Patent ID: 7473221

Claim:
A surgical access device for laparoscopic surgical procedures in which an abdominal cavity of a patient is pressurized with an insufflation gas, wherein the access device is adapted to form a sealing relationship with an instrument extending through the access device and into an incision in a body wall of the patient, and is removably connectable to an incision seal support structure comprising a working channel, wherein the incision seal support structure is dimensioned and configured for forming a seal with the body wall of the patient, the incision seal support structure comprising a retaining member dimensioned and configured for insertion through the incision, the access device comprising: a valve structure comprising an unencapsulated gel material and adapted to be disposed relative to an incision seal support structure, generally closing a proximal end of a working channel thereof; at least one self-sealing valve included in the unencapsulated gel material of the valve structure, wherein the at least one self-sealing valve is generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the working channel, and the at least one self-sealing valve has a first state in the absence of an instrument extending through the gel material of the valve structure, and a second state in the presence of an instrument extending through the gel material of the valve structure; and a gel support structure at least partially surrounding and supporting the unencapsulated gel material, wherein the gel support structure is dimensioned and configured for removable coupling to the incision seal support structure, wherein the at least one self-sealing valve in the first state forms a seal in the absence of the instrument extending through the gel material of the valve structure; and the at least one self-sealing valve in the second state forms a seal with the instrument in the presence of the instrument extending through the gel material of the valve structure, wherein the seal with the instrument is formed by direct contact between the gel material and the instrument when the instrument extends through the valve structure.