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 The valve seal may be provided with stay that prevents the valve seal from inverting when an instrument is withdrawn from the valve assembly.

1 - 32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . A surgical instrument seal assembly which is connected during use to a cannula and forms a seal about a surgical instrument that is passing through the cannula, the seal assembly comprising: 
 a housing comprising a plurality of walls including at least a top wall and a bottom wall, wherein the walls are configured to enclose an interior space, wherein the top wall has a hole therethrough configured to receive the surgical instrument into the interior space, wherein the bottom wall has a cannula receiving opening therethrough aligned with respect to the hole so that the hole and the cannula receiving opening define a throughbore through the housing which is axially aligned with the cannula and configured to accept the surgical instrument;    a generally cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the top wall of the housing at the throughbore and positioned so as to project distally with respect to the top wall into the interior space of the housing; and    a first valve seal mounted with respect to the housing so that the first valve seal surrounds the cylindrical wall protector and extends distally past a distal end of the cylindrical wall protector, wherein a distal portion of the first valve seal is arranged to form a seal around the surgical instrument when the surgical instrument is passed through the throughbore.    
   
   
       34 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 33 , further comprising a second valve seal, wherein the second valve seal is mounted with respect to the housing so that the second valve seal is positioned distally with respect to the first valve seal and aligned with the throughbore.  
   
   
       35 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 34  wherein the second valve seal comprises a duckbill valve seal.  
   
   
       36 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 33  wherein the housing further comprises side walls that connect to the top wall to form a cap that further encloses the interior space.  
   
   
       37 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 36  wherein the cap is integrally formed with the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       38 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 33  wherein the first valve seal has a first larger diameter at a first end adjacent the top wall and the first valve seal has a second smaller diameter at a second end.  
   
   
       39 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 33  wherein the first valve seal is spaced from the cylindrical wall protector and surrounds the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       40 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 33  further comprising an inner support member, wherein the first valve seal is mounted with respect to the housing so that a proximal portion of the first valve seal is sandwiched between the top wall and the inner support member.  
   
   
       41 . A surgical instrument seal assembly connected to a cannula for the insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising: 
 an upper body portion having an upper surface with an aperture that defines a throughbore extending through the seal assembly;    a cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the upper surface at the throughbore that projects inwardly into an interior portion of the upper body portion at the throughbore;    a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein the lower body portion defines a cannula receiving opening through which the surgical instrument enters the cannula during use; and    a unitary valve seal comprising: 
 an upper seal portion having a mounting portion mounted in the upper body portion, the upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, the cylindrical wall protector located between the throughbore and the upper seal portion; and  
 a lower seal portion extending below the upper seal portion, the lower seal portion structured and arranged to seal around a surgical instrument.  
   
   
   
       42 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 41 , further comprising a second valve seal, wherein the second valve seal is mounted with respect to the upper body portion so that the second valve seal is positioned distally with respect to the unitary valve seal and aligned with the throughbore.  
   
   
       43 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 42  wherein the second valve seal comprises a duckbill valve seal.  
   
   
       44 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 41  wherein the upper body portion further comprises side walls that connect to the upper surface to form a cap that further encloses the interior space.  
   
   
       45 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 42  wherein the cap is integrally formed with the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       46 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 41  wherein the upper seal portion has a first larger diameter and the lower seal portion has a second smaller diameter.  
   
   
       47 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 41  wherein the unitary valve seal is spaced from the cylindrical wall protector and surrounds the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       48 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 41  further comprising an inner support member, wherein the mounting portion is sandwiched between the upper body portion and the inner support member.  
   
   
       49 . A surgical instrument seal assembly which is connectable to a cannula to form a seal about a surgical instrument that is passing through the cannula, the seal assembly comprising: 
 a housing comprising a plurality of walls including at least a top wall and a bottom wall, wherein the walls are configured to enclose an interior space, wherein the top wall has a hole therethrough configured to receive the surgical instrument into the interior space, wherein the bottom wall has a cannula receiving opening therethrough aligned with respect to the hole so that the hole and the cannula receiving opening define a throughbore through the housing which is axially aligned with the cannula and configured to accept the surgical instrument;    a generally cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the top wall of the housing at the throughbore and positioned so as to project distally with respect to the top wall into the interior space of the housing; and    a first valve seal mounted with respect to the housing so that the first valve seal surrounds the cylindrical wall protector and extends distally past a distal end of the cylindrical wall protector, wherein a distal portion of the first valve seal is arranged to form a seal around the surgical instrument when the surgical instrument is passed through the throughbore.    
   
   
       50 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 49 , further comprising a second valve seal, wherein the second valve seal is mounted with respect to the housing so that the second valve seal is positioned distally with respect to the first valve seal and aligned with the throughbore.  
   
   
       51 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 50  wherein the second valve seal comprises a duckbill valve seal.  
   
   
       52 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 50  wherein the housing further comprises side walls that connect to the top wall to form a cap that further encloses the interior space.  
   
   
       53 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 52  wherein the cap is integrally formed with the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       54 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 49  wherein the first valve seal has a first larger diameter at a first end adjacent the top wall and the first valve seal has a second smaller diameter at a second end.  
   
   
       55 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 49  wherein the first valve seal is spaced from the cylindrical wall protector and surrounds the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       56 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 49  further comprising an inner support member, wherein the first valve seal is mounted with respect to the housing so that a proximal portion of the first valve seal is sandwiched between the top wall and the inner support member.  
   
   
       57 . A surgical instrument seal assembly connectable to a cannula for the insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising: 
 an upper body portion having an upper surface with an aperture that defines a throughbore extending through the seal assembly;    a cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the upper surface at the throughbore that projects inwardly into an interior portion of the upper body portion at the throughbore;    a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein the lower body portion defines a cannula receiving opening through which the surgical instrument enters the cannula during use; and    a unitary valve seal comprising: 
 an upper seal portion having a mounting portion mounted in the upper body portion, the upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, the cylindrical wall protector located between the throughbore and the upper seal portion; and  
 a lower seal portion extending below the upper seal portion, the lower seal portion structured and arranged to seal around a surgical instrument.  
   
   
   
       58 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 57 , further comprising a second valve seal, wherein the second valve seal is mounted with respect to the upper body portion so that the second valve seal is positioned distally with respect to the unitary valve seal and aligned with the throughbore.  
   
   
       59 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 58  wherein the second valve seal comprises a duckbill valve seal.  
   
   
       60 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 57  wherein the upper body portion further comprises side walls that connect to the upper surface to form a cap that further encloses the interior space.  
   
   
       61 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 60  wherein the cap is integrally formed with the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       62 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 57  wherein the upper seal portion has a first larger diameter and the lower seal portion has a second smaller diameter.  
   
   
       63 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 57  wherein the unitary valve seal is spaced from the cylindrical wall protector and surrounds the cylindrical wall protector.  
   
   
       64 . The surgical instrument seal assembly of  claim 57  further comprising an inner support member, wherein the mounting portion is sandwiched between the upper body portion and the inner support member.