Surgical instrument seal assembly

Abstract

A surgical instrument valve assembly is provided with a valve seal where the upper portion of the valve seal is rigidly mounted to the body of the valve assembly. The lower portion of the valve seal is configured to allow some radial movement while the upper portion of the valve seal remains rigidly mounted within the valve assembly. The valve seal may be provided with a stay that prevents the valve seal from inverting when an instrument in withdrawn from the valve assembly.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A surgical instrument seal assembly for mounting to a cannula for the insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising: 
 an upper body portion having an upper surface that defines a throughbore extending completely through the seal assembly;    a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein the lower body portion defines a cannula receiving opening adapted to mount the seal assembly on the cannula; and    a unitary valve seal comprising: 
 an upper seal portion having a mounting portion and a generally frusto-conical upper sealing member having a first taper extending from the mounting portion, wherein the mounting portion is rigidly mounted in the upper body portion adjacent an interior portion of the upper body portion, said interior portion opposing the upper surface, the upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, and  
 a lower seal portion extending from the upper seal portion, the lower seal portion being adapted to seal around the surgical instrument and having a generally frusto-conical lower sealing member having a second taper that is different from the first taper, the frusto-conical lower sealing member terminating in a distal lower seal end that defines an instrument seal opening.  
   
     
     
         2 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the valve seal further comprises a stay wherein at least a portion of the stay is encapsulated in the valve seal.  
     
     
         3 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the stay is unitarily formed with the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         4 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the stay is adapted to resist inversion of the valve seal when an instrument is withdrawn from the valve seal.  
     
     
         5 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 4  wherein the stay is made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and plastic elastomers.  
     
     
         6 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 4  wherein the stay has a lower portion encapsulated by the valve seal material and forms a unitary structure.  
     
     
         7 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the stay is shaped to substantially match the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         8 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the stay is encapsulated in at least a portion of the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         9 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 8  wherein the stay further comprises a circumferential flange above the at least a portion of the stay encapsulated in at least a portion of the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         10 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 9  wherein the stay further includes a circumferential upper wall disposed above the circumferential flange.  
     
     
         11 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein at least a portion of the stay is approximately frusto-conical in shape.  
     
     
         12 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the stay further comprises a plurality of flexible members.  
     
     
         13 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the upper seal portion and the lower seal portion are integrally formed from the same material and wherein the valve seal further comprises a stay that is partially encapsulated in the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         14 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the valve seal is formed from an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         15 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 14  wherein the elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of silicone, plastic elastomers, polyisoprene, butyl rubber, neoprene and natural rubber.  
     
     
         16 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a duckbill valve in the lower body portion.  
     
     
         17 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the lower sealing member has a lower seal wall having an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion, a reinforcing layer being disposed intermediate the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion.  
     
     
         18 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 17  wherein the reinforcing layer is integrally formed with at least a portion of the inner wall portion.  
     
     
         19 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the generally frusto-conical lower sealing member has a lower seal wall terminating at the distal lower seal end, the lower seal wall being curved inward and defining a concave lower sealing member outer surface.  
     
     
         20 . A surgical instrument seal assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the throughbore is symmetrically formed around a bore axis and the upper sealing member defines an access opening adjacent the mounting portion that has a diameter larger than the throughbore, and wherein the valve seal is configured so that upon insertion of an instrument in an orientation not aligned with the bore axis, the distal lower seal end and the instrument seal opening will move radially relative to the bore axis and the instrument access opening will remain substantially unmoved relative to the bore axis.  
     
     
         21 . A valve seal for use in a surgical instrument seal assembly, the valve seal comprising: 
 an upper seal portion having a mounting portion and a generally frusto-conical upper sealing member having a first taper extending from the mounting portion; and    a lower seal portion extending from the upper seal portion, the lower seal portion being adapted to seal around a surgical instrument and having a generally frusto-conical lower sealing member having a second taper that is different from the first taper, the frusto-conical lower sealing member terminating in a distal lower seal end that defines an instrument seal opening.    
     
     
         22 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the lower sealing member has a lower seal wall having an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion, a reinforcing layer being disposed intermediate the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion.  
     
     
         23 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the upper seal portion and the lower seal portion are integrally formed from the same material.  
     
     
         24 . A valve seal according to  claim 23  wherein the upper seal portion and the lower seal portion are formed from an elastomeric material.  
     
     
         25 . A valve seal according to  claim 24  wherein the elastomeric material is selected from the group consisting of silicone, plastic elastomers, polyisoprene, butyl rubber, neoprene and natural rubber.  
     
     
         26 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the valve seal further comprises a stay wherein at least a portion of the stay is encapsulated in the valve seal.  
     
     
         27 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay is adapted to resist inversion of the valve seal when an instrument is withdrawn from the valve seal.  
     
     
         28 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay is made from a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and plastic elastomers.  
     
     
         29 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay is shaped to substantially match the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         30 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay further comprises a circumferential flange above the at least a portion of the stay encapsulated in the lower seal portion.  
     
     
         31 . A valve seal according to  claim 30  wherein the stay further includes a circumferential upper wall disposed above the circumferential flange.  
     
     
         32 . A valve seal according to  claim 31  wherein the stay further comprises a plurality of flexible members.  
     
     
         33 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay further comprises a plurality of flexible members.  
     
     
         34 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein at least a portion of the stay is approximately frusto-conical in shape.  
     
     
         35 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the stay has a lower portion encapsulated by the valve seal material and forms a unitary structure.  
     
     
         36 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the generally frusto-conical lower sealing member has a lower seal wall terminating at the distal lower seal end, the lower seal wall being curved inward and defining a concave lower sealing member outer surface.  
     
     
         37 . A valve seal according to  claim 21  wherein the upper sealing member defines an access opening adjacent the mounting portion, the access opening being symmetrically formed around a bore axis, and wherein the valve seal is configured so that upon insertion of an instrument in an orientation not aligned with the bore axis, the distal lower seal end and the instrument seal opening will move radially relative to the bore axis and the instrument access opening will remain substantially unmoved relative to the bore axis.  
     
     
         38 . A valve seal for use in a surgical instrument seal assembly, the valve seal comprising: 
 an upper seal portion having a mounting portion and a generally frusto-conical upper sealing member having a first taper extending from the mounting portion, the upper sealing member defining an access opening adjacent the mounting portion, the access opening being symmetrically formed around a bore axis; and    a lower seal portion extending from the upper seal portion, the lower seal portion being adapted to seal around a surgical instrument and having a lower seal wall that curves inward and downward from the upper seal portion and terminates in a distal lower seal end that defines an instrument seal opening,    wherein the valve seal is configured so that upon insertion of an instrument in an orientation not aligned with the bore axis, the distal lower seal end and the instrument seal opening will move radially relative to the bore axis and the instrument access opening will remain substantially unmoved relative to the bore axis.