U.S. patent number 3,776,540 [Application Number 05/237,449] was granted by the patent office on 1973-12-04 for bed stirrup for pelvic examinations.
Invention is credited to Edward N. Comando.
United States Patent |
3,776,540 |
Comando |
December 4, 1973 |
BED STIRRUP FOR PELVIC EXAMINATIONS
Abstract
A restraining device for keeping the thighs and knees far apart
and enabling an efficient pelvic examination of a patient in a home
or hospital bed without the use of an examining table with stirrups
specifically meant for that purpose.
Inventors: |
Comando; Edward N. (Livingston,
NJ) |
Family
ID: |
22893766 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/237,449 |
Filed: |
March 23, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
5/624; 5/648;
128/882; 5/632; 5/650; 606/119; 601/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
5/3715 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
5/37 (20060101); A61g 013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;269/328,322
;128/361,31,1R ;5/327R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5,259 |
|
Apr 1887 |
|
GB |
|
974,104 |
|
Feb 1951 |
|
FR |
|
12,625 |
|
May 1897 |
|
GB |
|
993,571 |
|
Nov 1951 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Simpson; Othell M.
Assistant Examiner: Zatarga; Joseph T.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable, lightweight device for facilitating the pelvic
examination of a human body comprising, in combination, a stirrup
for receiving and restraining the feet of the body in substantially
sole-to-sole position, and means connected with said stirrup and
engageable with the body adjacent its buttocks for maintaining the
thighs in a spread apart condition with the feet positioned
adjacent the buttocks of the body.
2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said connected means
comprises at least one strap.
3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said connecting means
comrpises a molded support for receiving the buttocks and a plate
supporting said support and said stirrup.
4. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein an aperture is formed
in said plate between said stirrup and said support to receive the
handle of a speculum.
5. The combination recited in claim 3; and restraining strap means
mounted on said plate and engageable with said body to maintain the
feet adjacent to the buttocks.
6. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said molded support
is inclined to elevate the buttocks.
7. The combination recited in claim 6 wherein said molded support
is hinged to said plate to enable adjustment of the height of the
buttocks.
8. A portable, lightweight device for facilitating a pelvic
examination of a human body comprising, in combination, a rigid
plate adapted to be placed under the body; a contoured support for
receiving the buttocks mounted on said plate; and a pair of
foot-receiving stirrups mounted on said plate adjacent said support
to maintain the feet in sole-to-sole relation and the thighs in
spread apart position.
9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said contoured
support is inclined to elevate the buttocks.
10. The combination recited in claim 8; and restraining strap means
mounted on said plate and engageable with said body to maintain the
feet adjacent to the buttocks.
Description
This invention relates generally to obstetric devices and more
particularly to a restraining device which maintains the lithotomy
position and facilitates an efficient examination of the pelvic
organs of a human female in a home or hospital bed.
At the present time, pelvic examinations in bed are often
unsatisfactory to the patient and to the doctor because of the
inability of the patient to relax her abdominable muscles. To lie
in bed with hips and knees flexed requires a great deal of effort
to prevent the feet from slipping out and away from the body, thus
bringing the thighs together and making an examination all but
impossible. To eliminate this problem, the patient is often told to
put the soles of her feet together with her knees far apart. The
feet still tend to slip forward, and, because of the muscular
effort needed, there is at least moderate tension on the abdominal
muscles, detracting from the efficiency of the examination.
The insertion of a dilating instrument such as a "Graves Speculum"
into the vagina is painful because the handle is deflected by the
mattress, and the speculum cannot be inserted into the vagina along
its normal axis. Currently, to enable the speculum to be inserted
along the axis, the buttocks of the patient are placed on an upside
down bedpan which is not only unsteady but muscular effort must
again be exerted by the patient to keep herself in place.
Accordingly, the chief object of the present invention is to
provide a device for keeping the knees far apart with the abdominal
muscles relaxed so that a good pelvic examination may be had in a
home or hospital bed without requiring transfer to a table provided
with stirrups specifically meant for that purpose.
An important object of the present invention is to provide a
readily portable device for keeping the knees far apart and the
feet together adjacent the buttocks without exerting the patient so
as to ensure an efficient pelvic examination.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a
device of the type described which is readily adjustable for use
with different size patients and which will facilitate the use of a
light therewith and the elevating of a patient's buttocks.
A further important object of the present invention is to provide
an improved device of the type described which is simple to use, is
susceptible of ready and economical manufacture, and will be of
long life in use.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
during the course of the following description.
In the drawings, I have shown two embodiments of the invention. In
these showings:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention
showing the bed stirrup holding the knees of a patient in spread
apart position by holding the feet together close to the
buttocks;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the adjustable strap about to be
fastened about the waist of a patient;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another means for holding the feet
together as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another form of the bed stirrup
comprising the present invention showing the means for elevating
the hips and for holding the knees apart but to a lesser
degree;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof showing a
patient in position thereon;
FIG. 6 is a vertical, transverse sectional view thereof taken on
the line 6--6 of FIG. 4, parts being shown in elevation;
FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of one of the foot restraining
loops taken on the line 7--7 of FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view similar to FIG. 4 showing the
foot restraint similar to that of FIG. 1 adjustably positioned
thereon for holding the knees further apart; and
FIG. 9 is an end elevational view of the foot restraint.
Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 designates as a whole the bed
stirrup or restraining device of FIGS. 1 to 3 which broadly
comprises means for holding the feet at such a distance from the
buttocks as to hold the knees in a spread apart position to
facilitate a pelvic examination or to maintain the lithotomy
position. This comprises a foot restraint or stirrup 12 having a
D-ring 14 positioned at the heel for the reception of a pair of
straps 16 having pressure relieving slides 17 and which pass under
the thighs of a patient, over the hips, and are adjustably
connected over th pubis as by a D-ring, buckle, etc. 18.
The foot restraint 12 may employ a pair of slippers 20 disposable
or reusable, whose soles are suitably united to the restraint 12 as
by stapling, an adhesive, etc., and whose uppers are at least
simple loops 22. Optionally, the pair of united, sole-to-sole
slippers 20 may form the entire foot restraint or stirrup as shown
in FIG. 3, and a single adjustable strap running from D-ring 14,
under one thigh back to the D-ring 14 could be employed. The
insertion of a patient's feet into the foot restraint 12 or
slippers 20 and the passing of the strap about the patient's body
is readily accomplished.
When a pelvic examination involves the use of a speculum, the
embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 5-8 is employed and
includes a rigid, easily cleanable plate 26 of any suitable,
lightweight material which is placed under a patient and extends
above the hips as shown. The patient's buttocks will rest on a
contour shaped, inclined support 28 with the highest portion facing
toward the feet. The support 28 is pivoted to the plate 26 as at 30
so that wedges or any handy objects (not shown) may be placed under
the highest portion to vary the height of the buttocks. The plate
26 is provided with an aperture 32 adjacent the buttocks supporting
portion of the support 28 to accommodate the handle of a speculum
(not shown).
A foot restraint or double stirrup 34 similar to that shown in FIG.
1 is adjustably positioned in spaced apertures 36 formed in the
plate 26 by means of spaced prongs 38 (FIGS. 4, 8 and 9) and is
provided with foot receiving loops 40 to retain the patient's feet
in substantial sole-to-sole position to obtain a maximum spreading
of the knees. Where less spreading of the knees is necessary for an
efficient pelvic examination, additional and individual foot
restraints are provided and are adjustably positioned in spaced
apertures 44 positioned along the sides and at the foot of the
plate 26 by the depending prongs 46 of U-shaped members 48 to which
a foot retaining loop 50 is secured (FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8). To aid
in the examination, a portable flashlight 52 may be suitably
mounted on the plate 26 as shown.
It will now be readily apparent that the weight of a patient's
buttocks in the contoured support 28 together with the foot
restraints 34 or 50, will retain the feet at a desired distance
from the buttocks and ensure that the knees and thighs are retained
in a spread apart position. A pair of D-rings 54 are mounted at
opposite sides of the plate 26 at its upper or left end (FIG. 4)
for the reception of restraining straps 56 which may be positioned
about the shoulders or body of a patient to offset any tendency she
might have to push downwardly on the foot restraints and thus
displace her buttocks from the inclined and contoured support 28.
If cushioning is desired thereon, a strip 58 (FIG. 4) of non-skid
tape may be used to enable a cushioning pad (not shown) to be used
without slipping.
It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith
shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the
same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement
of parts may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of
the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.
* * * * *