An attachment for a trocar

Abstract

An attachment (1) for a trocar cannula (3) having an access valve (12) located in a proximal end (5) thereof comprises a housing (20) defining an instrument passageway (29). An operating member (43) having an instrument bore (46) is slideable in the instrument passageway (29) from a disengaged state disengaged from the access valve (12) to an engagement state extending through the access valve (12) with the access valve (12) in the open state and shielded from an instrument passing therethrough. A pair of detecting probes (55) carried on a carrier (50) and extending into the instrument bore (46) are urgeable distally from a first state to a second state by a distal end of an instrument being urged distally in the instrument bore (46) for in turn urging the operating member (43) from the disengaged state to the engagement state. A proximal seal (40) in the instrument passageway (29) is urged from a non-sealing state to a sealing state by the operating member (43) being urged from the disengaged state to the engagement state.

1 - 120 . (canceled) 
     
     
         121 . An attachment for a trocar or a trocar cannula, the trocar or the trocar cannula being of the type comprising an access valve adjacent a proximal end thereof, the attachment comprising a housing defining an instrument passageway extending through the housing from a proximal end to a distal end for accommodating an instrument therethrough, the instrument passageway defining a longitudinally extending main central axis, the housing being engageable with the trocar or the trocar cannula with the instrument passageway aligned with an instrument bore of the trocar or the trocar cannula, and an operating means for operating the access valve in the trocar or the trocar cannula from a closed state to an open state. 
     
     
         122 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 121  in which the attachment is engageable with a proximal end of the trocar or the trocar cannula, and preferably, the operating means is configured to engage the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula, and advantageously, the operating means is configured to extend into the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula, and preferably, the operating means is configured to extend through the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula, and advantageously, the operating means is aligned with the instrument passageway, and preferably, the operating means comprises at least one elongated operating member, and advantageously, the operating means comprises a pair of spaced apart operating members, and preferably, the operating members are spaced apart around the main central axis, and advantageously, the operating means defines an instrument bore for accommodating an instrument therethrough, and preferably, the instrument bore of the operating means defines a central axis coinciding with the main central axis defined by the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the operating means comprises a passive operating means, and preferably, the operating means comprises a static operating means projecting from the housing, and advantageously, the operating means is configured to engage the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula as the attachment is being engaged with the trocar or the trocar cannula, and preferably, the operating means extends distally from the housing. 
     
     
         123 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 121  in which the operating means comprises an active operating means moveably mounted from a disengaged state disengaged from the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula to an engagement state engageable with the access valve of the trocar or the trocar cannula for operating the access valve from the closed state to the open state, and preferably, a detecting means is provided and is configured to detect an instrument entering or passing distally through the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the operating means is urgeable from the disengaged state to the engagement state in response to the detecting means detecting insertion of the instrument entering or passing distally through the instrument passageway. 
     
     
         124 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the operating means is slideable from the disengaged state to the engagement state, and preferably, the operating means is slideably mounted in the housing, and advantageously, the operating means is located in the instrument passageway, and is slideable therein from the disengaged state to the engagement state. 
     
     
         125 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means is urgeable from a first state to a second state in response to the instrument entering or passing distally through the instrument passageway, and preferably, the detecting means is urgeable distally from the first state to the second state, and advantageously, the operating means is urgeable from the disengaged state to the engagement state in response to the detecting means being urged from the first state to the second state. 
     
     
         126 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means extends into the instrument passageway in an extended state in the first state thereof, and
 preferably, the detecting means terminates in a distal, instrument engaging end adapted to engage an instrument being entered into or passing distally through the instrument passageway when the detecting means is in the extended state, and advantageously, the distal, instrument engaging end of the detecting means is adapted to engage a distal end of an instrument being entered into or passing through the instrument passageway when the detecting means is in the extended state, and preferably, the detecting means is urgeable from the first state to the second state by an instrument passing distally through the instrument passageway. 
 
     
     
         127 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means in the second state thereof is urgeable from the extended state extending into the instrument passageway to a third state, and preferably, the detecting means is urgeable from the extended state to the third state to accommodate an instrument passing the detecting means when the detecting means is in the second state, and advantageously, the detecting means is urgeable radially relative to the main central axis from the extended state to the third state, and preferably, the detecting means is urgeable from the extended state to the third state in response to an instrument in the instrument passageway, and advantageously,
 the detecting means is adapted to be urgeable by an instrument in the instrument passageway from the extended state to the third state, and preferably, the detecting means in the third state is adapted to engage an instrument in the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the detecting means is adapted to be retained in the third state by an instrument in the instrument passageway engaging the detecting means, and preferably, the detecting means in the second state thereof is moveable from the third state to the extended state in response to a distal end of an instrument being withdrawn from the instrument passageway in a proximal direction past the detecting means, and advantageously, the detecting means in the second state thereof is moveable from the third state to the extended state in response to a distal end of an instrument being withdrawn through the instrument passageway in a proximal direction past the detecting means. 
 
     
     
         128 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means is urgeable longitudinally along the instrument passageway from the first state to the second state, and preferably, a first guide means is provided for guiding the detecting means from the first state to the second state, and advantageously, the detecting means extends into the instrument passageway through the first guide means, and preferably, the first guide means comprises a first guide slot extending into the housing from the instrument passageway and longitudinally along the instrument passageway, and advantageously, a second guide means is provided for guiding the detecting means from the extended state to the third state. 
     
     
         129 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means is mounted on a carrier, and preferably, the carrier is located externally of the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the second guide means is mounted on the carrier, and preferably, the detecting means is slideably mounted on the carrier, and is slidable from the extended state to the third state. 
     
     
         130 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 129  in which the operating means is coupled to the carrier, and preferably, the operating means is rigidly coupled to the carrier, and advantageously, the detecting means extends through a probe accommodating opening extending through the operating means communicating with the instrument bore defined by the operating means, and preferably, the detecting means in the extended state thereof is adapted to extend into the instrument bore defined by the operating means, and advantageously, the detecting means in the extended state thereof is adapted to engage an instrument in the instrument bore defined by the operating means. 
     
     
         131 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which an urging means is provided for urging the operating means from the engagement state to the disengaged state, and preferably, the urging means is responsive to the detecting means being in the extended state for urging the operating means from the engagement state to the disengaged state, and advantageously, the urging means is responsive to the distal end of an instrument passing the detecting means proximally for urging the operating means from the engagement state to the disengaged state, and preferably, the urging means is adapted to urge the detecting means from the second state to the first state, and advantageously, the urging means is responsive to the distal end of an instrument passing the detecting means proximally for urging the detecting means from the second state to the first state, and preferably, the urging means is adapted to urge the detecting means from the third state to the extended state, and advantageously, the urging means is responsive to the distal end of an instrument passing the detecting means proximally for urging the detecting means from the third state to the extended state, and preferably, the urging means is cooperable with a first camming means for urging the detecting means from the third state to the extended state. 
     
     
         132 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which a retaining means is provided for releasably retaining the detecting means in the second state while the detecting means is in the third state, and preferably, the retaining means is located adjacent the distal end of the first guide means, and advantageously, the retaining means comprises a pair of interengageable complementary formations, one of the interengageable complementary formations being formed in or on the housing and the other one of the interengageable complementary formations being formed in or on the detecting means, and preferably, the one of the interengageable complementary formations formed in the housing is formed adjacent the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the retaining means comprises the first camming means, and preferably, the detecting means is located proximal of the distal end of the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the detecting means is located spaced apart proximally from the distal end of the instrument passageway. 
     
     
         133 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which the detecting means comprises a detecting probe, and preferably, the detecting probe terminates in the distal, instrument engaging end, and advantageously, the detecting means comprises an elongated detecting member, and preferably, the detecting means is engageable with the operating means for urging the operating means from the disengaged state to the engagement state, as the detecting means is being urged from the first state to the second state, and advantageously, the detecting means is engageable with the operating means for urging the operating means from the engagement state to the disengaged state, as the detecting means is urged from the second state to the first state. 
     
     
         134 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 123  in which a sealing means is located in the instrument passageway for sealably engaging an instrument in the instrument passageway for minimising the passage of gases passing proximally through the instrument passageway, and preferably, the sealing means is located adjacent a proximal end of the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the sealing means is spaced apart proximally from the detecting means, and preferably, the sealing means comprises a flexible sealing means, and advantageously, the sealing means comprises a deformable flexible sealing means, and preferably, the sealing means comprises a resilient sealing means, and advantageously, the sealing means comprises an annular seal, and preferably, the sealing means extends circumferentially around the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the sealing means is mounted in a seal accommodating recess formed in the housing, and preferably, the seal accommodating recess extends into the housing from the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the seal accommodating recess extends circumferentially around the instrument passageway. 
     
     
         135 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 134  in which the sealing means is transitionable from a non-sealing state disengaged from an instrument in the instrument passageway to a sealing state sealably engaging an instrument in the instrument passageway, and preferably, the sealing means is adapted to transition in a general radial direction from the non-sealing state to the sealing state, and advantageously, the sealing means is adapted to transition from the non-sealing state to the sealing state under its own inherent resilience, and preferably, the sealing means is adapted to transition from the sealing state to the non-sealing state under its own inherent resilience, and advantageously, the sealing means is transitionable from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to the detecting means detecting insertion of an instrument into the instrument passageway or an instrument being urged distally in the instrument passageway, and preferably, the sealing means is operable from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to the detecting means being urged from the first state to the second state, and advantageously, the sealing means is operable from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to movement of the operating means from the disengaged state to the engagement state, and preferably, the operating means is adapted in the disengaged state thereof to retain the sealing means in the non-sealing state, and advantageously, the operating means is adapted in the disengaged state thereof to engage the sealing means in the non-sealing state, and preferably, the operating means is adapted in the disengaged state thereof to shield an instrument in the instrument passageway from the sealing means, and advantageously, the sealing means is adapted to transition from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to disengagement thereof by the operating means, and preferably, the operating means is adapted to disengage the sealing means as the operating means is being urged from the disengaged state to the engagement state. 
     
     
         136 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 135  in which the sealing means is mounted on the operating means and is moveable with the operating means, and preferably, the sealing means is urgeable from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to movement of the operating means from the disengaged state to the engagement state, and advantageously, a second camming means is provided adjacent the seal accommodating recess cooperable with the sealing means for urging the sealing means from the non-sealing state to the sealing state in response to movement of the operating means from the disengaged state to the engagement state, and preferably, the second camming means is located distally in the seal accommodating recess, and advantageously, the second camming means comprises a camming surface extending around the seal accommodating recess, and preferably, the camming surface is of frusto-conical shape, and advantageously, the camming surface converges distally. 
     
     
         137 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 121  in which at least one collecting port is located in the instrument passageway for applying a vacuum adjacent the instrument passageway for drawing gases passing proximally through the instrument passageway therefrom, and preferably, the at least one collecting port is located adjacent the proximal end of the instrument passageway, and advantageously, the at least one collecting port is located proximal of the sealing means, and preferably, the at least one collecting port is located spaced apart proximally from the sealing means, and advantageously, a connecting port is provided for connecting the at least one collecting port to a vacuum system, and preferably, a plurality of the collecting ports are provided spaced apart circumferentially around the instrument passageway, and advantageously, a gallery is located in the housing with which the at least one collecting port communicates, and preferably, the connecting port extends from the gallery and advantageously, the housing comprises an elongated substantially tubular housing defining the instrument passageway. 
     
     
         138 . An attachment as claimed in  claim 121  in which the operating means comprises a tubular operating member defining the instrument bore extending therethrough. 
     
     
         139 . A trocar comprising a trocar cannula and an attachment as claimed in  claim 121  mounted on one of the trocar and the trocar Cannula. 
     
     
         140 . A trocar as claimed in  claim 139  in which the attachment is mounted adjacent the proximal end of the one of the trocar and the trocar cannula, and preferably, the one of the trocar and the trocar cannula on which the attachment is mounted comprises an access valve located adjacent the proximal end thereof, the access valve being engageable by the operating means of the attachment for operating the access valve from a closed state to an open state, and advantageously, the access valve is operable from the closed state to the open state in response to engagement thereof by the operating means of the attachment, and preferably, the access valve is engageable by the operating means of the attachment when the operating means is in the engagement state, and advantageously, the access valve comprises a flexible membrane urgeable into the closed state under inherent resilience of the access valve, and preferably, the access valve is operable from the closed state to an open state by deforming the membrane thereof, and advantageously, the attachment is secured to the one of the trocar and the trocar cannula by engaging the housing of the attachment with the one of the trocar and the trocar cannula, and preferably, the attachment is releasably secured to the one of the trocar and the trocar cannula.