Surgical access system with navigation element
A surgical access assembly and method of use is disclosed. The surgical access assembly comprises an outer sheath and an obturator. The outer sheath and obturator are configured to be delivered to an area of interest within the brain. Either the outer sheath or the obturator may be configured to operate with a navigational system to track the location of either device within the brain.
1 . A surgical access assembly for creating an operative pathway through body tissue, comprising:
an outer sheath defined by an open distal end and an open proximal end and including a hollow body portion therebetween, wherein the outer sheath further comprises a tapered portion positioned between the body portion and the open distal end;
an obturator defined by a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end further comprises a tapered distal tip member that terminates in a closed distal tip for atraumatically dilating tissue and the proximal end comprises a grip member and a stop member, wherein the stop member engages the open proximal end of the outer sheath when the obturator is received within the outer sheath when in an introducing configuration; and
a navigational element operatively connected to one of the obturator and outer sheath, wherein the navigational element is configured to indicate the location of at least a portion of the surgical access assembly within a patient during use;
wherein the tapered distal tip member protrudes from the open distal end of the outer sheath when the obturator and outer sheath are assembled in the introducing configuration while external to the patient, forming an atraumatic assembly distal end and configured to provide visual confirmation of the location of the distal tip member during navigation through the body tissue, with a transition between the tapered portion and the tapered distal tip member cooperating to form an atraumatic assembly distal end,
wherein the stop member is positioned distally of grip member and is configured to have a width that is greater than a diameter of the hollow body portion and is greater than a diameter of the outer sheath and wherein the grip member is configured with a width that is greater than the width of the stop member, thereby providing a step-like configuration.
2 . The surgical access assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer sheath is provided with one or more channels within a wall of the outer sheath.
3 . The surgical access assembly of claim 2 , wherein an RFID chip may be positioned within the channels.
4 . The surgical access assembly of claim 1 , wherein the navigational element is a sensor that is configured to be tracked by a navigation system so as to enable the position of the outer sheath to be indicated to a user with respect to a patient's anatomy.
5 . The surgical access assembly of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is mounted to the open proximal end of the outer sheath.
6 . The surgical access assembly of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is mounted to an illumination ring that is mounted to the open proximal end of the outer sheath.
7 . The surgical access assembly of claim 6 , wherein the illumination ring further comprises at least one outwardly extending flange member positioned on a periphery of a wall member of the illumination ring, and wherein the sensor is mounted to the flange member.
8 . The surgical access assembly of claim 1 , where the navigational element is friction fit with the obturator so that the obturator retains the navigational element.
9 . The surgical access assembly of claim 1 , where the navigational element includes a tip at a distal end, the tip being visible when fully seated to the obturator through the outer sheath to confirm the navigational element is seated.
10 . A surgical access assembly for creating an operative pathway through body tissue, comprising:
an outer sheath defined by an open distal end and an open proximal end and including a hollow body portion therebetween, wherein the outer sheath further comprises a tapered portion positioned between the body portion and the open distal end;
an obturator defined by a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end further comprises a tapered distal tip member that terminates in a closed distal tip for atraumatically displacing tissue and the proximal end comprises a grip member and a stop member, wherein the stop member engages the proximal end of the outer sheath when the obturator is received within the outer sheath when in an introducing configuration; and
a navigational element operatively connected to one of the obturator and outer sheath, wherein the navigational element is configured to indicate the location of at least a portion of the surgical access assembly within a patient during use;
wherein the tapered distal tip member protrudes from the open distal end of the outer sheath when the obturator and outer sheath are assembled in the introducing configuration outside of the body tissue, with a transition between the tapered portion and the tapered distal tip member cooperating to form an atraumatic assembly distal end for displacing tissue, wherein the stop member is positioned distally of grip member and is configured to have a width that is greater than a diameter of the hollow body portion and is greater than a diameter of the outer sheath and wherein the grip member is configured with a width that is greater than the width of the stop member, thereby providing a step-like configuration.