Scraping fluid removal in a surgical access device
View Patent ↗The present invention generally provides methods and devices for removing fluid from a surgical instrument. Surgical access devices and seal systems are generally provided having one or more valves or seal assemblies to create a closed system between the outside environment and the environment in which the surgical access device is being inserted. In one embodiment, a seal assembly is provided and can include a seal having an opening configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough and a fluid remover in the form of an absorbent element, a scraper element, a wicking element, or any combination thereof can be associated with the seal and configured to remove fluid from the opening and/or a surgical instrument.
1. A surgical access device, comprising:
a housing having a cannula extending distally therefrom;
a first seal disposed within the housing and configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough, and to form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough; and
a second seal disposed within the housing and separate and detached from the first seal, the second seal being configured to form a seal when no surgical instrument is disposed therethrough; and
a scraper disposed within the housing and positioned distal to the first and second seals and configured to scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument extending through the first and second seals and the scraper, the scraper having a central opening and capillary channels formed on a distal surface thereof, disassociated from the central opening and extending radially outward from the central opening.
2. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the scraper is positioned a distance apart from the first and second seals.
3. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the first seal comprises an instrument seal having an opening formed therethrough and configured to form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough, and wherein the second seal comprises a zero-closure seal configured to form a seal when no surgical instrument is disposed therethrough.
4. The surgical access device of claim 3 , further comprising a second scraper positioned between the instrument seal and the zero-closure seal.
5. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the scraper comprises first and second rotatable members configured to rotate as a surgical instrument is passed therethrough.
6. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second seals is substantially conical shaped and includes a protector disposed proximal thereto.
7. The surgical access device of claim 6 , wherein the protector and the at least one of the first and second seals each include multiple layers.
8. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the scraper is substantially cone shaped.
9. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the scraper includes at least one slit formed therein and configured to allow the scraper to radially expand.
10. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein an inner portion of the scraper includes a fluid collection member configured to collect fluid scraped by the scraper.
11. The surgical access device of claim 10 , wherein the fluid collection member comprises a substantially C-shaped lip.
12. The surgical access device of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the fluid collection member is sorbent.
13. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the scraper is adapted to sorb fluid.
14. A surgical access device, comprising:
a housing defining a working channel sized and configured to receive a surgical instrument;
a cannula extending distally from the housing configured for receiving a surgical instrument inserted through the housing;
a seal assembly disposed in the housing for forming a seal around a surgical instrument disposed through the working channel and forming a seal in the working channel when no surgical instrument is disposed through the working channel;
a scraping element disposed in the housing and positioned distal to the seal assembly, the scraping element having a central opening, and the scraping element being configured to scrape fluid off of a surgical instrument passed through the working channel and through the central opening, and the scraping element having radially-oriented elongate capillary grooves disassociated from the central opening; and
a lid positioned distal of the seal assembly and seated on a proximal surface of the scraping element, the lid having an unobstructed opening formed therein, wherein a diameter of the opening of the lid is greater than a diameter of the central opening in the scraping element.
15. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein the seal assembly includes a first seal having an opening configured to form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough, and a second seal configured to form a seal in the working channel of the housing when no instrument is disposed therethrough.
16. The surgical access device of claim 15 , further comprising a second scraping element positioned between the first and second seals.
17. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein the seal assembly comprises a single seal configured to both form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed through the working channel and form a seal in the working channel when no surgical instrument is disposed through the working channel.
18. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein the scraping element is expandable.
19. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein the scraping element comprises first and second rotatable members configured to rotate as a surgical instrument is passed therethrough.
20. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein the scraping element is substantially cone shaped.
21. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the scraping element is sorbent.
22. The surgical access device of claim 16 , wherein the second scraping element is disposed in a removable cap of the housing.
23. The surgical access device of claim 14 , wherein an inner portion of the scraping element includes a fluid collection member configured to collect fluid scraped by the scraping element.
24. A surgical access device, comprising:
a housing having a cannula extending distally therefrom, the housing and cannula defining a working channel extending therethrough, and the housing having a distal portion and a proximal cap portion that is removably coupled to the distal portion;
an instrument seal disposed within the proximal removable cap portion of the housing, the instrument seal having an opening formed therethrough and configured to form a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough;
a zero-closure seal disposed within the distal portion of the housing and positioned distal of the instrument seal, the zero-closure seal being configured to form a seal across the working channel when no surgical instrument is disposed therethrough;
a lid disposed within the distal portion of the housing and positioned distal of the zero-closure seal; and
a scraper disposed within the distal portion of the housing and fixedly positioned distal of the lid, the scraper having a plurality of channels extending only partially into a terminal, distal-facing surface thereof and configured to scrape fluid off and wick fluid away from instruments passed through the scraper.
25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the scraper is part of a fluid remover assembly positioned distal of the lid.
26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the fluid remover assembly includes a sorbent element and a wicking element.
27. The device of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of channels extend radially outward from a central opening in the scraper.