Patent ID: 8771173

Claim:
A surgical access device for guiding a scope through a small opening to access a structure inside a subject and positioned next to adjacent tissues, the access device comprising: a guide member having a proximal end and a distal end, the guide member configured to position the guide member adjacent the surface of a heart; and a head member positioned on the distal end of the guide member, the head member including a base surface, a tissue elevating surface proximal to the base surface, and a head opening proximal to the tissue elevating surface; wherein the base surface comprises a peripheral edge that defines a view opening having an elliptical shape and is configured to rest upon the heart inside the subject; wherein the tissue elevating surface extends proximally from the base surface toward the head opening at an angle suitable to elevate pericardial tissues adjacent the heart; wherein the head opening has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the head opening being configured to cooperate with the distal end of the guide member to define a continuous pathway with a proximal end and a distal end, the pathway configured to receive the scope at the proximal end and guide advancement of the scope through the distal end toward the heart inside the subject to visualize the heart; and wherein the head opening is configured to provide the scope with an unconstrained view of the surface of the heart for navigation while the base surface is in contact with the surface of the heart.