Surgical hand access apparatus

1. A surgical access apparatus, which comprises:

a housing member defining a housing axis and a passageway therethrough, the housing dimensioned for passage through tissue;

a first seal member mounted across the passageway, the first seal member having proximal and distal end faces and a defining a seal passage for permitting passage of a surgical object in substantial sealed reception therewith, the first seal member including at least one expansible segment, the expansible segment including a protruding rib extending in a proximal direction from the proximal end face and a corresponding recess defined within the distal end face and aligned with the protruding rib, the expansible segment arranged to extend radially generally toward and away from the housing axis, and being dimensioned and adapted to facilitate radial movement of the seal passage during manipulation of the object within the first seal member; and

a second seal member mounted across the passageway distal of the first seal member, the second seal member defining a seal passage for substantial sealed reception of the object and being arranged about a second seal axis radially displaced from the first seal axis,

the second seal member including at least one expansible segment dimensioned to facilitate radial movement of the seal passage of the second seal member during manipulation of the object,

the expansible segment of the second seal member including a protruding rib extending in a proximal direction from the proximal end face and a corresponding recess defined within the distal end face and aligned with the protruding rib.

2. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the expansible segment is generally linear.

3. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the expansible segment is generally arranged along a line of intersection with the housing axis.

4. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first seal member includes a plurality of expansible segments.

5. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the expansible segments are each generally linear.

6. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the expansible segments are each generally arranged along a line of intersection with the housing axis.

7. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the at least one expansible segment of the second seal member is generally arranged along a line of intersection with the housing axis.

8. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are arranged so that their respective seal passages do not overlap in the absence of the object positioned therein.

9. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each of the seal passages of the first seal member and the second seal member are generally open passages in the initial condition thereof.

10. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the seal passage of the second seal member is in general alignment with the central housing axis.

11. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the first seal member and the second seal member are dimensioned and adapted to form a substantial seal within the passageway of the housing member in the absence of the object inserted within the aperture of the first seal member.

12. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 including a liner base mountable to the housing member, the liner base adapted for insertion through an incision to line the incision and/or retract the tissue defining the incision thereby providing access to the underlying body cavity.

13. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the seal passage of the first seal member is adapted for substantial sealed reception of either a surgeon's hand or arm.

14. The surgical access apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the expansible segments define one of an undulating, sinusoidal, pyramidal, convex, or concave configuration.