Case Study: Developing a Custom Material for Trocar Seal Surgical Applications

Trocars are surgical instruments placed in the body during laparoscopy. The trocar’s seals prevent air from escaping the abdominal cavity while creating an access point for surgical instruments to pass through. The seals also maintain air pressure to provide the surgeon with a clean viewing area during surgery.

An existing Minnesota Rubber & Plastics customer was developing a new trocar seal. Their selected material was failing to work as needed. Of primary concern, some of the more aggressive surgical instruments would catch on the material during insertion, often tearing the seal. This reduced the physician’s control over the instruments, disrupted their view of the surgical area and increased potential risk to the patient.

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