US1940122A - Surgical instrument - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1933. A w. GARDNER 1,940,122

SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed' Aug, 13, 1951 INVENTDR .Uil/MM QTTEHNEYE.'

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to a surgical instrument to assist in replacing and maintaining in normal position a prolapsed uterus.

In cases of a prolapsed uterus it has been customary for physicians to prescribe exercises by which air may be trapped in the vagina and by these exercises the air pressure developed aids in returning the prolapsed uterus to its normal position.

l0 An object of my invention is an instrument which may be used either in conjunction with such exercises or function without the exercises to develop air pressure in the vagina to return a prolapsed uterus to its normal position. My 16 invention comprehends a small air pump device which may have a discharge end to insert in the vagina to develop and exert an air pressure therein. The discharge for the air pump is preferably a tube and with this tube I usually employ an 2Q air retaining or closure means to engage the outer end of the Vagina. This air retaining or closure means is for the purpose of retaining the pumped air in the vagina or to restrict the escape of such air, so as to build up air pressure in the 2h vagina. This compressed air acts on the portion of the uterus at the upper end of the vagina to return such prolapsed uterus to its normal position.

My invention may be constructed in a variety of Ways, for instance I may employ a resilient rubber bulb as the air pump and this is provided with a tubular air discharge stem, which stem may extend through a ball or a properly shaped plate, the end of the stem Aextending slightly beyond the ball or plate. The ball or plate is pressed against the lower end of the vagina and operates to restrict the escape or prevent the escape of the compressed air from the vagina: it also limits the air tube from being inserted to too great a distance in the vagina.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of the form of my invention using a ballon the air discharge tube.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the tube and ball in longitudinal section, such ball being preferably formed of soft rubber.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a modifled ball, this being hollow.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrow, of a modiiied construction, showing a moulded plate attached to the end of the air discharge tube.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow.

(Cl. 12S-231) In Figsl and 2 the air pump l1 consists oi a rubber bulb 12 having an intake check valve 13 of the usual construction. A discharge tube r14 is connected to the bulb and on the tube is an abutment shoulder 15. A rubber ball 16 having a diametrical perforation 17 fits on the portion 18 of the tube 14 beyond the shoulder 15, whereby the nozzle end 19 of the tube projects a short distance beyond the surface of the ball.

In Fig. 3 the ball 20 is hollow and has two dia- Il metrically opposite perforations 21 and 22', whichA form a tight fit on the tube. With this design the ball may be more readily compressed and distorted to nt against lower end of the vagina, than the design having the solid ball. In both 'm these modifications the shoulder 15 prevents the ball sliding along the tube and permits the balls making a type of air seal at the open end of the vagina. As the balls cannot slide on the air tube the nozzle end 19 can only enter the vagina to a limited extent. Y

In the construction of Figs. 4 and 5 the air tube 22 has a moulded plate 23 attached thereto adjacent the discharge nozzle 24. This plate is somewhat oval in contour and has its peripheral edge 25 spaced from the nozzle towards the pump; and the plate may be suitably curved, considered longitudinally of the tube, and also circumferentially of the plate. The shape of the plate is such that when pressed against the lower end of the vagina it may give a sufficiently tight air seal, to allow building up of a pressure of compressed air in the vagina when the air pump is operated. This plate may be rigid or slightly flexible if desired. The plate is shown as nonslidably attached to the tube, but it is obvious that it may have a somewhat tight slipping t on the tube to permit inserting the Vnozzle of the tube to a greater distance in the vagina. However the plate may be attached to the tube with the nozzle projecting a suitable distance beyond the plate.

In the use of my invention the ball or plate, when pressed against the lower end of the vagina forms an air seal or closure means to prevent or 100 restrict the escape of air pumped by the air pump into the vagina. An air pressure is therefor developed in the vagina, which acts to press on the end of the uterus and return a prolapsed uterus to its normal position. But little air pressure is 195 required for this purpose.

Another feature of my invention is that the instrument may be readily cleansed and sterilized, as with the ball type the parts may be disassembled for this purpose and with the plate type u() all parts of the instrument may be easily washed.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A surgical instrument having a stiff tube with an air nozzle for the discharge of air, an occlusion means of substantially constant size secured to the tube and adapted to be pressed by the stii tube against the part of the body adjacent the lower end of the vagina, said occlusion means forming an air seal from restricting the escape of air from the vagina and means to inject air through the tube and nozzle into the vagina, the occlusion means being yieldingly secured on the tube to distort slightly when under pressure.

2. A surgical instrument having a stiff tube with an air nozzle for the discharge of air, an occlusion means of substantially constant size secured to the tube and adapted to be pressed by the tube against the part of the body adjacent the lower end of the vagina, said occlusion means forming an air seal for restricting the escape of air from the vagina and means to inject air through the tube and nozzle into the vagina, the occlusion means having a connection to the tube to restrict the insertion of the nozzle in the vagina.

3. A surgical instrument having a stiff tube with a nozzle for discharge of air, an occlusion ball of normally constant size mounted on the tube and adapted to be pressed by the stii tube against the body adjacent to lower enrl of the Vaginaand to thereby form an air seal or restrict the escape of air from the vagina and a pump connected to the tube to inject air into the vagina, said nozzle being contiguous to the ball.

a. A surgical instrument as claimed in claim 3 the ball being hollow and the side facing the nozzle being slidable on the tube to allow slight distortion of the ball.

ADRYL WADE GARDNER.

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