Patent ID: 8070731

Claim:
A surgical access apparatus for providing access to the interior of the body, which comprises: a sleeve defining a longitudinal axis and having proximal and distal ends, the sleeve including an inner wall defining a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical object; a seal member at least partially disposed within the inner wall of the sleeve, the seal member being generally elongated extending along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, the seal member having an inner surface defining a seal passage and being adapted to form a substantial sealing relation with a surgical object; and a seal mount secured to the seal member and disposed adjacent the distal end of the sleeve, the seal mount mounted for longitudinal movement relative to the sleeve to accommodate passage of the surgical object through the seal passage of the seal member, the seal member being elongated to define a proximal seal end and a distal seal end, the proximal seal end being secured within the sleeve and the distal seal end being secured to the seal mount, the seal mount being dimensioned and adapted to move in a general proximal longitudinal direction upon insertion of the surgical object through the passage of the seal member to facilitate displacement of the inner surface of the seal member and alter a size of the seal passage.