The present disclosure is directed to a surgical portal apparatus for use during a minimally invasive procedure. In one aspect, the apparatus includes a housing and a portal member extending distally from the housing, defining a longitudinal axis. The apparatus also has an iris seal including a plurality of leaf members, disposed within the housing. The leaf members are adapted for pivoting relative to the housing, to control the dimensioning of a passage in response to the insertion of a surgical object. The leaf members are not directly linked to each other to provide for off-axis movement of the surgical object. The apparatus further includes an actuation mechanism, including a motor and a sensor, operatively connected to the leaf members and adopted for movement upon the introduction of the surgical object.