Jawed trocar tip assembly

Abstract

A trocar assembly is presented herein. The trocar assembly can include a tip assembly comprising an adapter sleeve and a jaw assembly component. The jaw assembly component can be hingeably coupled to the adapter sleeve such that it has a first position, such as a rest position, and a second position, such as an expanded position. The adapter sleeve can be configured to couple the jaw assembly to a trocar of the trocar assembly component. Additionally, the trocar assembly can have a trocar having a hollow elongate member that includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the hollow elongate member can be open. The first end can allow an implement to be inserted therein. The insertion of the implement can transition the jaw assembly component from the rest position to the expanded position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A tip assembly for a trocar comprising:
 an adapter sleeve configured to be coupled to the trocar;   a jaw assembly component coupled to the adapter sleeve.   
     
     
         51 . The tip assembly for a trocar as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the adapter sleeve and the jaw assembly component are integrally formed. 
     
     
         52 . The tip assembly for a trocar as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the adapter sleeve and the jaw assembly are configured for mating engagement. 
     
     
         53 . The tip assembly for a trocar as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the adapter sleeve is configured to receive a first end of the trocar. 
     
     
         54 . The tip assembly for a trocar as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the adapter sleeve and jaw assembly component are substantially transparent allowing light to pass therethrough so that an image can be captured by a camera within the trocar assembly. 
     
     
         55 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 50 , wherein the jaw assembly component is hingedly coupled to the adapter sleeve. 
     
     
         56 . The tip assembly of  claim 50 , wherein the tip assembly has at least a first position wherein the jaw assembly component is substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the adapted sleeve and a second position wherein the jaw assembly component is rotated such that an end of the jaw assembly component is positioned radially away from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         57 . The tip assembly of  claim 50 , wherein the jaw assembly component comprises a penetrating surface adapted to penetrate through at least one layer of body tissue. 
     
     
         58 . The tip assembly of  claim 50 , wherein the jaw assembly component comprises a pair of jaws hingedly coupled to an end of the adapter sleeve, each jaw being hingedly coupled to an outer portion of the end and each jaw being opposite to one another. 
     
     
         59 . The tip assembly of  claim 58 , wherein in the first position, each of the jaws are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adapter sleeve and are positioned with respect to one another such that the ends of the jaws form a substantially conical contour adapted to penetrate the layer of the body tissue. 
     
     
         60 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 58 , wherein the pair of jaws comprises:
 a first jaw having a penetrating member at the end thereof, the penetrating member adapted to penetrate at least one layer of body tissue; and   a second jaw hingedly coupled to the end of the adapter sleeve and opposite to the first jaw;   wherein in the first position, the first jaw and the second jaw are each substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the adapter sleeve and wherein the penetrating member of the first jaw extends longitudinally further than a distal end of the second jaw.   
     
     
         61 . The tip assembly of  claim 60 , wherein the first jaw comprises:
 a first slider having the penetrating member at a distal end thereof, the first slider being coupled to the first jaw such that the first slider is axially translatable with respect to the first jaw.   
     
     
         62 . The tip assembly of  claim 61 , wherein the first slider comprises a first scope cleaner coupled to a proximal end of the first slider opposite to the distal end of the first slider, the first scope cleaner being configured to sweep across an interior of the adapter sleeve when the first slider translates axially away from a proximal end of the first scope cleaner. 
     
     
         63 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 60 , wherein:
 the second jaw comprises a second slider having a second scope cleaner coupled to a proximal end thereof and axially translatable with respect to the second jaw;   the second slider being coupled to the second jaw such that in the first position, the first scope cleaner and the second scope cleaner are adjacent one another; and   the second scope cleaner being configured to sweep across an interior of the adapter sleeve when the second slider translates axially away from the proximal end of the first scope cleaner.   
     
     
         64 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 60 , wherein:
 the penetrating member is a substantially conical tip; and   in the first position, the first jaw and the second jaw are positioned with respect to one another such that the substantially conical tip extends beyond the distal end of the second jaw, and the first jaw and the second jaw form a substantially contiguous contour.   
     
     
         65 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 60 , wherein the first scope cleaner having at least one groove formed therein. 
     
     
         66 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 60 , wherein the second scope cleaner having at least one groove formed therein. 
     
     
         67 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 60 , wherein the first scope cleaner and the second scope cleaner each having at least one groove formed therein. 
     
     
         68 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the at least one groove formed in the first scope cleaner traverses through a center of the first scope cleaner. 
     
     
         69 . The tip assembly as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the at least one groove formed in the second scope cleaner traverses through a center of the second scope cleaner.