Trocar with oblique needle insertion port and perpendicular seal latch

1. A surgical access device, comprising:

(a) a cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cannula lumen extending therebetween through a medial portion of the cannula, wherein the proximal end includes a hub having a larger diameter than the distal end and the medial portion;

(b) a housing assembly coupled to the proximal end of the cannula, wherein the housing assembly comprises:

(i) a proximal housing, and

(ii) a latch ring arranged distally of the proximal housing and having a user engagement feature, wherein the latch ring is rotatable by the user engagement feature to selectively couple and decouple the proximal housing with the latch ring and the cannula,

wherein an interior of the housing assembly communicates with the cannula lumen to define a working channel extending from a proximal end of the surgical access device to a distal end of the surgical access device along a central axis thereof, wherein the working channel is configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough;

(c) a first needle port that opens to the working channel through a first side of the hub of the cannula; and

(d) a second needle port that opens to the working channel through a second side of the hub of the cannula;

wherein each of the first and second needle ports is configured to direct a suture passer needle through the surgical access device, across the working channel, at an oblique angle relative to the central axis of the surgical access device,

wherein the user engagement feature of the latch ring is circumferentially offset from each of the first and second needle ports.

2. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the housing assembly further comprises a distal housing coupled to the cannula, wherein the latch ring is arranged between the proximal housing and the distal housing, wherein the latch ring is rotatable relative to at least one of the proximal or distal housings to selectively couple and decouple the proximal housing with the distal housing.

3. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the latch ring is rotatable to a position in which the user engagement feature is spaced circumferentially equidistantly between the first and second needle ports.

4. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the latch ring is rotatable to a position in which the user engagement feature is circumferentially offset from each of the first and second needle ports by 90 degrees.

5. The surgical access device of claim 4 , wherein the first and second needle ports are diametrically opposed from one another.

6. The surgical access device of claim 1 , further comprising an insufflation port configured to direct insufflation fluid into the working channel, wherein the latch ring is rotatable to a position in which the user engagement feature is diametrically opposed from the insufflation port.

7. The surgical access device of claim 6 , wherein when the user engagement feature is positioned in diametric opposition to the insufflation port, the user engagement feature is spaced circumferentially equidistantly between the first and second needle ports.

8. The surgical access device of claim 7 , wherein when the user engagement feature is positioned in diametric opposition to the insufflation port, the user engagement feature is circumferentially offset from each of the first and second needle ports by 90 degrees.

9. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the user engagement feature comprises an outwardly projecting knob.

10. The surgical access device of claim 1 , wherein the first needle port comprises a first needle entrance port and the second needle port comprises a second needle entrance port, wherein the surgical access device further comprises a first needle exit port arranged distally of the first needle entrance port, and a second needle exit port arranged distally of the second needle entrance port, wherein the first needle entrance port and the first needle exit port together define a first suture path extending obliquely across the central axis of the surgical access device, wherein the second needle entrance port and the second needle exit port together define a second suture path extending obliquely across the central axis of the surgical access device.

11. The surgical access device of claim 10 , wherein the first and second needle entrance ports and the first and second needle exit ports are arranged such that the first and second suture paths extend through the central axis of the surgical access device.

12. The surgical access device of claim 10 , further comprising a first needle guide structure configured to guide a suture passer needle along the first suture path, and a second needle guide structure configured to guide a suture passer needle along the second suture path.

13. The surgical access device of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second needle entrance ports and each of the first and second needle exit ports is provided with a pierceable seal.

14. The surgical access device of claim 13 , further comprising a sleeve that encircles at least a portion of the cannula, wherein the sleeve defines the pierceable seals for the first and second needle exit ports.

15. A surgical access device, comprising:

(a) a cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cannula lumen extending therebetween;

(b) a housing assembly coupled to the proximal end of the cannula, wherein the housing assembly comprises:

(i) a proximal housing,

(ii) a distal housing secured to the cannula, and

(iii) a latch member arranged distally of the proximal housing and having a user engagement feature, wherein the latch member is movable by the user engagement feature to selectively couple and decouple the proximal housing with the distal housing and the cannula,

wherein an interior of the housing assembly communicates with the cannula lumen to define a working channel extending from a proximal end of the surgical access device to a distal end of the surgical access device along a central axis thereof, wherein the working channel is configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough;

(c) an insufflation port configured to direct insufflation fluid into the working channel;

(d) a first needle port that opens to the working channel through a first side portion of the surgical access device; and

(e) a second needle port that opens to the working channel through a second side portion of the surgical access device;

wherein each of the first and second needle ports is configured to direct a suture passer needle through the surgical access device, across the working channel, at an oblique angle relative to the central axis of the surgical access device,

wherein the latch member is movable to a position in which the user engagement feature is diametrically opposed from the insufflation port.

16. The surgical access device of claim 15 , wherein the user engagement feature is configured to be spaced circumferentially equidistantly between the first and second needle ports when the latch member is positioned in diametric opposition to the insufflation port.

17. The surgical access device of claim 15 , wherein the user engagement feature comprises an outwardly projecting knob.

18. A surgical access device, comprising:

(a) a cannula having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cannula lumen extending therebetween;

(b) a housing assembly coupled to the proximal end of the cannula, wherein the housing assembly comprises:

(i) a proximal housing,

(ii) a distal housing secured to the cannula, and

(iii) a latch member arranged between the proximal housing and the distal housing and having an outwardly projecting knob, wherein the latch member is movable by the outwardly projecting knob to selectively couple and decouple the proximal housing with the distal housing and the cannula,

wherein an interior of the housing assembly communicates with the cannula lumen to define a working channel extending from a proximal end of the surgical access device to a distal end of the surgical access device along a central axis thereof, wherein the working channel is configured to receive a surgical instrument therethrough;

(c) an insufflation port configured to direct insufflation fluid into the working channel;

(d) a first needle port that opens to the working channel through a first side portion of the surgical access device; and

(e) a second needle port that opens to the working channel through a second side portion of the surgical access device;

wherein each of the first and second needle ports is configured to direct a suture passer needle through the surgical access device, across the working channel, at an oblique angle relative to the central axis of the surgical access device,

wherein the outwardly projecting knob of the latch member is movable along a path having a path midpoint that is diametrically opposed from the insufflation port.

19. The surgical access device of claim 18 , wherein the path midpoint is circumferentially offset from at least one of the first or second needle ports by 90 degrees.

20. The surgical access device of claim 18 , wherein the first and second needle ports define a first axial plane, wherein the path midpoint and the insufflation port define a second axial plane that intersects the first axial plane perpendicularly at the central axis.