U.S. patent number 3,735,760 [Application Number 05/108,116] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-29 for needle apparatus.
Invention is credited to Walling D. Vreeland, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,735,760 |
Vreeland, Jr. |
May 29, 1973 |
NEEDLE APPARATUS
Abstract
A finger controlled needle apparatus containing a housing which
supports a fluid reservoir and connecting ejecting means which can
be actuated by movement of the user's finger. A flexible cover
retains the various components on the finger of the user and
permits the injection of fluids into the wall of a cavity or organ
located within the human body.
Inventors: |
Vreeland, Jr.; Walling D.
(Winston-Salem, NC) |
Family
ID: |
22320407 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/108,116 |
Filed: |
January 20, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/212; 606/185;
606/125 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
31/00 (20130101); A61M 19/00 (20130101); A61B
17/205 (20130101); A61M 5/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
17/20 (20060101); A61M 19/00 (20060101); A61M
31/00 (20060101); A61M 5/00 (20060101); A61m
005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/216,215,253,316,33R,231,232,361
;30/298,221,214,314,315,328-333 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: McGowan; J. C.
Claims
I claim:
1. Finger controlled needle apparatus comprising: housing means
shaped to cooperatively receive the finger of a user having at
least one needle accommodating aperture therein; at least one
hollow needle normally positioned within the housing and adapted to
pass through said aperture selectively; fluid reservoir means
proximate said housing means; resilient means connecting between,
and retaining proximately, said reservoir means and said housing
means and biasing said reservoir means within said housing means;
means connecting said hollow needle with said reservoir means;
means adjacent said reservoir means for projecting said needle
through said aperture and forcing fluid from said reservoir through
said needle by squeezing said reservoir means between said housing
means and said means for projecting; and covering means at least
partially retaining said housing means proximate the finger of the
user whereby the finger can be flexed to cause ejection of fluid at
a desired location.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said retaining means
including a resilient spring permitting movement of said reservoir
means and said hollow needle with respect to said housing
means.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, said covering means having
securing means retaining said housing means, reservoir means,
hollow needle and said covering means proximate the finger of the
user.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said securing means
is an integral loop positioned about another separate finger of the
user.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said covering means
is flexible.
Description
BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a needle apparatus which will permit
injection of medicinal fluids locally into the wall of a cavity or
organ located within the human body.
Conventional medical treatment for prostatitis involves direct
massage of the prostate gland to force out infection contained
therein by direct pressure or direct injection from outside the
human body through sensitive exterior body areas into the gland
itself by an elongated needle of special design. This latter
treatment is not generally used in this country though there are
some histories of successful use in countries such as Russia and
Egypt.
Massage of the prostate gland does not usually afford a complete
cure for the individual suffering this affliction. It is believed
that only the direct injection within the gland of drugs such as
cortisone and antibiotics can bring about a permanent end to the
disease.
Unfortunately, there are no suitable instruments for successfully
impregnating the walls of the prostate gland known to the medical
profession except the elongated needles such as described above
commonly used in Russia and Egypt. It would be advantageous to
avoid piercing the exterior of the patient with such a device
because of the pain and suffering involved. If an apparatus could
be placed directly on the wall of the prostate gland by direct
contact with gland by the physician as in conventional prostate
massage so that medication could be passed through the prostate
gland wall which is made up of a very tough substance and is
relatively insensitive to pain, exceedingly good curative effects
can be achieved.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a
needle apparatus which can be controlled by the finger of a user
and positioned directly on the exterior wall of the prostate gland
for injecting medication therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a needle
apparatus of the type described which will not damage surrounding
tissue when the apparatus is inserted against and drawn away from
the walls of the prostate gland.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus of the type described wherein medication can be injected
into the prostate gland without piercing exterior body areas of the
patient in the painful manner experienced in conventional
practice.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide an
apparatus of the type described which is also effective in
administering a local anesthetic and useful for obstetrical
treatment in delivering babies.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more
apparent after the consideration of the following detailed
specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein like characters of reference designate like parts
throughout the several views.
FIGURE DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the housing means, the reservoir
and a needle connected therewith which will permit ejection of
fluid therefrom when the reservoir is urged against the housing
means.
FIG. 2 is a side elevational, perspective view of the components
shown in FIG. 1 which are positioned about the finger of the user
and retained thereagainst by a covering means.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational, perspective view of the device
constituting the present invention in the position assumed when the
user's finger is flexed within the housing means so that the needle
will penetrate the adjacent tissue and fluid will be injected
therethrough.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a housing
device shown generally as 10 is conveniently designed with the
upper portion 12 curved to extend over the tip of the user's finger
so as to remain positioned thereabout in a manner subsequently to
be described. The housing device extends downwardly to form a front
surface 14 containing a needle orifice or aperture 16 at a
preselected location. Obviously a plurality of such apertures may
be provided to receive additional needles if that is desirable. It
has been found satisfactory to form the housing device from a hard,
firm plastic material such as polypropylene or other nontoxic
substances possessing characteristics of firmness to withstand the
pressure exerted when the finger of the user is flexed to actuate
the device.
The fluid of reservoir device 18 is positioned preferably within
the housing 10, and this reservoir is retained at a suitable
location adjacent the housing by a resilient spring member 20.
Spring member 20 extends upwardly along the reservoir 18 to offer a
surface against which the user's finger may be flexed. Its other
end is secured to the interior wall of the housing 10. When the
spring is depressed by the flexing of the user's finger, the
reservoir 18 is collapsed between the two spring walls as shown in
FIG. 3.
An ejecting device 22 connects physically via a channel with the
reservoir 18 so that upon depression of the reservoir, fluid
therein can pass through the ejecting device into an adjacent area.
The ejecting device is preferably a conventional needle 24 suitably
tapered to penetrate, for example, the tough, sinewy wall of the
prostate gland so that medication can be injected within the gland
by direct application to and through the exterior prostate gland
wall. Because of the inherent biasing characteristics of spring
member 20, the needle 24 will automatically be withdrawn upon the
release of pressure by the user's finger, and the entire needle
apparatus can thereafter be withdrawn without damage to surrounding
tissue.
The entire assembly is retained proximate the finger of the user by
a covering device 26 preferably formed of a flexible material and
designed with one or more integal loops 28 for positioning about
another finger of the user. This covering device thus maintains the
previously described components at substantially the same location
around the tip of the user's finger. The covering device may or may
not be provided with an aperture in alignment with aperture 16 in
the housing device since the needle could likely penetrate a
flexible material without severly damaging it even if this
operation is repeated a great number of times. On the other hand,
it may be desirable to provide one or more apertures in substantial
alignment with the one or more apertures contained in the housing
device so that the needle can pass unobstructed into the adjacent
tissue when urged therein by the user's finger.
In operation, the secured housing, reservoir, spring and needle are
mounted over the end of the finger of the user substantially as
shown in FIG. 2, and the flexible covering device 26 is thereafter
drawn over this arrangement and secured thereabout by positioning
one or more loops 26 about other fingers of the user.
In use, the needle apparatus is extended through a body opening
contiguous with the prostate gland wall, the fluid housed within
the reservoir 18 is injected into the gland through the needle 24
when the user's finger is urged forwardly to squeeze the reservoir
between the two sides of the spring member 20. The needle 24
extends outwardly through aperture 16 within the front wall 14 of
housing device 10 to penetrate the adjacent tissue.
After all fluid within the reservoir has been injected into the
adjacent tissue, the user's finger is relaxed, and the spring
member 20 urges the forward portion 14 of the housing device 10
away from the user's finger so that needle 24 is withdrawn and
seated within the housing device.
It will be readily apparent that the present device, while
extremely useful in treating prostatitus or other inflammatory and
irritating afflictions of the prostate gland, can readily be
adapted for obstetrical use. For example, childbirth labor can be
eased and shortened by local anesthesia. Additionally, it is also
established that a successful nerve block for that purpose may be
effective by injecting the main trunk of the pudendal nerve
subjacent to each lateral wall of the birth canal. The present
invention is well suited for this application.
While there has been illustrated and described a preferred
embodiment of a needle apparatus for treating prostatitus and for
solving other medical problems or functions wherein the application
of fluid into a body cavity or organ from inside the body is
desirable, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications
may be made in the housing device, the reservoir, the needle and
the covering means without departing from the real spirit and
purpose of this invention. The invention has uses other than those
described such as the injection of other medicinal substances in
other cavities, and there are no limitations thereon other than
those indicated in the following claims.
* * * * *