Cannula and Obturator with a Transparent Tip with an Opaque Component

A cannula system for accessing a blood mass in the brain of a patient, said cannula system comprising:

• a cannula comprising a cannula tube with a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
• and
• an obturator comprising an obturator shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and an obturator tip disposed on the distal end of said obturator shaft, said obturator tip being optically transmissive, said obturator tip having a transverse cross-section closely matching a transverse cross-section of the cannula, said obturator tip having a distal tip, said obturator being slidable within the cannula tube, and positionable within the cannula tube such that the proximal end of the obturator shaft extends proximally out of the cannula proximal end while the tapered distal tip extends out of the cannula distal end, wherein the obturator shaft has a transverse cross-section smaller than the lumen of the cannula and smaller that the transverse cross-section of the obturator tip, whereby the proximal surface of the obturator tip is visible from the proximal end of the cannula, through the lumen, when the obturator tip is disposed within the cannula such that the tapered distal tip extends out of the cannula distal end;
• and
• a light disposed within the obturator tip.

A method of inserting a cannula into the body of a patient to access a surgical workspace within the body of the patient, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a cannula system comprising:
• a cannula comprising a cannula tube with a proximal end and a distal end and a lumen extending from the proximal end to the distal end;
• and
• an obturator comprising an obturator shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and an obturator tip disposed on the distal end of said obturator shaft, said obturator tip being optically transmissive, said obturator tip having a transverse cross-section closely matching a transverse cross-section of the cannula, said obturator tip having a distal tip, said obturator being slidable within the cannula tube, and positionable within the cannula tube such that the proximal end of the obturator shaft extends proximally out of the cannula proximal end while the distal tip extends out of the cannula distal end, wherein the obturator shaft has a transverse cross-section smaller than the lumen of the cannula and smaller that the transverse cross-section of the obturator tip, whereby the proximal surface of the obturator tip is visible from the proximal end of the cannula, through the lumen, when the obturator tip is disposed within the cannula such that the distal tip extends out of the cannula distal end;
• wherein
• the obturator tip further comprises an opaque component disposed in the distal tip;
• and
• assembling the cannula tube and obturator such that the obturator is disposed within the cannula tube with the obturator tip extending distally from the cannula distal end such that the opaque component within the distal tip is disposed distally of the distal end of the cannula tube;
• and
• advancing the assembled cannula system into the body while observing body tissue distal to the cannula tube, through the obturator tip, from the proximal end of the cannula tube.