Trocar System

Abstract

A trocar system, having a trocar, a trocar sleeve, an optical channel extending coaxially in the trocar for receiving an optical unit, and a hollow transparent distal tip of the trocar, which can be observed from the interior by means of the optical unit, wherein a working channel extends continuously from the proximal end to the distal end in the trocar and opens into an outlet opening in the region of the distal end, and wherein the inner wall of the working channel is formed at least in an axially continuous sub-region of the circumference thereof by the trocar sleeve.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A trocar system, comprising: a trocar with a hollow, transparent distal tip; a trocar sleeve; an optical channel extending coaxially inside the trocar for receiving an optical unit, wherein the transparent distal tip can be observed from inside the trocar by the optical unit, a working channel that continuously extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the trocar sleeve and opens in an area of the distal end into an outlet opening, wherein an interior wall of the working channel is formed by the trocar sleeve at least in one axial partial area of a circumference thereof; wherein the working channel is a continuous bore inside a wall of the trocar sleeve, wherein the trocar sleeve forms the interior wall of the working channel around an entire circumference thereof.

15. The trocar system according to claim 14, wherein an axially continuous bore is located inside the wall of the trocar sleeve as an insufflation channel for introducing a gas for insufflation.

16. The trocar system according to claim 14, wherein a valve is disposed proximally on the trocar sleeve that allows for a sealed passage of the trocar and that closes the trocar sleeve off when the trocar is not inserted, and wherein the proximal inlet opening of the working channel is disposed outside of the valve.

17. The trocar system according to claim 14, wherein a miniature instrument can be inserted through the working channel, such that a distal working element of the miniature instrument exits at the distal end from the outlet opening of the working channel, and wherein a proximal actuating element of the miniature instrument is disposed proximally outside of an inlet opening of the working channel.

18. The trocar system according to claim 17, wherein the miniature instrument is a pair of scissors, a blade, a pair of tweezers, a clamp, a coagulation instrument, a Veress needle, a digital camera, a fiber-optic light guide, an illumination system or an optical unit.

19. The trocar system according to claim 18, wherein in the working channel, a small guide tube is disposed in an axially displaceable and rotatable manner, through which the miniature instrument can be traversed, and wherein the small guide tube is elastically preloaded to curve at least in the area of the distal end thereof.

20. The trocar system according to claim 19, wherein the small guide tube is made of a memory material having super-elastic properties.

21. A trocar system, comprising: a trocar, the trocar comprising: a trocar jacket surface defining an exterior circumferential surface of the trocar; an optical channel extending inside the trocar for receiving an optical unit; a transparent distal tip of the trocar, wherein an area exterior of the distal tip can be observed via the optical channel; a trocar sleeve that has a trocar sleeve internal surface covering an elongated portion of the trocar jacket surface of the trocar; and a working channel comprising a continuous bore inside a wall of the trocar sleeve, wherein the trocar sleeve forms an interior wall of the working channel around an entire circumference thereof.

22. The trocar system according to claim 21, wherein an axially continuous bore is located inside the wall of the trocar sleeve as an insufflation channel for introducing a gas for insufflation.

23. The trocar system according to claim 21, wherein a valve is disposed proximally on the trocar sleeve that allows for a sealed passage of the trocar and that closes the trocar sleeve off when the trocar is not inserted, and wherein the proximal inlet opening of the working channel is disposed outside of the valve.

24. The trocar system according to claim 21, wherein a miniature instrument can be inserted through the working channel, such that a distal working element of the miniature instrument exits at a distal end from an outlet opening of the working channel, and wherein a proximal actuating element of the miniature instrument is disposed proximally outside of an inlet opening of the working channel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] FIG. 1 is a representation of an axial section through the trocar system in a first configuration;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a representation of a cross-section of the trocar system according to the sectional line A-A from FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 3 is a representation of a corresponding cross-section of the trocar system by way of a second configuration;

[0037] FIG. 4 is a representation of a corresponding cross-section of a trocar system by way of a third configuration;

[0038] FIG. 5 is a representation of a corresponding cross-section of the trocar system by way of a fourth configuration;

[0039] FIG. 6 is a corresponding representation of the trocar system by way of a fifth configuration; and

[0040] FIG. 7 is a corresponding cross-section of the trocar system by way of a sixth configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Only those parts of the trocar system are represented in the drawings and in the following description that are embodied. Otherwise, the trocar system is compliant with the known prior art, wherein all of the variations that are known from the prior art presently fall under the scope of protection.

[0042] The trocar system includes a trocar 10. The trocar 10 takes the shape of a rigid, oblong, cylindrical tube that is manufactured of metal or plastic. The internal lumen of the trocar 10 constitutes an optical channel 12 that extends coaxially from the proximal end to the distal end. The distal tip 14 of the trocar 10 has, for example, the shape of a cone with a rounded, blunt tip. The jacket of the cone can be convexly arched, if necessary. The cone-shaped tip 14 is hollow on the inside and made of a thin-walled, transparent material, particularly a transparent plastic. An optical unit can be inserted into the optical channel 12 of the trocar 10, which is constituted, for example, as a rod-lens optics means or a camera chip. and an illumination system can be integrated therein. When the used optical unit is inserted, the distal end thereof is approximately in the region of the base area of the cone-shaped tip 14. With the optical unit, it is possible to illuminate and observe the distal tip 14 from the inside. This way, it is possible to observe the tissue that rests against the exterior side of the dista-1 tip 14.

[0043] A trocar sleeve 16 can be pushed over the trocar 10. At the proximal end of the trocar sleeve 16, a valve is disposed in a manner that is known from the prior art, which is why no further explanation is needed here, and that seals the trocar sleeve 16, when no instrument is present in the trocar sleeve 16. If the trocar 10 or a further instrument is inserted through the trocar sleeve, the valve seals such a trocar or instrument along the circumference thereof.

[0044] An insufflation channel 18 can be configured inside the trocar sleeve 16. The insufflation channel 18 extends as an axially parallel bore inside the wall of the trocar sleeve 16. A connection point 20 for the insufflation gas is disposed at the proximal end of the insufflation channel 18. At the distal end, the insufflation channel 18 opens at the open distal end of the trocar sleeve 16. Alternately, the connection point 20 can also lead into the internal lumen of the trocar sleeve 16, whereby the internal lumen constitutes the insufflation channel.

[0045] When the trocar sleeve 16 is pushed onto the trocar 10, the distal end of the trocar sleeve 16 follows at the proximal end of the tip 14 of the trocar 10, whereby the exterior contour of the tip 14 transitions in a stepless manner into the exterior contour of the trocar sleeve 16.

[0046] The trocar system includes at least one working channel 22 that extends inside the trocar sleeve 16 from proximal to distal. The working channel 22 generally extends in an axially parallel fashion relative to the center axis of the trocar sleeve 16. At the proximal end, the working channel 22 includes an inlet opening 24, which is disposed outside of the valve, whereby said inlet opening is freely accessible. The inlet opening 24 can be disposed as offset relative to the axially parallel direction. At the distal end, the working channel 22 opens into a free outlet opening 26 in the area of the distal end of the trocar sleeve 16. The axis direction of the outlet opening 26 can also be disposed as offset relative to the axially parallel direction. In the embodiments as presently shown, two working channels 22 are disposed diametrically relative to each other, respectively. However, it is also possible to provide only a single working channel 22 or even more than two working channels 22. If two or more working channels 22 are provided, they are preferably disposed at the same angular distances relative to each other.

[0047] The working channels 22 serve for inserting miniature instruments, which are known from the prior art. These miniature instruments are any instruments that are appropriate for the respective application scenario, as known from the prior art. The miniature instruments include an oblong, rigid, flexible or semi-flexible shaft, and at the distal end of which a working element is disposed, respectively, which can be actuated by means of an actuating element that is disposed at the proximal end of the shaft. The miniature instrument is inserted into the working channel 22 advancing from the proximal end, and wherein it is possible for the instrument to be sealed at the proximal inlet opening 24. An inlet opening 24 that is disposed in an outwardly offset position facilitates the insertion of the miniature instrument laterally in front of the valve of the trocar sleeve 16. The miniature instrument is advanced inside the working channel 22 until the distal working element is extended through the outlet opening 26 and is able to become engaged in the surgical field in front of the distal tip 14. If the trocar sleeve 16 and the working channels 22 are manufactured from a transparent plastic material, the observer is able to see the inserting and advancing operation of the miniature instrument from the outside.

[0048] If necessary, a mandrin, presently not shown, can be inserted in any unused working channel 22 closing the outlet opening 26 in a flush design, thereby preventing contaminants from penetrating the unused working channel 22.

[0049] The at least one working channel 22 can be obtained in different ways.

[0050] In a configuration as embodied in FIGS. 1 and 2, the at least one working channel 22 is formed as an axially continuous bore inside the solid wall of the trocar sleeve 16. The material of the trocar sleeve wall thus encloses the entire cross-sectional circumference of the working channel 22. This configuration is particularly suited, when the trocar 10 is replaced with an optical unit after the trocar sleeve 16 has been properly positioned.

[0051] In a second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the at least one working channel 22 is formed by a groove that extends axially in the exterior jacket surface of the trocar 10. The circumferential area of the cross-section, that is open on the exterior side of the trocar 10, is closed off by the interior wall surface of the trocar sleeve 16, which is pushed thereon to form the working channel 22 that is closed along the circumference.

[0052] In a third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the at least one working channel 22 is formed by an axially continuous groove formed inside the interior wall surface of the trocar sleeve 16. The open area of the groove on the interior side of the trocar sleeve 16 is closed off by the exterior jacket surface of the trocar 10 in order to form the working channel 22 that is closed along the entire cross-sectional circumference thereof.

[0053] In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the exterior jacket surface of the trocar 10 as well as the interior wall surface of the trocar sleeve 16 are formed each as axially extending grooves, which are congruent in terms of the angular position relative to the trocar axis. The two grooves, which become congruent, supplement each other to form the cross-section of the at least one working channel 22.

[0054] In a fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the exterior diameter of the trocar 10 is somewhat smaller than the interior diameter of the trocar sleeve 16, whereby an annular-like gap remains free between the interior wall surface of the trocar sleeve 16 and the exterior jacket surface of the trocar 10. A number of circular-cylindrical shells 28 are inserted in this gap that corresponds to the number of working channels 22. In the circumferential direction, an angle at circumference area remains free between the shells 28, whereby the axially continuous working channels 22 are formed. On the radial exterior side thereof, the working channel 22 is constituted by the interior wall surface of the trocar sleeve 16; on the radial interior side thereof, it is formed by the exterior circumferential surface of the trocar 10 and, at both circumferential sides surfaces thereof, said channel is constituted of the shells 28.

[0055] In a sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the at least one working channel 22 is formed by a small tube that is mounted on the outside to the exterior jacket surface of the trocar sleeve 16 (for example, by gluing, point-welding or as cast into the jacket surface.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0056] 10 Trocar [0057] 12 Optical channel [0058] 14 Tip [0059] 16 Trocar sleeve [0060] 18 Insufflation channel [0061] 20 Connection [0062] 22 Working channel [0063] 24 Inlet opening [0064] 26 Outlet opening [0065] 28 Shells