Apparatus and method for trocar surgical procedure

A method for inserting a trocar into a body cavity through the body wall of a patient without insufflation of said body cavity, said method comprising the steps of:

• attaching the skin adjacent said body cavity to a movable support;
• lifting said movable support away from said body cavity to open a void between said body wall and internal body structures within said body cavity;
• and
• inserting said trocar through said body wall into said void space
• fastening said trocar to said movable support to support said trocar in a stable and substantially upright orientation;
• wherein said trocar comprises a trocar applicator for applying a trocar to pierce said abdominal wall and a trocar and obdurator assembly for extending through said abdominal wall adapted for use with said trocar applicator;
• said trocar applicator including:
• a housing including a lower pad having a orifice through which said trocar can extend and a vertical frame mounted on said pad;
• force means for driving said trocar through said abdominal wall mounted in said frame distal from said pad;
• means for maintaining said force means in a deactivated position and for activating said force means to drive said trocar;
• and
• at a position intermediate between said pad and said force means attached to said vertical frame, trocar limiting means for limiting the distance said trocar is driven through said abdominal wall;
• said trocar and obdurator assembly including:
• a cylindrical trocar tube;
• trocar stopping means for cooperating with said trocar limiting means for limiting the distance said trocar is driven through said abdominal wall;
• an obdurator extending through said cylindrical tube and having a sharp end capable of extending past one of said ends of said cylindrical tube;
• and
• means for locking said obdurator into position in said tube;
• and
• wherein said movable support includes:
• a horizontal rack;
• spaced apart horizontal cross-beams supported by said horizontal rack;
• vertical supporting means for raising and lowering said horizontal rack with synchronous movement of said cross-beams;
• and
• attaching means extending downwardly from each of said cross-beams for attaching to a tape surface;
• and
• wherein said step of attaching said skin adjacent said body cavity to a movable support comprises the step of attaching said skin to said downwardly extending attaching means;
• and
• wherein said step of inserting said trocar through said body wall comprises the steps of activating, after said step of lifting to open a void, said force means for driving said trocar to drive said trocar through said abdominal wall into said void;
• and limiting the distance said obdurator of said trocar and obdurator assembly is driven by said force means of said trocar applicator through said abdominal wall.

A method for inserting a gas-valve-free trocar apparatus into an internal body cavity through the external body wall of a patient without insufflation of said body cavity and without puncturing structures internal to said body cavity, said method comprising the steps of:

• attaching the external skin adjacent said body cavity to a movable support disposed at a first location external to said body wall and body cavity;
• moving said movable support away from said internal structures within said body cavity to open a void space between said internal body wall and said internal structures;
• attaching a trocar applicator having a housing including a pad having a orifice through which said gas-valve-free trocar can extend and a vertical frame mounted on said pad, and a spring for driving said trocar through said orifice and said body wall mounted in said frame;
• and trigger means for controlling said driving of said trocar by said spring;
• inserting said gas-valve-free trocar assembly having a trocar tip and an obdurator with said applicator to pierce said body wall at a second location different from said first skin attachment location into said void space without insufflating said body cavity;
• fastening said trocar to said movable support to support said trocar in a stable position;
• said step of moving said movable support to open a void space is performed before said step of inserting said trocar through said body wall into said void space;
• wherein said movable support includes:
• a rack, spaced apart horizontal cross-beams supported by said rack, vertical supports for moving said rack selectively toward and away from said patient with synchronous movement of said cross-beams, and attaching means extending toward said patient from each of said cross-beams for attaching to a tape surface;
• and wherein said step of attaching said skin to said movable support comprises attaching said skin to said extending attaching means.