Self-adjusting pneumatically sealed trocar

#1. Field of the Invention

#The subject invention is directed to laparoscopic surgery, and more particularly, to a self-adjusting pneumatically sealed trocar for use with an insufflation and gas recirculation system used during laparoscopic surgical procedures.

#2. Description of Related Art

#So that those skilled in the art to which the subject invention appertains will readily understand how to make and use the self-adjusting pneumatically sealed trocar of the subject invention without undue experimentation, preferred embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein below with reference to certain figures, wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the surgical access device of the subject invention as viewed from above;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical access device of the subject invention as viewed in elevation with an obturator shaft extended through a central lumen of the housing portion and tubular body portion of the device;

#Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural features or aspects of the subject invention, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a surgical access device constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention and designated generally by reference numeral 10. Surgical access device 10 is adapted and configure for use during laparoscopic surgical procedures in conjunction with an obturator 12 having a sharpened tip 14 for piercing through the abdominal all of a patient to gain access to the patient's abdominal cavity. Exemplary obturator tips are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,317,815, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

#Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the surgical access device 10 includes a proximal housing portion 16 containing an annular nozzle assembly 18. The nozzle assembly 18 is described in greater detail in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 8,795,223, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

#A gas supply plenum 20 communicating with an upstream side of the annular nozzle assembly 18, a gas return plenum 22 communicating with a downstream side of the annular nozzle assembly 18, and a pressure sensing/insufflating plenum 24 isolated from the annular nozzle assembly 18, the gas supply plenum 20 and the gas return plenum 22. An elongated tubular body portion 28 extends distally from the proximal housing 16 portion and defines a central lumen 25 that communicates with the downstream side of the annular nozzle assembly 18 and with the gas return plenum 22.