Patent ID: 8795161

Claim:
A surgical access apparatus for positioning within an incision in tissue, which comprises: an elongated seal member defining a longitudinal axis and proximal and distal ends, the elongated seal member having a longitudinal passageway for reception and passage of a surgical object, the elongated seal member being adapted to transition between a first condition defining a first transverse dimension sufficient to facilitate securement of the elongated seal member within the incision in the tissue, and a second condition defining a second transverse dimension less than the first transverse dimension to facilitate insertion within the incision in the tissue, wherein the distal end of the elongated seal member terminates in a lip, wherein the lip extends outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis when the elongated seal member is in the first condition, wherein the lip extends distally when the elongated seal member is in the second condition, and the lip is dimensioned to engage the tissue to resist removal of the elongated seal member from the tissue, the elongated seal member being formed from an at least semi-resilient material to be normally biased towards the first condition thereof; and a deployment member at least partially positionable within the longitudinal passageway of the elongated seal member, the deployment member frictionally engaging the longitudinal passageway of the elongated seal member along an internal surface thereof, the frictional engagement between the deployment member and the longitudinal passageway of the elongated seal member causing the elongated seal member to transition from the first condition to the second condition upon distal longitudinal movement of the deployment member along the longitudinal axis, the deployment member being detached from the elongated seal member when subjected to a predetermined force to permit the deployment member to be removed from the longitudinal passageway with the elongated seal member in the first condition, thereby leaving the elongated seal member within the incision to receive the surgical object.