APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ILLUMINATING A PERITONEAL CAVITY DURING LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

摘要

A surgical valve (12) is adapted to access a body cavity (18) through an incision (16) in the body wall (14). The valve (12) is preferably formed of a gel material which defines a slit (21) through the valve (12), the slit (21) having properties for forming an instrument seal in the presence of an instrument and a zero seal in the absence of an instrument. The gel material preferably has transparent characteristics facilitating illumination and observation of the body cavity (18) through valve (12). Preferred omni-directional light is produced by multiple light sources (25) which can be embedded in the gel of the valve (12).