Patent ID: 8647261

Claim:
A body cavity access tube assembly, comprising: a body cavity access tube having an external surface; a collapsible protective sleeve positioned over a segment of the external surface and having a proximal end attached to the body cavity access tube at a first attachment; a repositioning device supported on the external surface of the body cavity access tube, wherein a distal end of the collapsible protective sleeve is attached to the repositioning device at a second attachment; and a shielded volume defined by the external surface of the body cavity access tube, an internal surface of the collapsible protective sleeve, the first attachment, and the second attachment; the repositioning device having a released configuration wherein the repositioning device and the distal end of the collapsible protective sleeve are movable relative to a longitudinal axis of the body cavity access tube, and an engaged configuration wherein the repositioning device and the distal end of the collapsible protective sleeve have a fixed position relative to the longitudinal axis of the body cavity access tube; the repositioning device further including a retaining clip having flexible sidewalls, and being movable about the body cavity access tube from an unlocked position corresponding to the released configuration, to a locked position corresponding to the engaged configuration and at which the flexible sidewalls frictionally engage the external surface of the body cavity access tube; the collapsible protective sleeve having an expanded configuration wherein the shielded volume has an expanded length, and a collapsed configuration wherein the shielded volume has a collapsed length that is less than the expanded length.