Patent ID: 9693798
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A method comprising: positioning a surgical tool introducer having a distal portion such that the distal portion projects into a body cavity via a port, the surgical tool introducer comprising a straight tube enclosing a tube lumen opened at a distal end thereof with a tube opening, the straight tube having a docking portion and locking means provided in said tube lumen to selectively lock or unlock an interchangeable surgical tool to said tube from displacing axially and/or rotationally, said interchangeable surgical tool comprising a tool connector projecting towards said tube opening and is distanced from said tube opening by at least 3 cm; penetrating, either percutaneously or through a trocar, with an elongated shaft of a tool manipulator into said body cavity via an entry point remote from the port, said elongated shaft comprising a fitting portion connectable with said tool connector of said interchangeable surgical tool, said elongated shaft being sized and shaped to advance into said tube lumen of the surgical tool introducer for adjoining said fitting portion and said tool connector; manipulating and/or extending said surgical tool introducer to reach and engage said elongated shaft; inserting said elongated shaft into said tube lumen via said tube opening, said inserting includes centering a distal tip of said elongated shaft via the docking portion of the surgical tool introducer, the docking portion having a distal section extending at an angle α relative to a longitudinal axis of the surgical tool introducer, advancing said elongated shaft into said tube lumen so that said elongated shaft and said interchangeable surgical tool substantially align and said fitting portion is in direct contact with said tool connector; connecting said interchangeable surgical tool to said elongated shaft by adjoining said tool connector and said fitting portion; and withdrawing said elongated shaft from said tube lumen.