Surgical Light

Abstract

A surgical light of a type adapted to be worn on the head of a user, including a harness element, a fiber optic light carrier element, and a light projecting element carried by said harness element, said harness element having frictional retaining means thereon engaging said light carrier element at a plurality of points therealong, said light projecting element forming a socket, a free end of said light carrier element being maintained in tensionless condition within said socket in the absence of other retaining means, whereby said light carrier element may be conveniently detached for use with other equipment, or for purposes of sterilization.

Description

This invention relates generally to the field of surgical or medical lights of the type adapted to be worn upon the head of a user, and particularly suited for use in the operating room.

Lights of this type present a number of design problems which are not normally present in the construction of head-supported lights used for other purposes. Surgical lights must be usable in the presence of inflammable or explosive anesthesia gases, and must be so constructed as to render all of the components thereof conveniently sterilizable. During the time the lamp is used, owing to the necessity of the surgeon maintaining himself in a sterile condition, he cannot normally adjust the lamp from an existing setting. Where the light emanates from a source other than the vicinity adjacent the head of the wearer, there is present a power conducting or light conducting cord which can be easily tangled to interfere with the motions of the user. Recent constructions of this type have utilized a fiber optic light conducting cable which passes over the head of the wearer, so that a free end may communicate with a light projecting element. The high cost of manufacture of this cable has made it desirable that the same be readily detachable for use with other equipment, and with a minimum of wear and/or damage to the same during assembly and disassembly.

It is therefore among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved form of surgical head light having a minimum number of operative parts, all of which may be conveniently disassembled for convenience in rendering the same sterile.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved light of the class described in which the fiber optic light transmitting cable is devoid of bushings or other fittings which must be mechanically coupled to other parts of the device.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved surgical head lamp in which the light conductive cable element thereof is frictionally retained in position at a plurality of points along its length, so that the end thereof communicating with the light projecting element may be seated within a socket in the latter in the absence of any tension, so that the same will remain in operative position without resort to any mechanical interconnecting structure.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved surgical lamp which will remain in relatively cool condition during use, with a minimum of discomfort to the wearer, owing to relatively light weight of the entire device.

These objects, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view corresponding to the right-hand portion of FIG. 2, and showing the interconnection of the fiber optic light conducting element with a light projecting element.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse sectional view as seen from the plane 4--4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view as seen from the curved plane 5--5 in FIG. 1.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character 10, comprises broadly: a harness element 11, a fiber optic light carrier element 12, ball joint socket means 13, a light projecting element 14, and first and second carrier element supporting means 15 and 16, respectively.

The harness element 11 is preferably formed from synthetic resinous materials capable of withstanding gas sterilization methods known in the art. It includes an annular band member 17 generally horizontally disposed, an upper band member 18, and rear band members 19 and 20, the end portions 21 of which are each provided with elongated openings 22, one side 23 of each having teeth 24 forming a rack. The end portions are disposed within a curved sleeve member 27 having a corresponding elongated opening (not shown) penetrated by a shaft 25 mounting a pinion 26 meshing with the teeth 24. An externally positioned knob 28 is rotatable to result in increasing or decreasing the effective periphery of the front and rear band members whereby adjustment to the size of the head of the wearer is accomplished.

The two-piece upper band 18 is provided with slots 30 in one piece engageable with a free end 31 in another piece 32. Surmounting the upper surface 33 is a first carrier supporting means 15. This means (best seen in FIG. 4 in the drawing) includes a first member 35 cemented to said surface 33, the upper surface 38 of the same being provided with synthetic resinous hooks which cooperate with the inner surface of a flexible pile member 39. The members 35 and 39 are of a type commercially sold under the trademark "Velcro" and are brought into operative connection by pressure exerted thereupon, whereby the hooks of one member engage the pile of the other, and conveniently separated by merely pulling the same apart.

The second light carrier element supporting means 16 is generally similar, and is secured to an outer surface 46 of the sleeve member 27. A pile member 47 cooperates with a hook member 50 in similar manner.

The fiber optic light carrier element 12 is of a type known in the art, including a main body 51 and a rubber sheath 52 surrounding the same. A first end (not shown) connects with a light source, and first and second curved portions 54 and 55, respectively lead to a bend portion 56 adjacent a terminal 57. The end portion 48 of the sheath is shortened to form a shoulder 59 for positioning purposes with respect to the light projector element 14.

The ball joint socket means 13 is preferably of nonmetallic construction, and includes a nylon socket member 62, the base 63 of which is cemented with an epoxy adhesive to the band member 17. First and second arms 64 and 65, respectively, each form a recess 66 for reception of a ball member 67 for relative motion therebetween.

The ball member 67 is bounded by a spherical outer surface 68, and includes a through bore 69 of diameter corresponding to the light carrier element 12. A threaded counterbore 70 communicates with the bore 69, and provides means for mounting the light projecting element 14.

The element 14 includes a fixed barrel element 72 partially bounded by an outer surface 73 an end 74 of which is threaded for engagement within the counterbore 70. A nut portion 76 forms a shoulder on a surface 77 thereof. A centrally disposed bore 78 forms a shoulder 79 with a narrow counterbore 80 defining a light conducting passage.

Mounted on the fixed barrel element 72 is a movable barrel element 81 having a first bore 82 slidable over the surface 73, and a second bore 83 mounting a lens 84. Movement of the barrel element 81 with respect to the barrel element 72 provides a focusing function, and serves to vary the size of the projected spot image upon the object being viewed.

During assembly of the device, it is necessary only to disengage the first and second light carrier element supporting means 15 and 16, by separating the hook and pile components thereof. The light carrier element is then bent to the position shown on the drawing, and the free end thereof is inserted into the bore 78 in the fixed barrel element 72, and manually supported there while the means 15 and 16 are engaged about the outer surface of the element 12. When this has been accomplished, tension exerted on the rearward part of the element 12 will be absorbed by the means 15-16, and will not be transmitted to the free end. Movement of the head of the wearer, during use, will be transmitted by the second means 16 to the portion 85 of the element 12, but the element will otherwise remain undisturbed, with no tendency to dislodge the end of the same from the light projecting element 14.

When the device 10 has been doffed, and is to be disassembled, it is necessary only to release the means 15 and 16, following which the carrier element 12 may be completely removed for subsequent use or sterilization. Since there are no bushings or couplings on the element 12, and the only engagement thereof is a frictional with the outer covering thereof, the likelihood of damage to the same is materially reduced. Kinking of the element 12 is all but impossible, and the useful life of the element 12 is accordingly extended.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

Claims

I claim:

1. A surgical light of a type supported by the head of a wearer comprising: a harness element having a generally annular band member, and an upper band member having first and second ends interconnected with said annular band member; an elongated flexible fiber optic light carrier member having a tubular resilient covering thereon; a light projecting element, a synthetic resinous ball joint member secured to said light projecting element, a pair of synthetic resinous arms forming a first socket attached to an outer surface of said annular band member, extending radially thereof and frictionally engaging said ball joint member, said light projecting element having a cylindrical socket therein; a first light carrier retaining member positioned on said outer surface of said annular band member in spaced relationship to the point of attachment of said socket arms, a second light carrier retaining member positioned on an outer surface of the upper band member, said first and second retaining members surrounding said light carrier member, and frictionally engaging said resilient covering; whereby said light carrier member is maintained upon said harness element with an absence of tension upon a forward end thereof, said forward end being disposed within said last-mentioned socket.