Telescopic Speculum

Abstract

A telescoping speculum has a penetrating tube, a guide tube slidable therein, and a flexible sheath attached to said guide tube adjacent one end thereof and having an attaching member at the opposite end that extends around said penetrating tube. Said sheath is so attached to said two tubes that movement of said guide tube farther into said penetrating tube, causes said sheath along with the latter to penetrate and enlarge a passage in a person's body to thus prepare it for inspection and medication.

Description

The principal object of my invention is to provide a speculum that functions so smoothly that there is little trauma to a body's cavity walls as a passage in the latter is expanded.

Another object is to provide such a speculum that has three main parts that are simple and inexpensive and are easily assembled and disassembled, hence can serve as throw-away items.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my telescoping speculum showing the parts assembled, the dash lines indicating an attaching ring to which a sheath is attached.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing how my speculum in inserted position into a passage in a person's body.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of my speculum showing a penetrating tube and guide tube with a sheath attached to both, in an intermediate position of use.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a penetrating tube of my speculum having entered an orifice.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5; but showing the penetrating tube extending part way into a body passage.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6; but showing said penetrating tube at the completion of its movement into said body passage.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5; but showing my speculum withdrawn from the body passage, the dash lines indicating the position of the attaching member just before it was withdrawn, the sheath being shown broken away.

As illustrated, my telescoping speculum has a guide tube 10 that is shown long enough to provide a free end or handle portion 12 which, as shown, is of greater diameter than the adjoining body of said tube, whereby the inner end provides a stop member 14. A penetrating or outer tube 18 slidably receives said guide tube 10, other than said handle portion. Said guide tube is preferably longer than said tube 18 to thus provide said handle portion 12 as an integral part thereof.

A sheath 22 is flexible and somewhat elastic, being made of plastic or fabric, for instance. It fits over said guide tube 10, being attached thereto adjacent said stop portion 14, as at 24, and extending outwardly to the outer end of said tube 10 and beyond and then reverses its direction and goes over the outer end of said penetrating tube 18 until it reaches a point later described.

Said sheath 22 has an enlargement or attaching member 26, shown as a ring at its inner end, that extends around said tube 18, thus providing a stop member located at an intermediate portion of the latter; but forward of said attaching point 24. Thus the free end of said sheath terminates in said enlargement 26. One end of said sheath 22 is attached to said attaching member 26, so that the sheath extends from said guide tube 10 at point 24 for the remainder of the length of said tube, then continues by passing over the end of said penetrating tube 18 until it reaches said ring 26 to which it is attached. Said sheath has sufficient circumferential elongation to travel from tube 10 over said tube 18; but has approximately no axial elongation.

In use, said guide tube 10 is within said sheath 22 and the two extend into said penetrating tube 18. Said tubes are drawn outwardly and said sheath covered ring 26 is placed just outside an orifice 30 in a patient's body 32. Thus said covered ring 26 bears against the part of said body surrounding said orifice. Said guide tube handle portion 12 is grasped and said tube 10 is pushed in an inward direction. This moves or feeds said sheath 22 into the passage beyond said orifice, along with said penetrating tube, as illustrated in said FIG. 6. Said ring 26 remains in its original position against said body 32. As said sheath and penetrating tube penetrate into said passage, they dilate or enlarge it. Said sheath enables this movement to be done in such a gentle manner that there is little trauma to the cavity walls as there is approximately zero translation between said sheath and walls. The distance that said guide tube is moved is greater than that of said penetrating tube.

When penetration to the desired depth has been achieved and inspection completed or medication applied, said guide tube and penetrating tube are withdrawn, and since these parts are inexpensive they are disposable. If reuse is planned they can be separated and sterilized and prepared otherwise.

Claims

1. A telescopic speculum comprising a penetrating tube, a flexible sheath, and a guide tube slidable in said penetrating tube and extending into said sheath, the latter being attached to said guide tube, said sheath extending from the point of said attachment to the front end and then exteriorly of said penetrating tube and then extending in reverse over the end and rearwardly over the exterior of the latter, said sheath having an attaching member of greater circumference than, and extending around, said penetrating tube, said guide tube being of greater length than said penetrating tube and extending outwardly of said latter tube in all

2. A telescopic speculum as of claim 1, said guide tube having a handle portion at one end thereof extending radially outward beyond the point of attachment of said sheath thereto, said handle portion being of greater width than the portion thereof of said guide tube at the point where the

3. A telescopic speculum as of claim 2, said sheath commencing adjacent said stop member of said handle portion and terminating at said attaching member, the latter terminating at a point intermediate opposite ends of said penetrating tube when said guide tube extends into the latter the maximum distance possible.