Surgical access device with floating gel seal

1. A surgical access device comprising:

a proximal end, a distal end, and an instrument access channel extending from the proximal end to the distal end;

a substantially cylindrical valve housing comprising an inside wall;

a valve assembly comprising a block of gel material disposed in the valve housing, wherein the block of gel defines a housing seal with the inside wall, wherein the housing seal substantially prevents insufflation gas flow therethrough; and

an opening extending through the block of gel material along the axis,

wherein

the valve assembly has a first state in the absence of an instrument extending through the opening and a second state in the presence of an instrument extending through the opening,

in the first state, the gel material closes the opening, defining a zero seal,

in the second state, the gel material seals with the instrument, defining an instrument seal, and

in the second state, the opening extending through the block of gel floats, thereby accommodating instruments inserted off-axis or instruments moved off-axis.

2. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the valve housing further comprises at least one of a first annular horizontal wall disposed proximal of the valve assembly and a second annular horizontal wall disposed distal of the valve assembly, wherein the at least one of the first annular horizontal wall and the second annular horizontal wall is substantially perpendicular to the inside wall of the valve housing.

3. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the block of gel material is from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

4. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a radius to a thickness of the block of gel material is from about 1:1 to about 5:1.

5. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein an elongation of the gel material is greater than about 1,000 per cent.

6. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein a durometer of the gel material is less than about 200 Bloom.

7. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the gel material comprises a block co-polymer and an oil.

8. The surgical access device of claim 7 , wherein the block co-polymer is at least one of a di-block and a tri-block.

9. The surgical access device of claim 7 , wherein the block co-polymer comprises a styrene block and a rubber block.

10. The surgical access device of claim 7 , wherein the block co-polymer is at least one of styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (S-E/B-S), styrene-isoprene-styrene (S-I-S), styrene-butadiene-styrene (S-B-S), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (S-E/P-S), and styrene-ethylene/butylene (S-E/B).

11. The surgical access device of claim 7 , wherein the oil comprises at least one of mineral oil, vegetable oil, petroleum oil, and silicone oil.

12. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the opening in the block of gel material comprises a slit.

13. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the zero seal substantially prevents insufflation gas flow therethrough.

14. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the instrument seal substantially prevents insufflation gas flow therethrough.

15. The surgical access device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a void proximal of the block of gel material and a void distal of the gel material, wherein the at least one of a void proximal of the block of gel material and a void distal of the gel material accommodates displaced gel material in the second state.

16. The surgical access device of claim 1 , further comprising an elongate, tubular cannula extending from a distal end of the valve housing.