BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages will become appreciated as the same become better understood with reference to the following specification, claims and drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trocar and working port in an assembled configuration.
FIG. 2 is a perspective and expanded view of a working port and trocar with the trocar separated anteriorly of the working port.
FIG. 3 is an illustration in perspective and expanded view of a working port, the shield member of this invention, and the lens portion of a flexible or rigid surgical endoscope.
FIG. 4 illustrates in perspective view the assembly of the shield member of this invention and the working port before insertion of the lens portion of a flexible or rigid surgical endoscope into the shield lumen.
FIG. 5 illustrates in perspective the passage of the lens portion of a flexible or rigid surgical endoscope through the shield lumen of the shield member and past the working port valve.
FIG. 6 illustrates in perspective the retraction of the shield member through the working port lumen and separation of the shield member from the distal flexible or rigid surgical endoscope portion containing the lens.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is an illustration in perspective of a typical trocar and working port assembly 1 of the prior art. In laparoscopic surgery, access to the abdominal cavity is generally achieved by using a trocar 2 that is carried within the lumen 3 of a cannula or working port 4. The trocar 2, or obturator, is used to pierce the abdominal wall (not shown) and is then removed from working port 4 which allows access to the abdominal cavity by a camera system through working port lumen 3. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, working port 4 has an anterior portion 6 and a posterior end 7. In this description, the anterior portion 6 of working port 4, although the abdomen is not shown, remains anterior of the abdomen after trocar 2 has pierced the abdominal wall and been withdrawn from working port 4. Trocar 2 has an anterior portion 8 and posterior end 9. Typically, although not shown, trocar posterior end 9 contains the trocar cutting blade which pierces the abdominal wall and allows working port 4 to pass through the wall where its lumen 3 communicates with the internal cavity of the abdomen.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, working port 4 has a working port valve 11 which as can be seen expands to form a seal surrounding the trocar posterior portion as it extends through working port lumen 3. The working port valve 11 acts to prevent loss of pneumoperitoneum and assures relatively constant insufflation. Such valves are commonly used in working ports of the prior art. When the trocar 2 pierces the abdominal wall, body fluids and tissue debris are carried by the posterior portion 9 of the trocar as it is removed form working port 4 where the fluids and debris are transferred to working port valve 11 as the trocar 2 is withdrawn. In addition, the temperature gradient across the valve after the trocar is withdrawn results in condensation forming on the valve. Consequently, when a flexible or rigid surgical endoscope 12 containing a lens 13 passes working port valve 11 in a posterior direction while gaining access to the abdominal cavity, the body fluid, debris, and condensation (not shown) smear lens 13 and blur the visual images transmitted to the monitor screen (not shown). The present invention is directed toward shielding the lens as it passes posteriorly through valve 11.
Referring to FIG. 3, a shield member 14 adapted for insertion into working port lumen 3 has a distal end 16 and a proximate end 17, an axis of elongation 18, and an axially extending shield lumen 19. Shield member 14 further has a first opening 21 at its distal end 16 that communicates with shield lumen 19 and a second opening 22 at proximate end 17 (shown in FIG. 4) that communicates with shield lumen 19 forming a cylindrical passageway through the shield.
As is shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, shield member 14 has a radially extending flange or lip 23 adjacent proximate end 17. By referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that shield member 14 is so dimensioned and proportioned that it can be inserted into working port lumen 3 telescopically and extend axially in a posterior direction beyond posterior end 9 of working port 4. The anterior portion 6 of working port 4 has an anterior barrier 24 that limits the posterior travel of shield member 14 through working port lumen 3. Although a radially extending flange from shield member 14 is shown as an embodiment, other methods may be used to limit the axial advance of the shield member through working port lumen 3 to achieve the function of providing a shielded passageway for lens 13.
In another embodiment, shield member 14 has a slit 26 that extends axially for the entire axial length of shield member 14. As can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, shield member 14 is made of an elastic material that is sufficiently elastic to permit slit walls 27 and 28 to be circumferentially displaced from each other to expand the arcuate circumferential distance between walls 27 and 28 which allows shield member 14 to be laterally removable from or attachable to flexible or rigid surgical endoscope 12. Referring again to FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 illustrates the passage of lens 13 through shield lumen 19 in an anterior-posterior direction in gaining access to the abdominal region. In FIG. 5, flange 23 has engaged anterior barrier 24 which precludes further axial advance posteriorly of shield member 14 through working port lumen 3. Shield member 14 is so dimensioned and proportioned such that it may advance axially through working port lumen 3 at least a sufficient distance so that the first opening 21 of shield member 14 will be posteriorly removed from working port valve 11. With shield member 14 so positioned, lens 13 of flexible or rigid surgical endoscope 12 may be inserted into and passed through shield lumen 19 thereby by-passing working port valve 11.
While I have shown and described embodiments of a shield member for shielding the lens of a flexible or rigid surgical endoscope, it is to be understood that the invention is subject to many modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims as recited herein.
Patent Application
20070299310
