Patent ID: 8377090

Claim:
A surgical access device comprising a bladeless, tissue separating obturator comprising: an elongate shaft extending along an axis between a proximal end and a distal end thereof; and a bladeless tip disposed at the distal end of the shaft, wherein the bladeless tip comprises an outer surface having a proximal portion, a distal portion, and an intermediate portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion, the distal portion comprising a blunt point, wherein in a cross section of the tip in the proximal portion, the outer surface defines a circle, in a cross section of the tip in the intermediate portion, the outer surface defines a shape having a length greater than a width, wherein the length is defined perpendicular to the axis and the width is defined perpendicular to the length and the axis, and the outer surface comprises first and second opposing surface portions of the shape generally aligned with the length, in a cross section of the tip in the distal portion, the outer surface defines a circle, in progressive proximal cross sections of the tip in the distal portion, the circle expands, and in progressive proximal cross sections of the tip in the intermediate portion, a ratio of the width of the shape to the length of the shape increases and the first and second opposing surface portions are more arcuate.