Navigating introducer for tissue access system

1 . A surgical access system for providing access through brain tissue, the system comprising:

an outer sheath defined by an open distal end and an open proximal end and including a hollow body portion therebetween;

an introducer defined by a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end further comprises a tapered distal tip member that terminates in a distal tip of the introducer having a distal opening therethrough;

a single piece navigational stylet selectively positioned within the introducer, wherein the navigational stylet has a tapered section that tapers the navigational stylet from a stylet body portion to a stylet distal tip, and wherein the navigational stylet extends past the proximal end of the introducer opposite the stylet distal tip along an axis defined by the introducer, and wherein the navigational stylet further includes a navigational element that extends transverse to the axis at a proximal end of the navigational stylet such that the navigational element is offset from the axis; wherein the stylet distal tip is rounded and wherein the navigational stylet is configured to indicate a location and depth of the introducer within a patient during use; and

a locking member configured to retain the introducer to the navigational stylet while in an introducing configuration when the surgical access system is introduced to an area of interest in the introducing configuration;

wherein the introducer is configured to be received within the outer sheath such that the tapered distal tip member protrudes from the open distal end of the outer sheath and, in the introducing configuration, the tapered section of the navigational stylet mates with and extends through the distal opening in the distal tip of the introducer to define an atraumatic distal tip section of the surgical access system for displacing tissue and wherein the tapered section and the distal tip of the introducer maintains a mated relationship keeping the stylet fixed with respect to the introducer when the surgical access system is introduced to the area of interest in the introducing configuration.

2 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the introducer has a conical shape.

3 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the navigational stylet further comprises depth markers.

4 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the locking member is a touhy-borst connector.

5 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , further comprising a channel extending through the introducer and in communication with the distal opening, wherein the channel is centered within the introducer so as to center the navigational stylet within the introducer.

6 . The surgical access system of claim 5 , wherein the channel is sized to be slightly larger than the navigational stylet so as to align the navigational stylet with respect to the distal opening.

7 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the outer sheath further includes a tapered section positioned at the distal end of the outer sheath.

8 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of the navigational stylet is operative connected to a navigational element.

9 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the distal tip of the navigational stylet extends past the open distal end of the outer sheath when the introducer is in an introducing configuration.

10 . The surgical access system of claim 1 , wherein the distal tip of the navigational stylet closes the distal opening in the distal tip of the introducer such that the distal end of the introducer is closed when the navigational stylet is in the introducing configuration.

11 . A surgical access system for providing access through brain tissue, the system comprising:

an outer sheath defined by an open distal end and an open proximal end and including a hollow body portion therebetween;

an introducer defined by a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end further comprises a tapered distal tip member that terminates in a distal tip having a distal opening therethrough;

a single piece navigational stylet selectively positioned within the introducer, wherein the navigational stylet has a tapered section that tapers the navigational stylet from a stylet body portion to a stylet distal tip for piercing tissue, and wherein the navigational stylet extends past the proximal end of the introducer opposite the stylet distal tip along an axis defined by the introducer, and wherein the navigational stylet further includes a navigational element that extends transverse to the axis at a proximal end of the navigational stylet such that the navigational element is offset from the axis, and wherein, and; wherein the navigational stylet is configured to indicate a location and depth of the introducer within a patient during use; and

a locking member configured to retain the introducer to the navigational stylet while in an introducing configuration when the surgical access system is introduced to an area of interest in the introducing configuration;

wherein the introducer is configured to be received within the outer sheath such that the tapered distal tip member protrudes from the open distal end of the outer sheath and, in the introducing configuration, the tapered section of the navigational stylet mates with and extends through the distal opening in the distal tip of the introducer to define an atraumatic distal tip section of the surgical access system for dilating tissue and wherein the tapered section and the distal tip of the introducer maintains a mated relationship keeping the stylet fixed with respect to the introducer when the surgical access system is introduced to the area of interest in the introducing configuration,

wherein the distal tip of the navigational stylet closes the distal opening in the distal tip such that the distal end of the introducer is closed when the navigational stylet is in the introducing configuration.