Patent ID: 7056303

Claim:
A surgical instrument seal assembly for mounting to a cannula for insertion of a surgical instrument, the seal assembly comprising: an upper body portion having a proximal end wall with an upper exterior surface arranged at a proximal end that defines a throughbore extending completely through the seal assembly and a interior surface; a cylindrical wall protector integrally formed with the upper exterior surface at the throughbore to project inwardly into an interior portion of said upper body portion at the throughbore; a lower body portion projecting below the upper body portion wherein said lower body portion defines a cannula receiving opening adapted to mount the seal assembly on the cannula; and a unitary valve seal including: an upper seal portion having a upper seal wall and a mounting portion rigidly mounted at the interior surface of the proximal end wall in said upper body portion adjacent an interior portion of said upper body portion, the interior portion opposing the upper surface, said upper seal portion being mounted about the throughbore, said cylindrical wall protector located between the throughbore and the upper seal wall overlapping in a longitudinal direction, and separated from in noncontacting arrangement with said upper seal wall with no intervening structure and extending from said seal assembly proximal end and substantially into said upper seal portion; and a lower seal portion extending from said upper seal portion, said lower seal portion being adapted to seal around the surgical instrument.