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US 11,696,784 B2Granted
Angled surgical trocars
AssigneeMaine Medical Center
InventorMichael P. Robich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various exemplary angled surgical trocars and methods of using angled surgical trocars are provided. In general, a trocar configured to be advanced into a body of a patient can have an angled distal portion. The trocar can have a cut-out at its distal end in the angled distal portion of the trocar. The trocar can be advanced into the patient's body alone or with an obturator located therein. The obturator located in the trocar can have a flexible portion configured to bend within the trocar's angled distal portion. The trocar and obturator can be used in a variety of medical procedures, for example thoracic procedures in which the trocar is used to provide access to a thoracic cavity of a patient.
Claims20
A surgical device, consisting essentially of:
- a trocar configured to be positioned in tissue of a patient to allow access therethrough into a body cavity of the patient, the trocar including a tubular elongate body having a proximal portion defining a first longitudinal axis, wherein the tubular elongate body is rigid, the tubular elongate body having a distal portion defining a second longitudinal axis that is transverse to the first longitudinal axis such that the distal portion extends linearly at a fixed angle not subject to or able to be changed with respect to the proximal portion, the tubular elongate body having an inner lumen extending through the proximal and distal portions, the inner lumen being configured to slidably receive a surgical tool therein to allow passage of the surgical tool therethrough from outside the patient to inside the body cavity, and the tubular elongate body having a cut-out in a sidewall thereof at a distal-most end of the tubular elongate body.
A surgical system, consisting essentially of:
- a trocar configured to be positioned in tissue of a patient to allow access therethrough into a body cavity of the patient, the trocar including a tubular elongate body having a proximal portion defining a first longitudinal axis, wherein the tubular elongate body is rigid, the tubular elongate body having a distal portion defining a second longitudinal axis that is transverse to the first longitudinal axis such that the distal portion extends linearly at a fixed angle not subject to or able to be changed with respect to the proximal portion, the tubular elongate body having an inner lumen extending through the proximal and distal portions, and the tubular elongate body having a cut-out in a sidewall thereof at a distal-most end of the tubular elongate body;
- and
- an obturator configured to be inserted into the inner lumen and advanced distally therethrough such that a rigid distal tip of the obturator is located distally beyond the tubular elongate body, the obturator having an elongate shaft with a rigid proximal portion and a flexible intermediate portion located between the rigid proximal portion and the rigid distal tip, the flexible intermediate portion being configured to bend within the distal portion of the tubular elongate body.
A surgical method, consisting essentially of:
- advancing a trocar and an obturator as a unit through tissue of a patient at an angle relative to a surface of the tissue until distal ends of each of the trocar and obturator enter a body cavity underlying the tissue, and then changing the angle of the trocar and the obturator relative to the surface of the tissue, wherein the trocar includes a tubular elongate body having a proximal portion defining a first longitudinal axis, the tubular elongate body having a distal portion defining a second longitudinal axis that is transverse to the first longitudinal axis such that the distal portion extends linearly at a fixed angle not subject to or able to be changed with respect to the proximal portion, wherein the tubular elongate body is rigid;
- after changing the angle relative to the surface of the tissue, removing the obturator from the trocar;
- and
- after removing the obturator from the trocar, and with the longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the trocar being substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue, advancing a chest tube through the elongate tubular body of the trocar and into the body cavity from outside the patient;
- wherein:
- the obturator is located within an inner lumen of the trocar with a distal tip of the obturator located distal to the trocar and leading the unit through the tissue, wherein the distal tip of the obturator is rigid,
- the angle at which the trocar and the obturator are advanced through the tissue is defined by the distal portion of the trocar extending linearly at the fixed angle not subject to or able to be changed relative to the proximal portion of the trocar, and
- the angle is changed such that the longitudinal axis of the proximal portion of the trocar is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the tissue.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.