PORTAL APPARATUS INCLUDING CONFORMABLE CUP SEAL
A surgical portal system for a surgical procedure incorporating the use of one or more sutures includes a portal housing and a portal sleeve extending from the portal housing. The portal housing includes an internal wall. The portal housing and the portal sleeve define a longitudinal axis and has a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical instrument and one or more sutures. The portal sleeve is dimensioned for insertion within tissue to provide access to an underlying body site. A seal is mounted to the internal wall of the portal housing and arranged to intersect the longitudinal axis. The seal comprises a conformable material dimensioned and configured to substantially conform about the surgical instrument upon passage of the surgical instrument through the longitudinal opening, to establish a substantial seal thereabout and to displace in at least a radial direction to contact the internal wall of the portal housing to engage one or more sutures extending through the longitudinal opening and to establish a substantial sealing relation with the internal housing wall in the presence of the one or more sutures.
1 . A surgical portal system for a surgical procedure incorporating the use of one or more sutures, which comprises:
a portal housing and a portal sleeve extending from the portal housing, the portal housing including an internal housing wall, the portal housing and the portal sleeve defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical instrument and one or more sutures, the portal sleeve dimensioned for insertion within tissue to provide access to an underlying body site; and
a portal seal mounted to the internal housing wall of the portal housing, the portal seal including a proximal seal wall arranged to intersect the longitudinal axis and a peripheral seal wall depending from the proximal seal wall in an at least axial direction, the portal seal adapted to deflect during passage of the surgical instrument through the longitudinal opening whereby wall segments of the peripheral seal wall are displaced in at least a radial direction to contact the internal housing wall of the portal housing to engage one or more sutures extending through the longitudinal opening.
2 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral seal wall of the portal seal is dimensioned whereby during passage of the surgical instrument the wall segments of the peripheral seal wall conform to secure the one or more sutures in general fixed relation against the internal housing wall.
3 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral seal wall of the portal seal is dimensioned whereby during passage of the surgical instrument the wall segments of the peripheral seal wall establish a substantial sealing relation with the internal housing wall against the one or more sutures.
4 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral seal wall seal of the portal seal is obliquely arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis when in an initial condition thereof.
5 . The portal system according to claim 4 wherein the portal seal is in the general shape of a frustum.
6 . The portal system according to claim 5 wherein the portal seal defines an open cavity.
7 . The portal system according to claim 5 wherein the portal seal defines a cavity therein, the cavity being open adjacent the portal sleeve.
8 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the proximal seal wall is devoid of a seal passage.
9 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the portal seal is mounted to the internal housing wall with a hinge, the portal seal being adapted for pivotal movement about the hinge.
10 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the portal seal comprises a conformable material adapted to conform about the surgical instrument to establish a substantial sealed relation therewith.
11 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein the portal seal comprises a conformable material adapted to conform about the one or more sutures to establish a substantial sealed relation therewith and the internal housing wall.
12 . The portal system according to claim 1 wherein including an instrument seal, the instrument seal having inner surfaces adapted to establish a substantial sealed relation with the surgical instrument.
13 . The portal system according to claim 1 further including a zero closure valve, the zero closure valve adapted to substantially close the longitudinal opening the absence of the surgical instrument.
14 . A method for performing a surgical procedure, comprising the steps of:
accessing an underlying surgical site with a portal, the portal including a portal housing and a portal sleeve extending from the portal housing, and defining a longitudinal opening therethrough, the portal housing including a portal seal having a proximal seal wall and an outer peripheral seal wall depending from the proximal seal wall;
performing a surgical task with at least one suture and directing a suture segment of the at least one suture from the surgical site and through the longitudinal opening of the portal; and
introducing a surgical instrument through the longitudinal opening whereby wall segments of the peripheral seal wall are displaced in at least a radial direction to contact the internal wall of the portal housing to engage one or more sutures extending through the longitudinal opening.
15 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of introducing includes securing the one or more sutures against the internal housing wall with the wall segments upon radial displacement thereof.
16 . The method according to claim 15 wherein the step of introducing includes establishing a sealed relation between the wall segments of the peripheral seal wall and the internal housing wall.
17 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the seal comprises a conformable material and the proximal seal wall is devoid of a seal passage and wherein during the step of introducing the conformable material displaces to conform about the outer profile of the surgical instrument.