Patent ID: 7846149

Claim:
A surgical instrument and instrument introducer assembly for facilitating the insertion of the surgical instrument into a cavity or a body opening of a patient, comprising: a surgical instrument for performing a surgical procedure; and an instrument introducer assembly including: a tubular body portion defining a lumen therethrough, the tubular body portion having a proximal end and a distal end; and a distal end portion secured to the distal end of the tubular body portion, the distal end portion defining a pocket having an annular wall with an axial length such that the annular wall of the pocket is substantially in contact with an outer surface of the surgical instrument along substantially the length of the pocket and including a substantially planar distal end wall configured and adapted to stretch and conform to a shape of the outer surface of the surgical instrument to facilitate passage of the surgical instrument in a sealing relation to the surgical instrument; wherein the surgical instrument stretches the distal end portion of the instrument introducer as it is advanced therethrough.