Surgery – Instruments – Internal pressure applicator
Patent
1995-11-30
1998-03-03
Buiz, Michael
Surgery
Instruments
Internal pressure applicator
A61M 2900
Patent
active
057229830
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to dilating speculums, that is to say surgical instruments of various forms used for dilating body cavities and/or the orifices thereof so as to facilitate examinations of, or operations within, the interior of the cavity.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally speaking, there are two types of speculums in common use, namely those that do not substantially dilate the body cavity and those that do.
Non-dilating speculums are relatively simple tubular devices, frequently made of transparent plastics material, frequently fitted with an eye-piece including a light source, which are inserted into the body cavity to enable it to be inspected. Sometimes that part of the speculum that enters the body cavity is a detachable, single use, disposable item.
Prior known dilating speculums have comprised a tubular array of two or more rigid, elongate leaves, frequently of arcuate cross-section, and means to expand the array by bodily, generally radially outwardly, movement of the individual leaves.
It is usual, because of the need for strength, for dilating speculums to be made of metal. This has precluded the use of disposable, single use components in such speculums, rendering it necessary for dilating speculums to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilised after each use.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Quite often it is desirable or necessary for the inspection to be performed on a conscious and alert patient, and almost invariably this causes discomfort at least, and in many instances considerable pain. This is particularly so when relatively simple dilating speculums comprising only two separable leaves are used.
Furthermore, the insertion of metallic objects into body orifices, and the cold sensation created thereby, is psychologically distressing to many patients. So much so that some women put themselves at risk by failing to have routine vaginal examinations as a check on possible cervical cancer, for example, so called pap smears, merely because of their repugnance to the use of prior known metallic dilating speculums.
Attempts to alleviate the unpleasantness associated with the use of simple prior known dilating speculums have resulted in speculums having more than two leaves. This reduces the pressure between the speculum and the surface of the dilated cavity, but introduces still further undesirable complexity into the mechanism with consequent high cost, and of course does nothing to alleviate the disadvantage of metallic speculums indicated above.
An object of the invention is to provide a dilating speculum that at least alleviates the unpleasantness associated with the use of known speculums of that type.
A further object of the invention, at least in respect of its preferred embodiments, is to provide a dilating speculum having the single use, disposable facilities of prior known non-dilating speculums.
The invention achieves that object by providing a dilating speculum in which the dilation of the cavity is effected by inflating a substantially transparent balloon within the cavity in question. This ensures, for any given degree of dilation, maximum area of contact between the speculum and the cavity walls and therefore minimum pressure therebetween. It also ensures that the speculum moulds itself to the particular configuration of the patient. It avoids the cold sensation associated with the use of metal speculums.
The invention consists in a speculum, for use in examining the interior of a body cavity, comprising a tubular body having two ends, a tubular probe adapted to enter said body cavity detachably secured to said tubular body so as to project beyond one of the ends thereof, an inflatable element encircling said probe, and means to inflate said element.
The inflatable element may be an annular balloon, that is to say a component akin to a miniature inner tube for a pneumatic tire, encircling the probe intermediate its ends. It may be in the nature of a transparent spherical balloon enclosing the tip and a part of the length of the probe. However for preference the inflatable e
REFERENCES:
patent: Re35312 (1996-08-01), Christoudias
patent: 4198981 (1980-04-01), Sinnreich
patent: 5176697 (1993-01-01), Hasson et al.
patent: 5338297 (1994-08-01), Kowr et al.
Buiz Michael
Lewis William
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