-shape cross section.
16 . The method of claim 11:
wherein the channel comprises a T-shape cross section.
17 . The method of claim 11:
wherein the channel comprises a V-shape cross section;
wherein the first bore is at the first end of the V-shape; and
wherein the second bore is at either the vertex or the second end of the V-shape.
18 . The method of claim 17:
wherein the channel comprises a third bore that receives a body segment of a third surgical instruments;
wherein the second bore is at the vertex of the V-shape; and
wherein the third bore is at the second end of the V-shape.
19 - 24 . (canceled)
25 . A minimally invasive surgical system guide tube:
wherein the guide tube is configured to be interchangeable with a second guide tube in the minimally invasive surgical system;
wherein the guide tube is configured to accept two or more surgical instruments; and
wherein the guide tube is configured to accept a total number of surgical instruments that is different from the total number of surgical instruments that can be accepted by the second guide tube.
26 . The guide tube of claim 25:
wherein the guide tube comprises an endoscopic image capture component.
27 . The guide tube of claim 25:
wherein one of the surgical instruments comprises an endoscopic image capture component.
29 . A minimally invasive surgical system guide tube:
wherein the guide tube is configured to be interchangeable with a second guide tube in the minimally invasive surgical system; and
wherein the guide tube is configured to accept a surgical instrument that cannot be accepted by the second guide tube.
30 . The guide tube of claim 29:
wherein the guide tube comprises an endoscopic image capture component.
31 . The guide tube of claim 29:
wherein the surgical instrument comprises an endoscopic image capture component.
32 . The guide tube of claim 29:
wherein the guide tube is configured to accept a total number of surgical instruments that is different from the total number of surgical instruments that can be accepted by the second guide tube.