Patent ID: 8475486

Claim:
A method for accessing the abdominal cavity, comprising the steps of: providing a penetrating end member adapted to pass through tissue to facilitate access to an underlying surgical site; mounting the penetrating end member to a surgical portal such that a transparent window of the penetrating end member permits visualization of the underlying surgical site therethrough; and advancing the penetrating end member through the tissue to dilate an opening in the tissue, wherein, during dilation of the opening, the tissue is caused to contact a pair of opposed first surfaces having a generally planar configuration that extend contiguously from an arcuate nose of the transparent window at a first oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the member, and a pair of opposed second surfaces having a generally planar configuration that are positioned proximally of the pair of opposed first surfaces, and extend contiguously therefrom, in a proximal direction at a second oblique angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the member that is greater than the first oblique angle, wherein the pair of opposed first surfaces intersect the arcuate nose along a first line of intersection extending obliquely in relation to the longitudinal axis, and the pair of opposed second surfaces intersect the pair of opposed first surfaces along a second line of intersection extending obliquely in relation to the longitudinal axis in substantially parallel relation to the first line of intersection.