Split hoop wound retractor with gel pad

A gel cap adapted for being coupled to a wound retractor, the wound retractor having a substantially noncompliant outer ring adapted for juxtaposition with an outer surface of a biological body wall and for disposition relative to an incision in the body wall, an inner ring adapted for juxtaposition with an inner surface of the biological body wall and for disposition relative to the incision in the body wall, and a sleeve adapted to traverse the incision in the body wall, the sleeve coupling the outer ring to the inner ring, the wound retractor being adapted to retract and seal the incision, the gelcap comprising:

• a cap ring including a substantially cylindrical ring having,
• a first, proximal portion,
• a second, distal portion,
• a longitudinal axis extending through the proximal and distal portions of the cap ring,
• a lip at a distal end of the distal portion of the cap ring, the lip curving radially inward from the wall of the distal portion of the cap ring and extending around a portion of the circumference of the cap ring, and
• a lug on the outer surface of the cap ring, the lug including an aperture, the aperture of the lug extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cap ring;
• a lever positioned at the distal portion of the cap ring substantially opposite the lip at the distal portion of the cap ring, the lever being coupled to the lug, the lever swinging on a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cap ring, the lever having,
• a proximal end,
• a distal end,
• a first, distal substantially flat lip positioned at the distal end of the lever and lying in a plane that is positioned substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cap ring,
• a second, proximal substantially flat lip positioned at the proximal end of the lever and lying in a plane that is substantially parallel to the distal lip of the lever, the proximal lip of the lever extending from the same side of the lever as the distal lip, and
• a hinge pin extending substantially perpendicular to the distal lip of the lever;
• and
• a gel pad made of a gel material, the gel pad being coupled to the cap ring and positioned at the proximal portion of the cap ring and extending into the distal portion of the cap ring, the gel pad including an access portion for providing a passage from external the body to a body cavity, the passage forming an instrument seal in the presence of an instrument inserted therethrough and a zero seal in the absence of an instrument inserted therethrough,
• wherein, the aperture of the lug being adapted to receive the hinge pin of the lever,
• the wall of the distal portion of the cap ring including a first aperture or groove for receiving and supporting the distal lip of the lever and a second aperture for receiving the proximal lip of the lever,
• in a first, open state the lever is swung outwardly, away from the body of the cap ring to provide clearance for inserting the outer ring of the wound retractor into the gel cap,
• in a second, closed state the lever is swung toward the cap ring such that the distal lip of the lever protrudes radially inwardly from the body of the lever and radially inwardly through the wall of the cap ring,
• in the second state, with the outer ring of the wound retractor positioned in the distal portion of the cap ring, the distal lip of the lever is configured to abut the distal surface of the outer ring of the wound retractor and secure the gel cap to the wound retractor,
• the lip of the cap ring and the distal lip of the lever being configured to receive the outer ring of the wound retractor such that the outer ring of the wound retractor is positioned between the lip of the cap ring and the distal lip of the lever at the distal end of the outer ring of the wound retractor and the gel pad at the proximal end of the outer ring of the wound retractor with the outer ring of the wound retractor embedding into the gel pad at the distal portion of the cap ring and displacing the gel, thereby forming a seal between the gel pad and the outer ring and sleeve of the wound retractor, and
• the gel pad being adapted to be placed in juxtaposition with the incision.