Patent ID: 8012129

Claim:
A surgical portal apparatus, which comprises: a portal housing; an elongated portal member connected to the portal housing and depending therefrom, the portal member defining a central longitudinal axis, the portal housing and the portal member having an axial bore for reception and passage of a surgical object; and a seal member comprising a resilient material and being mounted to the portal housing, the seal member including leading and trailing end faces and having inner portions defining a passage to permit passage of the surgical object, one of the leading and trailing end faces having a plurality of recessed cells formed within intersecting struts to define a general waffle-like pattern or profile, at least some of the recessed cells define a generally rectangular arrangement, the at least some of the recessed cells axially arranged in a row, the intersecting struts being relatively flexible to flex upon radial offset manipulation of the object to permit corresponding movement of the passage while substantially maintaining a seal about the surgical object.