Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
262 words
Introducer assembly for use on the skin of a patient overlying a cavity to be formed in a patient permitting the introduction of any one of a variety of introducer tubes having different outer diameters and forming a substantially fluid-tight seal with the introducer tube, each introducer tube having a distal extremity and having a trocar therein having a distal extremity which extends beyond the distal extremity of the introducer tube, comprising a sleeve having proximal and distal extremities and having a passage extending therethrough from the proximal to the distal extremities, the diameter of the passage being at least as great as the outer diameter of the largest introducer tube to be introduced therethrough a flange having inner and outer margins, said outer margin having a bottom side adapted to make a sealing engagement with the skin of the patient, means forming a fluid-tight seal between the inner margin of the flange and the sleeve, membrane means extending across the passage and forming a fluid-tight seal with respect to said sleeve, said membrane means being formed of a material and having a thickness which can be readily pierced by the trocar of the selected introducer tube and which forms a substantially fluid-tight seal with the trocar as it penetrates the same and with the selected introducer tube after it extends through the membrane means, and releasable clamping means carried by the sleeve and spaced from the membrane means adapted to receive the selected introducer tube and adapted to retain the selected introducer tube in a desired longitudinal position of the sleeve.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
262 words
Introducer assembly for use on the skin of a patient overlying a cavity to be formed in a patient permitting the introduction of any one of a variety of introducer tubes having different outer diameters and forming a substantially fluid-tight seal with the introducer tube, each introducer tube having a distal extremity and having a trocar therein having a distal extremity which extends beyond the distal extremity of the introducer tube, comprising a sleeve having proximal and distal extremities and having a passage extending therethrough from the proximal to the distal extremities, the diameter of the passage being at least as great as the outer diameter of the largest introducer tube to be introduced therethrough a flange having inner and outer margins, said outer margin having a bottom side adapted to make a sealing engagement with the skin of the patient, means forming a fluid-tight seal between the inner margin of the flange and the sleeve, membrane means extending across the passage and forming a fluid-tight seal with respect to said sleeve, said membrane means being formed of a material and having a thickness which can be readily pierced by the trocar of the selected introducer tube and which forms a substantially fluid-tight seal with the trocar as it penetrates the same and with the selected introducer tube after it extends through the membrane means, and releasable clamping means carried by the sleeve and spaced from the membrane means adapted to receive the selected introducer tube and adapted to retain the selected introducer tube in a desired longitudinal position of the sleeve.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said passage in the sleeve has a diameter which is substantially greater than the outer diameter of the introducer tube.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said membrane means is formed of an elastomeric material with a thickness ranging from 0.010 to 0.040 inches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said membrane means is provided with a centrally disposed small aperture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 4 together with an additional membrane means extending across said first named membrane means and covering said small aperture in said first named membrane means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said membrane means as it is penetrated by said trocar produces triangularly shaped flaps which yieldably engage the surface of the introducer tube to form a fluid-tight seal therewith.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprises a collet of upwardly extending spaced apart fingers secured to said sleeve and collar means carried by said collet for moving said fingers of said collet between introducer tube engaging and disengaging positions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 7 wherein said fingers increase in thickness in an upward direction and have an outer inclined surface engaged by the collar.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 8 wherein said collar is threadedly mounted on said sleeve.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprises first and second spring fingers, means carried by the sleeve for carrying said spring fingers and for yieldably urging the spring fingers in a direction into the passage to engage an introducer tube extending through the passage and finger means carried by the spring fingers for moving the spring fingers in a direction against the yieldable force to move the spring fingers from an introducer tube engaging position.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 10 wherein said spring fingers and said means for carrying said spring fingers are formed integral with the sleeve.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said clamping means comprises a clamping member for frictionally engaging the introducer tube movable transversely of the passage and screw means carried by the sleeve for moving the clamping member into and out of engagement with an introducer tube.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
An introducer assembly as in claim 1 wherein said membrane means forms a substantially fluid-tight seal with trocars having outer diameters ranging from approximately 0.020 inch to 0.550 inch.