US 11,911,069 B2
Sealing multiple surgical instruments
Bram Gilbert Antoon Lambrecht, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and William J. Park, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 13, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/682,919.
Application 16/682,919 is a continuation of application No. 14/211,603, filed on Mar. 14, 2014, granted, now 10,492,825.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/800,632, filed on Mar. 15, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2020/0078049 A1, Mar. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 17/3421 (2013.01) [A61B 17/3462 (2013.01); A61B 17/3498 (2013.01); A61B 34/30 (2016.02); A61B 90/361 (2016.02); A61B 2017/3445 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3464 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3466 (2013.01); Y10T 137/7885 (2015.04)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cross-slit seal comprising:
a plurality of folded sidewalls having side surfaces extending to distal end surfaces;
a first slit and a second slit that intersects the first slit to form a cross-slit in the distal end surfaces formed by the plurality of folded sidewalls when the cross-slit seal is in a closed position;
a first rib at a first outer end surface that adjoins two of the plurality of folded sidewalls; and
a second rib at a second outer end surface that adjoins two of the plurality of folded sidewalls;
wherein the first rib and the second rib are sized, shaped, and positioned to engage an inside wall of a cannula that receives the cross-slit seal;
wherein the first rib is at one end of the first slit and the second rib is at an opposite end of the first slit; and
wherein the first rib and the second rib are sized and shaped to bias the second slit closed when the first rib and the second rib are engaged with the inside wall of the cannula.