Patent ID: 8585733

Claim:
A method of treating a patient, said method comprising: making an incision or puncture though the patient's skin; establishing an initial tract through an opening formed by the incision or puncture and through an abdominal wall of the patient; inserting a guide member having a flexible distal portion and a distal lip into the initial tract and extending the initial tract to form a delivery tract leading to and following along a portion of the curvature of the diaphragm of the patient; dilating the opening formed by the incision or puncture and initial tract through the abdominal wall by torquing a distal end of a dilator therethrough, wherein an introducer cannula is mounted over said dilator and a distal end portion of said introducer cannula is passed through the abdominal wall along the tract; removing said dilator from said introducer cannula and from said patient, while leaving said introducer cannula in position; passing an obturator, having a delivery conduit mounted thereon, over said guide member and through said introducer conduit; advancing said obturator and delivery conduit over said guide member to an extent where distal end portions of said obturator and delivery conduit bend and track along a portion of the curvature of the diaphragm followed by said guide member; removing said obturator and guide member while leaving said delivery conduit in place, wherein said delivery conduit defines a delivery tract for delivery of at least one or more tools and/or implants; and delivering at least one or more tools and/or implants through a delivery tract defined by said delivery conduit.