Soft-thread cannula and cannula seal assembly
A cannula seal assembly with a compatible flexible cannula. The cannula includes a rigid cannula body having proximal and distal body ends. The cannula body is composed of material having a first thickness. A flexible thread extends along at least a portion of the cannula body from the distal body end toward the proximal body end. The thread is composed of material having a second thickness, which is less than a first thickness. The cannula is attachable to a cannula seal assembly. The assembly includes a housing having a primary seal and a secondary seal therein. The assembly has a spacer connected between the primary seal and the secondary seal and a reservoir between the primary seal and the secondary seal.
1. A cannula, comprising:
an elongated rigid cannula body extending along a longitudinal axis and having a proximal body end and a distal body end;
wherein the cannula body is composed of material having a first thickness;
a flexible thread extending along at least a portion of the cannula body from the distal body end toward the proximal body end; and
wherein the thread is composed of material having a second thickness, which is less than a first thickness;
wherein:
the thread comprises a tip, a base, and a triangular-shaped supporting feature, the base having a proximal side, a distal side, and the triangular-shaped supporting feature is positioned adjacent to the distal side and extends from the cannula body,
the supporting feature shares a root portion with the thread, and includes an end portion opposite from the root portion, the end portion being spaced from the tip of the thread in a relaxed condition, and
the root portion extends radially beyond an outside surface of the cannula body.
2. The cannula of claim 1 , wherein the thread comprises a base having a distal side with a first radius and a proximal side with a second radius, and the second radius is smaller than the first radius.
3. The cannula of claim 1 , wherein the supporting feature is angled, increasing in size toward the distal side of the thread.
4. A cannula, comprising:
an elongated rigid cannula body having a proximal body end and a distal body end;
a flexible sleeve extending along at least a portion of the cannula body from the distal body end toward the proximal body end; and
a flexible thread extending along at least a portion of the sleeve;
wherein:
the thread comprises a tip, a base, and a triangular-shaped supporting feature, the base having a proximal side, a distal side, and the triangular-shaped supporting feature is positioned adjacent to the distal side and extends from the cannula body,
the supporting feature shares a root portion with the thread and includes an end portion opposite from the root portion, the end portion being spaced from the tip of the thread in a relaxed condition, and the root portion extends radially beyond an outside surface of the cannula body.
5. The cannula of claim 4 , wherein the cannula body is composed of material having a first thickness and the sleeve is composed of material having a second thickness, which is less than a first thickness.
6. The cannula of claim 4 , further comprising a compliant tip on the flexible sleeve extending at least partially past the cannula body.
7. The cannula of claim 4 , wherein the thread comprises a base having a distal side with a first radius and a proximal side with a second radius, and the second radius is smaller than the first radius.
8. The cannula of claim 4 , wherein the supporting feature is angled, increasing in size toward the distal side of the thread.