Patent ID: 7285112

Claim:
A method of maintaining a pneumoperitoneum of a surgical patient during a surgical operation, comprising the steps of: inserting a trocar assembly into a site on the patient; providing a continuous flow of pressurized fluid to an insufflation port of the trocar assembly; inserting at least one surgical instrument through a central channel in the trocar assembly; sealing the surgical instrument with respect to the central channel of the trocar assembly by directing a continuous jet of pressurized fluid into the central channel of the trocar assembly and flowing the pressurized fluid directly about the surgical instrument so as to contact the surgical instrument, while said continuous jet of pressurized fluid simultaneously maintains the pneumoperitoneum by preventing a loss of pressurized fluid from the peritoneum through the central channel in the trocar assembly; and monitoring fluid pressure within the peritoneum of the patient through a pressure sensing port of the trocar assembly so as to provide feedback to maintain balanced fluid pressure for maintaining the pneumoperitoneum and the pressurized fluid seal about the surgical instrument.