Surgery – Truss – Pad
Patent
1991-09-27
1999-03-02
Lacyk, John P.
Surgery
Truss
Pad
607138, 128778, A61B 504
Patent
active
058757783
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrode for stimulating and/or detecting the muscle activity of muscles or muscle groups of a patient which are accessible through a body orifice, the electrode being provided with a carrier and at least two electrically conducting contacts which are connectable by means of a cable to a stimulation and/or detection apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known electrode of this type is in the form of a vaginal electrode for stimulating and/or detecting the muscle activity of the pelvic floor muscles in women, in particular the sphincter of the urethra feminina. Incontinence problems in women can be treated in this way. Of course, with the use of such aids it is of great importance to practice good hygiene, in order to prevent infection between patients. In the case of the known electrode for this purpose essentially two possibilities have been used hitherto. A first possibility is to disinfect or, if necessary, sterilize the electrode after each treatment. This is relatively laborious and time-consuming. The second possibility is to give each patient her own electrode, but this calls for a high investment in electrodes. Besides, in this case extensive administration is required, and cleansing of the electrodes is still necessary.
Objects of the Invention
The object of the invention is to provide an electrode of the type mentioned in the preamble, in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are eliminated in a simple, yet effective manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For this purpose, the electrode of the type mentioned in the preamble is characterized according to the invention in that the carrier is provided with contact elements and in that a disposable, elongated sheath of insulating material is detachably connectable to the carrier, while the contacts are situated on the outside of the sheath and are connected to the contact elements when the sheath is fitted on the carrier.
In this way an electrode made up of two parts is obtained, the part coming into contact with the body orifice being disposable after use, so that disinfection or sterilization are no longer necessary. The part which is disposed of after use comprises a simple sheath of insulating material which can be mass-produced at very low cost. The other part, onto which the sheath is pushed, can be made sturdy, and is suitable for use a number of times.
According to a preferred embodiment, the sheath is composed of a rigid plastic material and comprises a part which is adapted in shape to the body orifice, and to which a handle is connected, the contacts being fixed in the sheath and each having a contact lip in the interior of the sheath, which contact lips are in contact with the contact elements when the sheath is fitted on the carrier. An electrode which is easy to handle in practice is obtained in this way.
According to an alternative embodiment, the carrier is made elongated and is provided with a part which is of a shape adapted to the body orifice and has a handle connecting thereto, while the sheath is made of a thin, flexible material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, in which a number of examples of embodiments are shown schematically.
FIG. 1A is a side view, partially produced in cross-section, of a first embodiment of the electrode according to the invention.
FIG. 1B is a side partially exploded view of an enlarged detail portion of FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrode according to FIG. 1A.
FIG. 3 is a section along the line III--III from, FIG. 1A.
FIG. 4 is a schematically shown longitudinal section of a second embodiment of the electrode according to the invention.
FIG. 5 shows a detail of FIG. 4 on a larger scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGS. 1A-3 show an electrode 1 for stimulating and/or detecting muscle activity of muscles or muscle groups of a patient which are accessible through a body orifice. This electrode 1 is prov
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B.V. Optische Industrie "De Oude Delft"
Lacyk John P.
Marn Louis E.
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