Continuous gas flow trocar assembly

A method of sealing a trocar assembly within a cavity of a patient during a surgical procedure by an instrument within that cavity of the patient, comprising:

• introducing a pressurized air through a plenum in said trocar assembly to form a wall of air within the cavity of the patient to seal the cavity from excessive loss of air pressure within the cavity of the patient.

A trocar assembly for providing a pressurized insufflation fluid into a patient cavity and sealable access to said patient cavity concomitantly using one or more surgical instruments simultaneously in said patient, comprising:

• an inner tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end;
• an outer tubular member disposed about said inner tubular member, said outer tubular member having a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said inner tubular member and said distal end of said outer tubular member defining a trocar fluid seal nozzle arranged therebetween wherein a controlled pressurized fluid is supplied between said outer tubular member and said inner tubular member at a proximal end thereof for introduction into a patient through said generally annular nozzle at a distal end of said trocar assembly.

A method of surgically operating upon a patient, comprising:

• inserting a trocar assembly through an abdominal opening in said patient;
• introducing a wall of pressurized fluid into said patient via a generally annular nozzle arranged at a distal end of said trocar assembly;
• introducing at least one surgical instrument through said trocar assembly and into said patient through said wall of fluid.