Patent ID: 7749161

Claim:
A seal assembly for permitting hand assisted laparoscopic procedures, comprising: a seal cap including a seal positioned within a housing, the housing including a lower seal ring having a track which supports an upper seal ring for relative rotational motion, wherein the seal is supported between the upper seal ring and the lower seal ring for rotation between an open orientation and a closed orientation; a spring biasing the upper seal ring relative to the lower seal ring; and a ratchet mechanism controlling motion of the upper seal ring relative to the lower seal ring the ratchet mechanism includes a ratchet arm oriented to engage a ratchet surface composed of a plurality of ratchet teeth, the ratchet arm being shaped and dimensioned to engage the ratchet teeth of the ratchet surface when rotated in a first direction until the ratchet arm moves beyond a rear end of the ratchet surface, where the ratchet arm is free to move past the ratchet surfaces and rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction.