U.S. patent number 3,828,780 [Application Number 05/344,872] was granted by the patent office on 1974-08-13 for combined electrocoagulator-suction instrument.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Valleylab, Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles F. Morrison, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,828,780 |
Morrison, Jr. |
August 13, 1974 |
COMBINED ELECTROCOAGULATOR-SUCTION INSTRUMENT
Abstract
A combined electrocoagulator-suction instrument useful for
coagulating bleeding capillaries and veins within a surgical field
and for sucking out blood and other liquids from the field either
during, before or after the coagulation procedure. An elongate body
of electrically non-conductive material is formed with a main flow
passage terminating at one end of the body in a nipple for
connecting the passage to a vacuum source. A second passage through
the body receives an electrical conductor connected to an
electro-surgical generator, the end of the conductor passing
through the second passage and having its bared end bent back to
extend into the interior of the first passage. An open ended metal
tube has one end formed to be inserted into the main passage at the
end opposite to said nipple, the tube being mechanically seated
within the passage in electrical contact with the bared wire end.
An electrically non-conductive sheath surrounds all of the exposed
surface of the tube with the exception of a short section at the
opposite end or tip. A branch passage extends through the wall of
the body to communicate with the main passage at a location
intermediate the ends of the main passage, the opposite end of the
branch passage opening at the exterior of the body at a vent
opening which can be fully or partially covered by the surgeon's
finger to regulate the degree of suction within the main flow
passage. The vent opening is offset from the location at which the
branch passage communicates with the main passage in an upstream
direction with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through
the main passage.
Inventors: |
Morrison, Jr.; Charles F.
(Boulder, CO) |
Assignee: |
Valleylab, Inc. (Boulder,
CO)
|
Family
ID: |
23352421 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/344,872 |
Filed: |
March 26, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/20; 604/119;
606/49; 604/902 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
18/1402 (20130101); A61M 1/7411 (20210501); Y10S
604/902 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
18/14 (20060101); A61M 1/00 (20060101); A61m
001/00 (); A61b 017/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/275.1,276,277,303.17 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pace; Channing L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burton, Crandell, Polumbus &
Harris
Claims
I claim:
1. A combined electrocoagulator-suction instrument comprising an
elongate body of electrically nonconductive material having a main
flow passage extending longitudinally therethrough, coupling means
at one end of said body for connecting said main passage to a
source of suction, receiving means at the other end of said passage
receiving one end of an electrically conductive tube to place the
interior of the tube in fluid communication with said main passage,
electrical conductor means in contact with said electrically
conductive tube in said receiving means, means defining a branch
passage in said body opening into said main passage at a first
location intermediate the ends of said main passage, and means
defining a vent opening in the exterior of said body, said vent
opening being disposed away from said first location in a direction
toward said other end of said body, said branch passage
communicating with said vent opening.
2. A combined electrocoagulator-suction instrument as defined in
claim 1 in which said branch passage is, in cross section, kidney
shaped.
3. A combined electrocoagulator-suction instrument comprising an
elongate body of electrically non-conductive material having first
and second passages extending longitudinally therethrough, coupling
means at one end of said body for connecting said first passage to
a suction source, electrical conductor means extending through said
second passage from said one end of said body and having an exposed
electrically conductive end projecting into the end of said first
passage adjacent the other end of said body, an elongate tube of
electrically conductive material seated in said first passage at
said other end of said body in electrical contact with said
conductor, means defining a vent opening at the exterior of said
body adjacent said other end of said body, means defining a branch
passage extending from said vent opening through said body to
communicate with said first passage at a location between said vent
opening and said one end of said body, said vent opening being
adapted to be fully or partially covered by a finger of a person
holding said body to regulate the degree of suction in said
tube.
4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said vent opening is
elongated longitudinally of said body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Coagulation of blood vessels during surgery by the application of a
high frequency electrical current is a standard and widely used
technique. In this technique, the body of the patient is
electrically connected to one side of an electrical circuit while
an electrically conductive probe is connected to the other. When
the probe is touched to or placed near the open blood vessel, a
high frequency electrical current flows from the probe to cause
coagulation at the point where the current jumps from the probe tip
to the patient's body.
Because this technique is used for sealing off blood vessels, it
follows that some quantity of blood will be encountered at the
precise region at which the coagulation is to be performed and it
is therefore often necessary that the excess blood be removed by a
suction instrument.
The conventional suction instrument takes the form of a plastic
body or fitting having a passage connected to a suction source. An
elongate tube mounted on the body is inserted into the incision to
suck out blood or other body fluids. The suction instrument is
controlled by a simple vent opening in the body, the surgeon
covering the vent opening with his finger when he wants to exert
suction in the tube and uncovering the opening when suction at the
tube end is not desired.
Because the shape of the tip of an electrocoagulator probe is not
overly critical, attempts have previously been made to provide an
instrument capable of performing the dual functions of
electrocoagulation and suction by making the tube of the suction
instrument of an electrically conductive material and electrically
connecting this tube into the coagulating power circuit. This
arrangement has proved to be totally unsatisfactory because of the
fact that blood is electrically conductive and if the surgeon
places his finger over the vent hole to induce suction while
electrical current is flowing through the tube-probe, blood flowing
into the vent opening will conduct current to the overlying finger,
resulting in electrical shock or burn. Because of the high
frequency currents employed, the thin material of the surgeon's
glove offers no effective resistance to the electric current.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is especially designed to provide an
instrument capable of simultaneous use both as an electrocoagulator
and as a suction instrument. The instrument includes an elongate
body formed of an inexpensive electrically non-conductive material.
A main flow passage extends longitudinally through the body from
end to end, a nipple at one end of the body being employed to
couple that end of the body to a flexible tube connected to a
suction source. A second longitudinal passage extends through the
body from end to end and receives the electric power cable of the
coagulation circuit. The cable passes entirely through the second
passage and its bared end is bent back into the forward end of the
main flow passage. A hollow metal tube is inserted into the forward
end of the main flow passage, the tube frictionally clamping itself
in position and electrically contacting the exposed end of the
electric power cable. An electrically non-conductive sheath
encloses all of the exposed portion of the tube with the exception
of a relatively short portion at the tube tip.
The suction source supplies suction to the main flow passage and to
the interior of the tube. A vent opening for regulating the degree
of suction in the tube is provided; however, unlike vent openings
of conventional suction instruments, the vent opening does not
communicate directly with the main flow passage. A branch passage
having, in cross-section, a kidney shaped configuration extends
from the vent opening through the body to communicate with the main
flow passage at a location upstream of the vent opening with
respect to the direction of flow of fluid through the main flow
passage and, during use of the instrument, is disposed vertically
above the main flow passage. Further, in contrast to conventional
suction instruments whose vent opening is designed or shaped so as
to be completely closed when touched by the surgeon's finger, the
vent opening of the present instrument is a relatively long and
narrow slot which enables the surgeon to regulate the degree of
suction by pushing his finger longitudinally along the slot from
one end toward the other.
The fact that the vent opening is offset in an upstream direction
from the location at which its branch passage communicates with the
main flow passage means that in order for blood to reach the vent
opening, the blood must flow in the direction opposite to that
which it is urged by the suction. Further, the elongated vent
opening enables the surgeon to apply an adequate amount of suction
without completely closing the vent opening so that a flow of air
through the branch passage in a direction from the vent opening
toward the main passage can be present at all times to resist the
flow of blood from the main passage to the vent opening. By
preventing blood from reaching the vent opening, the possibility of
electric shock or burn at the finger covering the vent opening is
substantially eliminated.
Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent by
reference to the following specification and to the drawings.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combined
electrocoagulator-suction instrument embodying the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the instrument of FIG. 1 with
certain parts broken away and shown in section; and
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
The instrument of the present invention includes an elongate body
designated generally 10 which preferably is molded or otherwise
formed from a relatively inexpensive electrically non-conductive
material. As is usually the case with instruments of this type, the
instrument is designed to be disposed of after a single usage and
by molding the body from a relatively inexpensive thermoplastic
material production costs well within a "throw-away" category are
achieved. A projecting nipple 12 is integrally formed at the
rearward end of body 10 and a main flow passage 14 extends through
the nipple for the entire length of the body. Nipple 12 is employed
to connect passage 14 to a flexible tube 16 whose opposite end is
connected to a conventional suction source, not shown. As best seen
in FIG. 2, the forward or left hand end 18 of main passage 14 is of
reduced diameter and separated from a branch passage 20 which
places main passage 14 in communication with an elongate vent
opening 22 which opens at the exterior of body 10. The branch
passage 20 is located vertically above the main flow passage 14
whereby, during use of the instrument, material contained within
the body 10 will flow into the left hand end 18 before it will flow
into branch passage 20.
A second passage 24 extends through body 10 from end to end and is
dimensioned to receive an electric power cable 26 which is
connected to the electrical power supply employed in the
coagulation operation. Insulation is stripped from the end of cable
26 as at 28 and the bared end of the cable is bent back to extend
rearwardly into the forward end of main passage section 18. A
hollow metal tube 30 is inserted into the front end of main passage
section 18, the tube being dimensioned to snugly fit into passage
18 with the exterior wall of the tube clamping the bared end 28 of
power cable 26 between the tube wall and the wall of passage
section 18 to mechanically seat tube 30 in body 10 and to establish
electrical contact between tube 30 and the electric power source.
Referring to FIG. 1, it is seen that the entire exposed portion of
tube 30 is enclosed by a sheath of electrically non-conductive
material 32 with the exception of a relatively short section at the
extreme tip of the projecting tube 30.
It will be noted that vent opening 22 takes the form of what might
be best described as a narrow elongate slot which is elongated
longitudinally of body 10. When suction is supplied to tube 16,
with vent opening 22 uncovered, the suction is substantially all
vented through opening 22 and little, if any, suction is supplied
to the interior of tube 30. When it is desired to suck blood or
other body fluids into tube 30, the surgeon places his finger over
the righthand or rearward end of opening 22 and slides his finger
forward along the opening until the desired degree of suction is
achieved. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that fluid flowing
through the instrument passes from left to right as viewed in FIG.
2 and that opening 22 is thus offset in an upstream direction from
the location at which branch passage 20 opens into main passage 14.
Thus, in order for any blood to flow through branch passage 20
toward vent opening 22, the blood must flow in a direction opposite
to the direction of flow induced by the suction applied at tube 16.
Further, by leaving a portion of vent opening 22 uncovered, the
surgeon can assure a flow of air through passage 20 from left to
right as viewed in FIG. 2, thus further inhibiting the flow of
blood in passage 20. Thus, suction can be applied at the same time
current is flowing through tube 30 without risking electrical shock
or burn to the portion of the finger exposed over opening 22.
An instrument constructed with the following dimensions has been
found to be particularly suitable for use in accordance with the
invention hereof:
Length of Body 10 4.5" Longitudinal Length of vent opening 22 3/8"
Location of right end 23/4" from right end of body 10 of branch
passage 20 (as viewed in FIG. 2) Cross-sectional kidney or
quarter-moon shaped configuration of with rounded corners, the
outer branch passage 20 circular segment has a radius of 1/8", the
thickness of the wall separating branch passage 20 and passage
section 18 is at least 3/10". Location of upstream 1" from the left
end as viewed end of vent opening 22 in FIG. 2 of the body 10
Diameter of passage 1/8" section 18
While one embodiment of the invention has been described in detail,
it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed
embodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is
to be considered exemplary rather than limiting, and the true scope
of the invention is that defined in the following claims.
* * * * *