Apparatus for guiding surgical instruments into a surgical site and blocking escape of fluids from the site

摘要

Apparatus for guiding insertion of surgical instruments into a surgical site while blocking escape of fluids, including gas under pressure, therethrough from the surgical site. A generally Y-shaped housing comprises an elongate instrument guide having a distal end insertable in the surgical site and an elongate instrument passage through which elongate instruments are insertable into the surgical site. A valve seat is provided in the instrument passage. A valve member is movable into contact with the valve seat for blocking escape of fluid from the surgical site therepast along the instrument passage when no instrument occupies such instrument passage. Such housing includes a tubular valve guide having an elongate valve passage intersecting the instrument passage and along which the valve member is movable toward and away from the valve seat. The valve member is urged resiliently along the valve passage toward the valve seat for closing the instrument passage when no surgical instrument is in the instrument passage and for resiliently allowing a surgical instrument inserted into the instrument passage to push aside the valve member, back into the valve passage, to allow continued insertion of the surgical instrument past the valve member into the surgical site.