STERILE ENDOSCOPIC INSTRUMENT HOUSING

1 . A housing for delivering an endosurgical or an endoscopic instrument to a surgical site in a sterile manner comprising:

a fluid sleeve suitable for housing said instrument, the sleeve fillable with a disinfecting fluid and having a proximal end and a distal end, and

said distal end having a membrane that can be punctured with the surgical instrument.

2 . The housing of claim 1 , wherein the disinfecting fluid can be pressurized inside the sleeve.

3 . The housing of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has at least one fluid pathway that permits the disinfecting fluid to be released from the membrane when the fluid is pressurized.

4 . The membrane of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fluid pathway is integrally formed in the membrane.

5 . The membrane of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fluid pathway is cut into the membrane after the membrane is formed.

6 . The membrane of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fluid pathway is configured so that the fluid sprays from the membrane.

7 . The membrane of claim 6 , wherein the at least one fluid pathway causes the fluid to spray from the membrane in a defined pattern.

8 . The membrane of claim 1 , wherein the membrane seals around the instrument once it is punctured by the instrument.

9 . The membrane of claim 8 , wherein the membrane self seals after the instrument is retracted into the housing.

10 . The endosurgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the instrument comprises a needle.

11 . A system to introduce an endosurgical or endoscopic instrument to a surgical site in a sterile manner comprising:

a housing comprising a sleeve having a proximal and distal end, into which the instrument can be introduced

and the distal end having a membrane that can be punctured by the instrument;

and the sleeve being filled with disinfecting fluid.

12 . The sleeve of claim 11 , wherein the disinfecting fluid is pressurized.

13 . The sleeve of claim 12 , wherein the membrane has at least one fluid pathway configured so that fluid sprays from the end of the membrane.

14 . The membrane of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fluid pathway is configured to cause the spray to have a defined pattern.

15 . A method for introducing an endoscopic or endosurgical instrument to a surgical site in the body comprising:

positioning a housing comprising a sleeve at the surgical site, the housing having a puncturable membrane at the distal end; and

filling the sleeve with disinfecting fluid.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising

inserting the instrument into the fluid-filled sleeve;

puncturing the membrane with the instrument; and

advancing the instrument to the surgical site.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising

pressurizing the disinfecting fluid in the sleeve; and

releasing the disinfecting fluid from the membrane to disinfect the surgical site prior to advancing the instrument into the tissue at the surgical site.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising

retracting the instrument into the fluid-filled sleeve.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the membrane comprises at least one fluid pathway.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein releasing the disinfecting fluid includes spraying of the fluid.