Trocar assembly with a cleaning element for use during a laparoscopic procedure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a trocar assembly with an integrated scope-cleaning structure. The trocar assembly may include a housing defining boundaries of a chamber with (a) a proximal opening configured to receive a distal end of a scope, and (b) a distal opening in fluid and mechanical communication with a trocar cannula. The trocar assembly may further include a cleaning element located at least partially between the proximal opening and the distal opening, where the cleaning element is movable with respect to the housing from at least a first setting where a first portion of the cleaning element may be in a first location and may form a first cleaning surface within the chamber, the first cleaning surface configured to remove debris from a distal end of the scope when the distal end of the scope contacts the first portion of the cleaning element.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for cleaning a scope, the method comprising:
 maneuvering a distal end of the scope to a position within a housing, which housing includes a distal opening in fluid communication with a trocar cannula, wherein the housing is coupled to a rotatable wheel having a first cleaning surface and a wheel opening, said first cleaning surface and said wheel opening longitudinally alignable with a longitudinal axis through the trocar cannula and the distal opening;   contacting a cleaning surface of the rotatable wheel with a distal end surface of the scope while the rotatable wheel is in a first setting, wherein in the first setting, the first cleaning surface is longitudinally aligned with the distal opening of the housing;   rotating the rotatable wheel to a second setting; and   passing a distal end of a scope distally through and the distal opening of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the second setting, an opening of the rotatable wheel is longitudinally aligned with the distal opening of the housing such that the distal end of the scope readily passes longitudinally distally through the wheel opening of the rotatable wheel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rotatable wheel further includes a second cleaning surface, and the method further comprising contacting the second cleaning surface with the distal end of the scope. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein in the second setting, the second cleaning surface is longitudinally aligned with the distal opening of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second cleaning surface is concave. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a chamber, and wherein a cleaning element forms another cleaning surface at least partially within the chamber, where the cleaning element includes an opening longitudinally aligned between the proximal opening and the distal opening of the housing. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning element is further moveable with respect to the housing to a third setting. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein in the third setting, a second portion of the cleaning element forms a second cleaning surface within the housing, the second cleaning surface configured to remove debris from the distal end of the scope. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a divider separating the housing into a proximal portion of a chamber and a distal portion of the chamber, the divider including an opening aligned with the proximal opening of the housing and the distal opening of the housing, and aligned with an opening of the cleaning element in the second setting. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the divider comprises a second cleaning element located in the proximal portion of the chamber and configured for cleaning contact with a distal-facing surface of the scope. 
     
     
         11 . A method for cleaning a scope, the method comprising:
 maneuvering a distal end of the scope to a position within a housing defining a chamber, which housing includes a distal opening in fluid communication with a trocar cannula, wherein the housing is coupled to a cleaning element located at least partially between a proximal opening configured to receive the distal end of the scope and the distal opening, where the cleaning element is moveable with respect to the housing from at least a first setting to at least a second setting;   moving the cleaning element to the first setting where a first portion of the cleaning element is in a first location and provides a first cleaning surface within the chamber, the first cleaning surface configured to remove debris from the distal end of the scope when the distal end of the scope contacts the first portion of the cleaning element; and   moving the cleaning element to the second setting where the first potion is displaced to a second location and the scope can extend longitudinally through the distal opening of the housing.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  comprising aligning an opening of the cleaning element with the distal opening of the housing in the second setting. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning element includes a rotatable wheel comprising the first cleaning surface and an opening through the cleaning element. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising moving the cleaning element with respect to the housing to a third setting, wherein in the third setting, a second portion of the cleaning element forms a second cleaning surface within the housing, the second cleaning surface configured to remove debris from a distal end of the scope. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a divider separating the housing into a proximal portion of a chamber and a distal portion of the chamber, the divider including an opening aligned with the proximal opening of the housing and the distal opening of the housing, and aligned with an opening of the cleaning element in the second setting. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the divider comprises a second cleaning element located in the proximal portion of the chamber and configured for cleaning contact with a distal-facing surface of the scope. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second cleaning element includes a curved and concave proximal-facing surface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning element includes a stepped portion with an edge.