Patent ID: 8308639

Claim:
A gel cap adapted for being coupled to a wound retractor, the wound retractor having a substantially noncompliant outer ring adapted for juxtaposition with an outer surface of a biological body wall and for disposition relative to an incision in the body wall, an inner ring adapted for juxtaposition with an inner surface of the biological body wall and for disposition relative to the incision in the body wall, and a sleeve adapted to traverse the incision in the body wall, the sleeve coupling the outer ring to the inner ring, the gel cap comprising: a cap ring including a substantially cylindrical ring having, a first, proximal portion, a second, distal portion, a longitudinal axis extending through the proximal and distal portions of the cap ring, and a lip at a distal end of the distal portion of the cap ring, the lip curving radially inward from a wall of the distal portion of the cap ring and extending around a portion of a circumference of the cap ring; a movable lever positioned on the cap ring substantially opposite the lip; and a gel pad made of a gel material, the gel pad being coupled to the cap ring and positioned at the proximal portion of the cap ring, the gel pad providing access from external the body to a body cavity, the access forming an instrument seal in the presence of an instrument inserted therethrough and a zero seal in the absence of an instrument inserted therethrough, wherein, in a first, open state, the lever is outward and away from a body of the cap ring to provide clearance for inserting the outer ring of the wound retractor into the cap ring and, in a second, closed state, the lever is proximate the body of the cap ring to secure the outer ring of the wound retractor to the cap ring.