# US 7,744,626 B2 · Skin seal with inflatable membrane > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,626 B2 - Document ID: US7744626B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/151,559 - Filed: 2005-06-13 - Published: 2005-10-13 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 1995-05-19 - Assignees: General Surgical Innovations, Inc. - Inventors: Kenneth H. Mollenauer; Michelle Y. Monfort - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744626B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/3423: {Access ports, e.g. toroid shape introducers for instruments or hands (access sites for liquids A61M39/0247)} - A61B 17/00234: {for minimally invasive surgery (A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence)} - A61B 17/3431: {being collapsible, e.g. made of thin flexible material (A61B17/3423 takes precedence)} - A61B 90/40: Apparatus fixed or close to patients specially adapted for providing an aseptic surgical environment - A61B 2017/00557: {inflatable (A61B2017/22051 takes precedence)} - A61B 2017/3419: {Sealing means between cannula and body} - A61B 2017/3486: {Balloon} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A skin seal or trocar stabilizer with an inflatable balloon in the shape of a dumbbell, where the balloon may be stored within a cannula for easy placement in an incision and inflated to deploy the balloon inside the body, and a portion of the balloon expands inside the cannula, whereby medical instruments may be passed through the skin seal into a laparoscopic workspace while the balloon is inflated, thereby allowing the use of normal short surgical instruments during laparoscopic procedures and during insufflation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of inserting an access port into a patient's body, comprising: assembling the access port with an obturator, the access port having a tube and an inflatable membrane, the tube disposed within the inflatable membrane; inserting the access port and obturator into an incision in the patient's body; removing the obturator from the access port; inflating the inflatable membrane such that a distal portion of the inflatable membrane extends beyond a distal end of the tube and a proximal portion of the inflatable membrane extends beyond a proximal end of the tube, wherein the inflatable membrane fills a passageway of the tube after inflation; and inserting an instrument through a lumen of the inflatable membrane and the access port into the patient's body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the access port and obturator are assembled by inserting the obturator into the lumen of the inflatable membrane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tube is rigid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the obturator is inserted into the incision and then the access port is pushed over the obturator into the incision. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distal portion of the inflatable membrane is a distal dumbbell portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the inflatable membrane is inflated so that the distal dumbbell portion engages tissue around the incision. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the inflatable membrane has a proximal dumbbell portion and the inflatable membrane is inflated so that the tissue around the incision is clamped between the distal and proximal dumbbell portions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the proximal dumbbell portion expands to overlap the external edges of the incision. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein, prior to inflation, the distal dumbbell portion of the inflatable membrane is disposed within the tube. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein, during inflation, the distal dumbbell portion of the inflatable membrane expands out of the tube. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the distal dumbbell portion expands to overlap the internal edges of the incision. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inflatable membrane provides a seal around the instrument. ### Claim 13 A method of inserting an access port into a patient's body, comprising the steps of: assembling the access port with an obturator, the access port having a tube and an inflatable membrane, the inflatable membrane having a distal dumbbell portion that extends distally beyond a distal end of the tube and a proximal dumbbell portion that extends proximally beyond a proximal end of the tube, the tube disposed within a chamber of the inflatable membrane; inserting the access port and obturator into an incision in the patient's body; removing the obturator from the access port; inflating the inflatable membrane such that both the distal dumbbell portion and the proximal dumbbell portion engage tissue around the incision, wherein the inflatable membrane fills a passageway of the tube after inflation; and inserting an instrument through a lumen of the inflatable membrane and the access port into the patient's body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the inflatable membrane has a tubular shape defining a bore and is disposed within the passageway of the tube. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the access port and obturator are assembled by inserting the obturator into the bore of the inflatable membrane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the tube is rigid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the obturator is inserted into the incision and then the access port is pushed over the obturator into the incision. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein, prior to inflation, the distal dumbbell portion of the inflatable membrane is disposed within the tube. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein, during inflation, the distal dumbbell portion of the inflatable membrane expands out of the tube. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the inflatable membrane provides a seal around the instrument.