Patent ID: 7794431

Claim:
An assembly useful for providing medical access to internal body sites, said assembly comprising: an elongate sleeve having a distal end configured for insertion through a patient's skin incision for accommodating an elongate conduit; said sleeve comprising a peripheral wall having an outer surface including a distal portion extending axially from said sleeve distal end toward a sleeve proximal end, said sleeve outer surface distal portion having a substantially uniform diameter dimensioned to be inserted through said incision; said sleeve peripheral wall having an inner surface surrounding an axial passageway extending from said distal end to said proximal end; a layer of porous material surrounding said distal portion dimensioned to be inserted through said incision for subcutaneous placement in contact with a patient's dermis layer to promote tissue in-growth and form an infection resistant barrier; an elongate conduit comprising a peripheral wall having an outer surface extending from a proximal end to a distal end; said sleeve inner surface and said conduit outer surface being dimensioned to allow said conduit to extend through said sleeve passageway for axially movement with respect thereto; a locking member mounted near said sleeve proximal end selectively operable in an unlocked state for permitting axial movement of said conduit through said sleeve passageway and in a locked state for preventing axial movement of said conduit through said sleeve passageway; and a protective sheath mounted tightly around said sleeve and covering said layer of porous material for avoiding abrasion damage to adjacent patient tissue when said sleeve distal end is inserted through said patient's skin incision; and wherein said protective sheath comprises a tubular body formed of thin flexible material having a distal end proximate to said layer of porous material and a proximal end including a tab for pulling said body axially in a proximal direction; and wherein said body includes an axially extending score line and a distal end having a lateral dimension less than the lateral dimension of said layer of porous material whereby said sheath body will tear along said score line as said body distal end is pulled axially in a proximal direction by said tab.