PORTAL APPARATUS WITH A TUBULAR SEAL DEVICE
A surgical portal apparatus includes a portal housing, a portal member, and an elongated seal mounted within the portal housing. The portal housing defines a housing opening for reception of a surgical object and the portal member extends from the portal housing. The elongated seal includes an outer wall segment and an inner seal segment. The outer wall segment has first and second ends that are mechanically coupled to the portal housing. The inner seal segment is disposed within the outer wall segment and depends radially inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis. The inner seal segment has inner surfaces that define a seal passage and is adapted to establish a substantial sealed relation with the surgical object. The outer wall segment includes a flexible material to permit deflection of the outer wall segment and corresponding movement of the inner seal segment in at least a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis.
1 . A surgical portal apparatus, which comprises:
a portal housing defining a housing opening for reception of a surgical object;
a portal member extending from the portal housing and defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal passageway in general alignment with the housing opening for passage of the surgical object, the portal member dimensioned to pass through tissue to provide access via the longitudinal passageway to an underlying operative site; and
an elongated seal mounted within the portal housing, the seal including:
an outer wall segment having first and second ends mechanically coupled to the portal housing;
an inner seal segment disposed within the outer wall segment and depending radially inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis, the inner seal segment having inner surfaces defining a seal passage adapted to establish a substantial sealed relation with the surgical object; and
the outer wall segment comprising a flexible material to permit deflection of the outer wall segment and corresponding movement of the inner seal segment in at least a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis during offset manipulation of the surgical object within the seal passage.
2 . The surgical portal apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the portal housing includes an outer wall and an inner wall within the outer wall, the inner wall defining a seal chamber, the seal being at least partially enclosed within the seal chamber.
3 . The surgical portal apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the inner wall is dimensioned to engage the outer wall segment of the seal upon deflection of the outer wall segment a predefined radial distance.
4 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the outer wall and the seal passage of the inner seal segment are coaxially arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis.
5 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the inner surfaces of the inner seal segment define a central aperture, the central aperture being the seal passage.
6 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall segment is dimensioned to permit deflection of the outer wall segment and corresponding movement of the inner seal segment in at least an axial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis during manipulation of the surgical object within the seal passage.
7 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the outer wall segment of the seal is substantially tubular.
8 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the inner seal segment is substantially planar and is arranged in general orthogonal relation with respect to the longitudinal axis.
9 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the outer segment and the inner seal segment are monolithically formed.
10 . The surgical apparatus according to claim 2 including a fluid disposed within the seal chamber external of the seal, the fluid dimensioned to restrict radial movement of the outer wall segment of the seal.