Flexible single lumen gas sealed access port for use during robotically assisted endoscopic surgical procedures

1. A gas sealed access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure in a surgical cavity of a patient, comprising:

a) a proximal housing including a central lumen providing gas sealed access to the surgical cavity, an inlet path for communicating with a source of pressurized gas, a tapered neck portion and an interior cavity accommodating an annular jet assembly for receiving pressurized gas from the inlet path to generate a gaseous seal within the tapered neck portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity; and

b) an elongated tubular body extending from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing in communication with the central lumen and including a flexible proximal body portion and a rigid distal body portion, wherein a proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion is dimensioned for insertion into a distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

2. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing is dimensioned for insertion into a proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

3. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 2 , wherein the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing has an exterior annular shoulder for limiting the insertion of the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion into the proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

4. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior annular ring for limiting the insertion of the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion into the distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

5. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior flared annular barb to inhibit withdrawal of the access port from the surgical cavity.

6. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an interior annular landing for interfacing with an exterior annular shoulder on an obturator shaft inserted into the central lumen of the proximal housing.

7. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flexible proximal body portion of the tubular body has a bendable tubular configuration.

8. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein the flexible proximal body portion of the tubular body has a bendable and extensible accordion configuration.

9. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 1 , wherein the proximal housing includes an outlet path for returning spent gas used to generate the gaseous seal in the tapered neck portion of the housing to a source of suction.

10. A gas sealed access port assembly for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure in a surgical cavity of a patient, comprising:

a) a proximal housing including a central lumen providing gas sealed access to the surgical cavity, an inlet path for communicating with a source of pressurized gas, a tapered neck portion and an interior cavity accommodating an annular jet assembly for receiving pressurized gas from the inlet path to generate a gaseous seal within the tapered neck portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity;

b) an elongated tubular body extending from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing in communication with the central lumen and including a flexible proximal body portion and a rigid distal body portion; and

c) an obturator having an elongated shaft dimensioned and configured for insertion through the central lumen of the proximal housing to introduce the access port into the surgical cavity while maintaining the flexible proximal body portion in an unbent condition, wherein a proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion is dimensioned for insertion into a distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

11. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein a distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing is dimensioned for insertion into a proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

12. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 11 , wherein the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing has an exterior annular shoulder for limiting the insertion of the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion into the proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

13. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an interior annular landing for interfacing with an exterior annular shoulder formed on the elongated shaft of the obturator when the obturator is inserted into the central lumen of the proximal housing.

14. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior annular ring for limiting the insertion of the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion into the distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

15. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein a distal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior flared annular barb to inhibit withdrawal of the access port from the surgical cavity.

16. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein the flexible proximal body portion of the tubular body has a bendable tubular configuration.

17. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein the flexible proximal body portion of the tubular body has a bendable and extensible accordion configuration.

18. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 10 , wherein the proximal housing includes an outlet path for returning spent gas used to generate the gaseous seal in the tapered neck portion of the housing to a source of suction.

19. A gas sealed access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure in a surgical cavity of a patient, comprising:

a) a proximal housing including a central lumen providing gas sealed access to the surgical cavity, an inlet path for communicating with a source of pressurized gas, a tapered neck portion and an interior cavity accommodating an annular jet assembly for receiving pressurized gas from the inlet path to generate a gaseous seal within the tapered neck portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity; and

b) an elongated tubular body extending from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing in communication with the central lumen and including a flexible proximal body portion and a rigid distal body portion, wherein the flexible proximal body portion of the tubular body has a bendable and extensible accordion configuration.

20. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 19 , wherein a distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing is dimensioned for insertion into a proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

21. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 20 , wherein the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing has an exterior annular shoulder for limiting the insertion of the distal end portion of the tapered neck portion into the proximal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

22. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 19 , wherein a proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion is dimensioned for insertion into a distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

23. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 22 , wherein the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior annular ring for limiting the insertion of the proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion into the distal end portion of the flexible proximal body portion.

24. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 19 , wherein a distal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an exterior flared annular barb to inhibit withdrawal of the access port from the surgical cavity.

25. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 19 , wherein a proximal end portion of the rigid distal body portion has an interior annular landing for interfacing with an exterior annular shoulder on an obturator shaft inserted into the central lumen of the proximal housing.

26. A gas sealed access port as recited in claim 19 , wherein the proximal housing includes an outlet path for returning spent gas used to generate the gaseous seal in the tapered neck portion of the housing to a source of suction.