Access Port for Use in a Surgical Robot

Abstract

According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity of a patient includes a proximal housing portion including a central lumen providing instrument access to the surgical cavity and an engagement housing operatively associated with a proximal end of the proximal housing portion and having a circumferential engagement region formed therein adapted and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. An elongated tubular body portion extends from the proximal housing portion in communication with the central lumen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 279,621, filed on November 15, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The subject disclosure is directed to a surgical gas delivery system for endoscopic surgery, and more particularly for use with a surgical robot, having a trocar for gas - sealed insufflation and recirculation.

Background Art

[0003] Laparoscopic or “minimally invasive” surgical techniques have become widespread in performing surgeries such as cholecystectomy, appendectomy, hernia repair, and nephrectomy. The advantages of such procedures include reduced trauma to the patient, a lower chance of infection, and a shorter recovery time. Such procedures within the abdomen (peritoneal cavity) are typically performed through a device known as a trocar or cannula, which facilitates the introduction of laparoscopic instruments into the patient's abdominal cavity.

[0004] In addition, such procedures generally involve filling the abdomen with a pressurized fluid such as carbon dioxide, or “insufflating” the abdomen to create a surgical space called pneumoperitoneum. Insufflation may be performed by a surgical access device such as a trocar equipped to deliver the insufflation fluid, or by a separate insufflation device such as an insufflation (Veress) needle. To maintain pneumoperitoneum, it is desirable to introduce surgical instruments into the pneumoperitoneum without substantial loss of insufflation gas.

[0005] During typical laparoscopic procedures, the surgeon usually makes three or four small incisions, each typically less than about 12 millimeters, which are usually made using the surgical access device itself, often using separate inserters or obturators placed therein. After insertion, the obturator is removed and the trocar allows access to the instruments inserted into the abdominal cavity. A typical trocar provides a path for insufflating air into the abdominal cavity so as to have an open internal space for the surgeon to work.

[0006] The trocar must provide a way to maintain the pressure within the abdominal cavity by sealing between the trocar and the surgical instrument being used, while still allowing at least a minimum amount of freedom of movement of the surgical instrument. Such instruments may include, for example, forceps, grasping and occluding instruments, cautery units, cameras, light sources, and other surgical instruments. The sealing element or mechanism is typically provided in the trocar to prevent leakage of the insufflated gas from the abdominal cavity. These sealing mechanisms often comprise duckbill valves made of a relatively flexible material to seal around the outer surface of the surgical instrument passing through the trocar.

[0007] SurgiQuest, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of ConMed Corporation, has developed unique gas-sealing surgical access devices that provide immediate access to the insufflated surgical cavity without the need for conventional mechanical valve sealing, as described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 7,854,724 and U.S. Patent No. 8,795,223. These access devices are constructed from several nested components including an inner tubular portion and a coaxial outer tubular portion. The inner tubular portion defines a gas-sealing central lumen for introducing a conventional laparoscope or endoscopic surgical instrument into the patient's surgical cavity, and the outer tubular portion defines an annular lumen surrounding the inner tubular portion for delivering insufflation gas to the patient's surgical cavity and facilitating periodic sensing of the abdominal pressure.

[0008] Manufacturers of surgical robots are exploring various configurations and approaches for performing robot-assisted surgical procedures, whereby the surgical robot may interact with a trocar during a procedure and insert, manipulate, and / or remove the trocar. Currently, in the art, there remains a need for trocars, gas-sealing trocars, and access ports that are compatible with surgical robots. The present disclosure provides a solution to this need.

Summary of the Invention

[0009] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity of a patient includes a proximal housing portion. The proximal housing portion includes a central lumen that provides instrument access to the surgical cavity, and the proximal housing portion defines an internal plenum. An engagement housing is operably associated with the proximal end of the proximal housing portion and has a circumferential engagement region formed therein that is adapted and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. A seal is housed within the internal plenum, and the engagement housing is proximal to the internal plenum and the seal. An elongate tubular body portion communicates with the central lumen and extends distally from the proximal housing portion.

[0010] In an embodiment, the engagement region may have an engagement surface that defines a shape configured to receive a gripping member of a surgical robot with the surface of the gripping member in a coplanar state with the engagement surface within the engagement housing. In a particular embodiment, the engagement housing includes a protrusion such that the circumferential engagement region extends circumferentially only partially around the engagement housing, and the engagement housing generally has a C-shaped profile in cross-section. In certain such embodiments, the engagement housing may be configured to receive a corresponding C-shaped gripping member of a surgical robot, or the engagement housing may be shaped to correspond to any shape of a gripping member of a surgical robot.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the engagement housing is integrally formed with the proximal housing portion, the engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be attached to the proximal housing portion and form a fixed relationship with the proximal housing portion. In certain embodiments, the engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be attached to the proximal housing portion and configured to rotate relative to the proximal housing portion. In certain such embodiments, the proximal housing portion may further include a stopper configured to prevent rotation of the engagement housing relative to the proximal housing portion beyond the stopper. In an embodiment, the stopper may be a detent.

[0012] The engagement housing further includes attachment features configured to engage the proximal end of an obturator passing through the central lumen. In an embodiment, the proximal housing portion further includes a sound attenuator disposed within the central lumen, and the sound attenuator may include a foam material configured to attenuate airborne sound within the central lumen.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the seal may include a ring jet assembly adapted and configured to accelerate pressurized gas delivered within the proximal housing portion to form a gas seal within a region of the tubular body portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity. In certain embodiments, the seal may include a mechanical seal adapted and configured to prevent the discharge of insufflation gas from the surgical cavity.

[0014] In an embodiment, the engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be attached to the proximal housing portion, the cover having one or more castellations extending distally therefrom configured to engage one or more detents within the proximal housing portion surrounding the central lumen to hold the cover to the proximal housing portion.

[0015] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a gas-sealing access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity of a patient includes a proximal housing. The proximal housing portion includes a central lumen that provides gas-sealing access to the surgical cavity, an inlet path for communicating with a pressurized gas source, a tapered neck portion, and an annular jet assembly that receives pressurized gas from the inlet path and generates a gas seal within the tapered neck portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity, and an internal cavity that houses the seal. An engagement housing is operably associated with the proximal end of the proximal housing portion and has a circumferential engagement region formed therein that is adapted and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. An elongate tubular body extends distally from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing that communicates with the central lumen. The engagement housing may be the same or similar to those described above.

[0016] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an engagement housing for an access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity of a patient may include a cover configured to be disposed within the proximal housing of the access port. In an embodiment, the cover may define an engagement region that is at least partially circumferentially disposed around the outer periphery of the cover and is configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. The cover may also include one or more castellations that extend distally therefrom and are configured to engage one or more detents within the proximal housing of the access port to hold the cover within the proximal housing.

[0017] These and other features of embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] To facilitate an understanding by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains of how to make and use the devices and methods of this disclosure without undue experimentation, the preferred embodiments thereof are described in detail below with reference to specific drawings.

[0019]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals identify like structural features or aspects of the present disclosure. By way of illustration and not limitation, an exemplary diagram of one embodiment of an access port according to the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1, which is generally designated by reference numeral 100. Other embodiments and / or aspects of the present disclosure are shown in FIGS. 2 - 13.

[0021] Today, the surgical robot market has a number of new companies considering various configurations and approaches to robotic-assisted surgery. For example, specific sealed trocars and access ports provided in U.S. Patent No. 8,795,223, issued August 5, 2014, U.S. Patent No. 10,905,463, issued February 2, 2021, U.S. Patent No. 11,399,866, issued August 2, 2022, and U.S. Patent No. 11,039,857, issued June 22, 2021, all to the same applicant, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and have the ability to maintain a stable pneumoperitoneum, consistent smoke evacuation, and easy insertion and retrieval of instruments. Surgical robot manufacturers will benefit from access ports having the advantages and functions described and incorporated herein that are compatible with the robot without modification by the end user. The embodiments of the access port described herein enable different configurations of surgical robots to operate effectively with the access port.

[0022] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an access port 100 for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity 102 of a patient 104 includes a proximal housing portion 106. The proximal housing portion 106 includes a proximal end 105 and a distal end 107, a central lumen 108 that provides access for instruments to the surgical cavity 102, and an elongated tubular body portion 110 that extends from the distal end 107 of the proximal housing portion 106 and communicates with the central lumen 108. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the proximal housing portion 106 defines an internal plenum 112 that houses a ring jet assembly 114 (e.g., similar to jet assembly 64 of U.S. Patent No. 10,905,463) adapted and configured to accelerate pressurized gas delivered into the proximal housing portion 106 to form a gas seal within the region of the tubular body 110 portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity 102. In certain embodiments, the proximal housing portion 106 may define an internal chamber that houses a mechanical seal adapted and configured to prevent the discharge of insufflation gas from the surgical cavity 102, such as a conventional trocar or a standard trocar that includes, for example, a valve seal, a duckbill seal, a septum seal, etc. Regardless of whether a gas seal or a mechanical seal is used, the engagement housing is proximal to the internal plenum / chamber and the seal. In an embodiment, the proximal housing portion 106 further includes a sound attenuator 116 disposed within the central lumen 108, and the sound attenuator 116 may include a foam material configured to attenuate air noise within the central lumen 108.

[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 3-5, the engagement housing 200 may be operably associated with the proximal end 105 of the proximal housing portion 106 and may have a circumferential engagement region 218 formed therein that is adapted and configured to releasably receive a grasping member of a surgical robot. In an embodiment, as shown, the engagement region 218 may be configured to allow the grasping member of the surgical robot to be placed in the same plane within the engagement housing 200. The engagement region has an engagement surface that defines a shape that is an inverted version of the shape of the surface of the grasping member, which allows the engagement surface to be placed in the same plane as the surface of the grasping member within the engagement housing. This in-plane engagement is shown in FIGS. 3-4 by the dashed lines of the in-plane engagement of the grasping member 219 in the engagement region 218 of FIG. 3. In an embodiment, the engagement region 218 may facilitate the mating of the handle of the surgical robot with the access port 100 and may effect movement and articulation of the access port 100 via control of the surgical robot. As shown in FIGS. 3-4, the engagement housing 200 and the corresponding engagement region 218 may be designed, configured, and adapted to provide a standardized orientation of the engagement housing 200 with respect to a given robotic grasping member.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the engagement housing 200 includes a protrusion 220 such that the circumferential engagement region 218 extends only partially circumferentially around the engagement housing 200. In this case, the engagement housing 200 and the engagement region 218 may generally have a C-shaped profile in cross-section. Then, in certain such embodiments, the engagement housing 200 may be configured to receive a corresponding C-shaped grasping member of the surgical robot, although the engagement housing 200 may be shaped to accommodate any shape of any grasping member of a given surgical robot.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the protrusion 218 may act as the leading edge of the engagement housing 200 when receiving the grasping member of the surgical robot, and the protrusion 220 may be oriented to prevent interference from the tubing set during operation of the access port 100. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the engagement housing 200 may be defined within a cover 222 that is attached to and configured to form a fixed relationship with the proximal housing portion 106, and the engagement housing 200 and / or the cover 222 may not be rotatable relative to the proximal housing portion 106. In certain embodiments, the engagement housing 200 may be integrated with the proximal housing portion 106.

[0026] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the engagement housing may be defined within a cover 322, an upper portion 324 may include the engagement region 218, and a lower portion 326 may be configured to attach to the proximal housing portion 106. The upper portion 324 may rotate or pivot relative to the lower portion 326 and / or the proximal housing portion 106. In this case, the lower portion 326 and / or the proximal housing portion 106 may further include a stopper configured to prevent rotation of the upper portion 324 relative to the lower portion 326 and / or the proximal housing portion 106 beyond a stopper and lock the upper portion 324 in a fixed position. For example, it may be beneficial to provide some flexibility at the location of the protrusion 220 to account for a surgeon's preference or to prevent occlusion by the tubing set during a surgical procedure. In embodiments, the stopper may be a detent or may include a detent, as will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 10-13.

[0027] In an embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3-5, the cover 222 may include one or more castellations 228 configured to engage one or more stops of the proximal housing portion 106 around the central lumen 108 to hold the cover 222 to the proximal housing portion 106 and extending distally therefrom (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3-4), or the castellations 328 may extend distally from the lower portion 326 of the cover 322 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5).

[0028] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, additional clamping and / or orientation features 430, 530 may be included in the engagement region 218, similar to those of the protrusion 220. The clamping features 430, 530 may be included on each side of the engagement housing 200 to provide additional grip and stability for the gripping member or as required by a given surgical robot, such that the robot interface may be misprevention and set to the correct orientation for each use. The clamping features 430, 530 may be arranged within the engagement region 218 in any suitable pattern or orientation, e.g., asymmetric, symmetric, or a combination of the two, to allow for "foolproofing" during assembly and orientation. As shown in FIG. 6, the clamping features 430 may be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and extend perpendicularly between the boundaries of the cover 422. As shown in FIG. 7, the clamping features 530 may also be possible to fill the boundaries of the cover 522 at an inclined angle while maintaining a spaced relationship and a non-parallel relationship with each other.

[0029] In certain embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the engagement housing 200 further includes attachment features 232 configured to engage the proximal end 634 of a surgical instrument passing through the central lumen 108, such as an obturator 636, as described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 9,545,264, issued January 17, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Any suitable combination of the embodiments described herein with respect to FIGS. 1-9 is contemplated herein.

[0030] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, the gas-sealing access port 100 may be as described in U.S. Patent No. 8,795,223, issued August 5, 2014, and U.S. Patent No. 10,905,463, issued February 2, 2021, by the same applicant. For example, the proximal housing portion of the gas-sealing access port may include a central lumen providing gas-sealing access to a surgical cavity, an inlet passage for communicating with a pressurized gas source, a tapered neck portion, and an internal cavity accommodating an annular jet assembly that receives pressurized gas from the inlet passage, generates a gas seal within the tapered neck portion, and maintains a stable pressure within the surgical cavity. The elongate tubular body extends from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing communicating with the central lumen. Engaging housings identical or similar to those shown and described herein may be associated with the proximal housing portion.

[0031] According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, an engaging housing 200 for an access port 100 for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a patient's surgical cavity may include covers 222, 322, 422, 522 configured to be placed within the proximal housing of the access port. In embodiments, the cover may define an engagement region 218 disposed at least partially circumferentially around the outer periphery of the cover and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. The cover may also include one or more castellations 228, 328 configured to engage one or more detents of the proximal housing of the access port and extend distally therefrom to hold the cover to the proximal housing. In embodiments, the engagement region may be universal and configured to receive any gripping member of any surgical robot (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6), or the engagement region may be configured to conform to a specific gripping member of a specific surgical robot (e.g., as shown in FIGS. 3-7 and 9) and include one or more features such as raised portions, grooves, protrusions, or the like (e.g., 220, 430, 530).

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 10, the cover 322 of FIG. 5 is shown with the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326 separated. The detent pin 323 is spring-loaded or otherwise biased to the position shown in FIG. 10 and may radially retract into the upper portion 324 during assembly of the lower portion 326 to the track guide 325, labeled in FIG. 11. When the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326 are assembled as shown in FIG. 10, the detent pin 323 may slide to any position within the guide track 325 for relative rotation of the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326, as described above with respect to FIG. 5. The circumferential end 327 of the guide track 325 functions as a stop that limits the circumferential movement range of the detent pin 323 and limits the movement range for relative rotation of the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326. The guide track 325 may extend circumferentially 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, or any suitable number of degrees, as required for a given application. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 12, the detent pin 323 may be made long enough to extend through a stop hole 327 that extends radially through the outer wall of the lower portion 326. When the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326 are assembled as shown in FIG. 13, the user may push the detent pin 327 radially inward to rotate the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326 relative to each other, sliding the detent pin 323 within the guide track 325 until the detent pin 323 reaches the next stop hole 327 and clicking the detent pin 323 radially outward through its new stop hole 327 to lock the rotational positions of the upper portion 324 and the lower portion 326. The radial movement of the detent pin 323 is indicated by the double arrow in FIG. 12. This may provide a locked rotational position that has flexibility as to which rotational position is selected, for example, to assist a surgeon in positioning the instrument and tubing for a procedure. The stop holes 327 may be positioned at 0 degrees, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, or any other suitable single or multiple positions in the circumferential direction. The guide track 325 of FIG. 12 may optionally include the end shown in FIG. 11 in addition to the stop holes 327.

[0033] Embodiments that do not manufacture a separate cannula or access port utilize the access port as described herein. A typical surgical robot grasping member is not designed to accommodate a particular access port. However, the systems and methods shown and described herein may ensure compatibility with most surgical robots.

[0034] One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any numerical value disclosed herein may be an exact value or a value within a range. Further, any term of approximation used in this disclosure (e.g., “about,” “approximate,” “substantially”) may mean a value within a range of the recited value. For example, in certain embodiments, the range may be within (plus or minus) 20%, or 10%, or 5%, or 2%, or any other suitable percentage or number (e.g., known tolerances or error ranges) as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0035] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are used herein to refer to one or more than one (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical objects of the article, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. By way of example, “an element” means one element or more than one element.

[0036] As used herein in the specification and claims, the phrase "and / or" is to be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so joined, i.e., elements that in some instances coexist conjunctively and in other instances disjunctively. A plurality of elements listed with "and / or" are to be construed in the same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so joined. Other elements may optionally exist in addition to those specifically identified by the "and / or" clause, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified. Thus, by way of non-limiting example, reference to "A and / or B" can mean, in one embodiment, only A (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment, only B (optionally including elements other than A), and in yet another embodiment, both A and B (optionally including other elements), and so forth.

[0037] As used herein in the specification and claims, "or" is to be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" is inclusive, i.e., it is to be interpreted to include at least one, but also two or more, of the elements of the number or list, and optionally, additional unlisted items. When used in the claims, terms that clearly indicate the contrary, such as "only one of", "exactly one of", or "consisting of", refer to including exactly one element of the number or list. Generally, as used herein, the term "or" is to be interpreted to indicate exclusive alternatives (e.g., "either one or the other, but not both") only when preceded by exclusive terms such as "any of", "one of", "only one of", or "exactly one of".

[0038] Any suitable combination of embodiments of the present disclosure, and / or any suitable portion thereof, is contemplated herein, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from the present disclosure.

[0039] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described above and, as shown in the drawings, provide improvements to the related art. Although the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure have been shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily understand that changes and / or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An access port for performing endoscopic surgical procedures within a surgical cavity of a patient, the access port comprising: a proximal housing portion including a central lumen providing access for instruments to the surgical cavity, the proximal housing portion defining an internal plenum; an engagement housing having a circumferential engagement region formed therein, the engagement housing being operably associated with the proximal end of the proximal housing portion and adapted and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot; a seal housed within the internal plenum, the engagement housing being proximal to the internal plenum and the seal; an elongated tubular body portion extending distally from the proximal housing portion and in communication with the central lumen; wherein the engagement housing includes a protrusion such that the circumferential engagement region extends only partially circumferentially around the engagement housing; by including the protrusion, the circumferential engagement region has a generally C-shaped profile in cross-section; an access port, wherein the circumferential engagement region is configured to receive a corresponding C-shaped gripping member of the surgical robot.

2. The access port of claim 1, wherein the circumferential engagement region has an engagement surface, the engagement surface defining a shape configured to receive the gripping member of the surgical robot with the surface of the gripping member being coplanar with the engagement surface within the engagement housing.

3. The access port of claim 1, wherein the engagement housing has a shape corresponding to the shape of the gripping member of the surgical robot.

4. The access port of claim 1, wherein the engagement housing is integrally formed with the proximal housing portion.

5. The access port of claim 1, wherein the engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be attached to the proximal housing portion and to form a fixed relationship with the proximal housing portion.

6. The access port of claim 1, wherein the engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be attached to the proximal housing portion, and the engagement housing is configured to rotate relative to the proximal housing portion.

7. The access port according to claim 6, further comprising the stopper, wherein the proximal housing portion is configured to prevent rotation of the engagement housing relative to the proximal housing portion beyond the stopper.

8. The access port according to claim 7, wherein the stopper includes a detent.

9. The access port according to claim 1, further comprising attachment features, wherein the engagement housing is configured to engage a proximal end of an obturator passing through the central lumen.

10. The access port according to claim 1, wherein the proximal housing portion further includes a sound attenuator disposed within the central lumen.

11. The access port according to claim 10, wherein the sound attenuator includes a foam material configured to attenuate airborne sound within the central lumen.

12. The access port according to claim 1, including a ring jet assembly, wherein the seal is adapted and configured to accelerate pressurized gas delivered within the proximal housing portion to form a gas seal within a region of the tubular body portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity.

13. The access port according to claim 1, including a mechanical seal, wherein the seal is adapted and configured to prevent the discharge of insufflation gas from the surgical cavity.

14. The access port according to claim 1, further comprising one or more castellations extending distally therefrom, wherein the engagement housing is configured to engage one or more detents within the proximal housing portion around the central lumen configured to hold the engagement housing to the proximal housing portion.

15. A gas-sealing access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a surgical cavity of a patient, a proximal housing portion including a central lumen providing gas-sealing access to the surgical cavity, an inlet path for communicating with a source of pressurized gas, a tapered neck portion, and an internal cavity containing a seal including an annular jet assembly for receiving pressurized gas from the inlet path to generate a gas seal within the tapered neck portion to maintain a stable pressure within the surgical cavity; an engagement housing having a circumferential engagement region formed therein, operably associated with a proximal end of the proximal housing portion and adapted and configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. An elongate tubular body extending distally from the tapered neck portion of the proximal housing that communicates with the central lumen. The engagement housing includes a protrusion such that the circumferential engagement region extends circumferentially only partially around the engagement housing. By including the protrusion, the circumferential engagement region has a generally C-shaped profile in cross-section. The circumferential engagement region is an access port configured to receive a corresponding C-shaped gripping member of the surgical robot. **Claim 16** The circumferential engagement region has an engagement surface, and the engagement surface is configured to receive the gripping member of the surgical robot with the surface of the gripping member being in the same plane as the engagement surface within the engagement housing. The access port according to claim 15, which defines a shape. **Claim 17** The engagement housing has a shape corresponding to the shape of the gripping member of the surgical robot. The access port according to claim 15. **Claim 18** The engagement housing further includes mounting features configured to mate with a surgical instrument. The access port according to claim 15. **Claim 19** The engagement housing is integrally formed with the proximal housing portion. The access port according to claim 15. **Claim 20** The engagement housing is mounted to the proximal housing portion and is configured to form a fixed relationship with the proximal housing portion. The access port according to claim 15, which is defined within a cover. **Claim 21** The engagement housing is defined within a cover configured to be mounted to the proximal housing portion, and the engagement housing is configured to rotate relative to the proximal housing portion. The access port according to claim 15. **Claim 22** The proximal housing portion further includes a stopper configured to prevent rotation of the engagement housing relative to the proximal housing portion beyond the stopper. The access port according to claim 21. **Claim 23** The stopper includes a detent. The access port according to claim 22. **Claim 24** The engagement housing further includes mounting features configured to engage with the proximal end of an obturator passing through the central lumen. The access port according to claim 15. **Claim 25** The access port according to claim 15, wherein the proximal housing further includes a sound attenuator disposed within the central lumen.

26. The access port according to claim 25, wherein the sound attenuator includes a foam material configured to attenuate airborne sound within the central lumen.

27. The access port according to claim 15, wherein the proximal housing portion is adapted and configured to form a gas seal within the region of the tubular body so as to accelerate pressurized gas delivered into the proximal housing portion and maintain the stable pressure within the surgical cavity. An internal plenum is defined that houses the annular jet assembly.

28. The access port according to claim 15, wherein the engagement housing further includes one or more castellations extending distally therefrom and configured to engage one or more detents within the proximal housing portion around the central lumen and configured to hold the engagement housing to the proximal housing portion.

29. An engagement housing for an access port for performing an endoscopic surgical procedure within a patient's surgical cavity, A cover configured to be placed within the proximal housing of the access port, the cover comprising a circumferential engagement region disposed at least partially circumferentially around an outer periphery of the cover configured to releasably receive a gripping member of a surgical robot. The engagement housing includes a protrusion such that the circumferential engagement region extends only partially circumferentially around the engagement housing. By including the protrusion, the circumferential engagement region has a generally C-shaped profile in cross-section. The engagement housing, wherein the circumferential engagement region is configured to receive a corresponding C-shaped gripping member of the surgical robot.

30. The engagement housing according to claim 29, further comprising one or more castellations extending distally therefrom and configured to engage one or more detents within the proximal housing of the access port and configured to hold the engagement housing to the proximal housing.

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