U.S. patent number 3,882,866 [Application Number 05/381,063] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-13 for enema syringe.
Invention is credited to Eli A. Zackheim.
United States Patent |
3,882,866 |
Zackheim |
May 13, 1975 |
ENEMA SYRINGE
Abstract
A disposable enema catheter is provided which has an open end
barrel and canula combination with a movable plug closing the
barrel opening. The canula is enclosed in a cover and the cover
protects a lubricant at least coated on the outer surface of the
canula. The cover is removable and acts as a plunger to move the
plug against an enema solution contained in the barrel so that the
solution is expelled through a central bore in the canula.
Inventors: |
Zackheim; Eli A. (Norwich,
CT) |
Family
ID: |
26848217 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/381,063 |
Filed: |
July 20, 1973 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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150988 |
Jun 8, 1971 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
604/193;
604/192 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
3/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
3/00 (20060101); A61m 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/235,232,234,260,261,218,239,227 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Yasko; J.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 150,988 filed June
8, 1971, now abandoned.
Claims
It is claimed:
1. A disposable catheter for use in flushing a body cavity
comprising:
1. a syringe barrel open at one end and a cannula fixed thereto at
the other end thereof;
2. said barrel adapted to have placed and contained therein a
flushing solution;
3. a through bore in said cannula communicating with said barrel
and the solution therein;
4. a movable plug positioned to close off the open end of the
barrel and having engageable means at one end thereof facing said
open end of the barrel;
5. a cannula cover mounted on said cannula, said cover having an
innercross section along its entire length which is greater than
the cross section of the cannula to define a discreet annular space
between the cover and the cannula along its entire length, and an
inner plug formed in one end of said cover and inserted in said
through bore of said cannula when the cover is positioned thereon
for sealing said bore;
6. a lubricant contained in said cover and surrounding and coating
the outer surface portion of the cannula in the space between the
cannula and cover, said cover having first and second cooperating
means formed thereon, one of which is located in the end of said
cover remote from said inner plug and the other of which is located
on said cannula adjacent said barrel for removably securing the
cover to the cannula without disturbing the lubricant thereon;
and
7. means on the outer surface of said one end of said cover,
adjacent said inner plug, adapted to engage the engageable means of
said plug in siad barrel, whereby said cover may be removed from
said cannula exposing the lubricated portion thereof and said cover
may function as a plunger for the plug to expel the enema solution
through the cananula opening.
2. A disposable catherter as defined in claim 1, wherein the barrel
and the canula are integrally formed from an organic plastic
material.
3. A disposable catheter as defined in claim 1 and also including
finger grips on said barrel to facilitate movement of the plug
through the barrel.
4. A disposable catheter as defined in claim 1 including seal means
removably mounted over the open end of the barrel to seal the
barrel prior to use of the catheter.
5. A disposable catheter for use in flushing a body cavity
comprising, a hollow syringe barrel having an opening at one end
with an integrally formed elongated cannula at its opposite end,
said barrel being adapted to have placed and container therein a
flushing solution, and said cannula having a longitudinally
extending through bore formed therein providing communication
between the interior of the barrel and the exterior thereof to
permit discharge of said solution; a movable plug having engageable
means at one end thereof facing said one end of said barrel and
being positioned in said barrel in slidable relation thereto for
closing the opening at said one end thereof; and a cover removably
mounted on said cannula, said cover having an inner-cross section
along its entire length which is greater than the cross section of
the cannula to define a discreet annular space between the cover
and the cannula along its entire length, and an inner plug formed
in one end of said cover and snap fitted in the longitudinal bore
of said cannula when the cover is positioned thereon for sealing
said bore; a lubricant contained in said cover surrounding and
coating the outer surface portion of the cannula in the space
between the cannula and cover, said cover having engageable first
and second cooperating means formed thereon, one of which is
located in the end of said cover remote from said inner plug and
the other of which is located on said cannula adjacent said barrel
for removably securing the cover to the cannula without disturbing
the lubricant thereon; and means on the outer surface of said one
end of said cover, adjacent said inner plug, for engaging the
engageable means of said plug in said barrel when the cover is
removed from the cannula whereby the lubricated cannula is exposed
for use and the cover is adapted to function as a plunger for the
plug in said barrel to expel the solution through the longitudinal
bore in the cannula.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to disposable enema catheters and more
particularly to a catheter of the syringe type with a prelubricated
canula.
Heretofore, it has been a common practice to use a permanent type
of enema-containing solution bag and catheter for use with the
human body or with animals. Disposable enema devices have been
suggested by others. One type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,863,453,
issued Dec. 9, 1958, to Gewecke. The device shown in that patent
consists of a storage envelope for the enema solution, a tube
attached to the envelope and a nozzle inserted into a recess in the
envelope. The nozzle in the Gewecke disclosure may be
self-lubricating. A similar unit is shown in U.S. Pat. No.
2,784,716, issued Mar. 12, 1957, to Broman. Still another type of
disposable unit is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,847, issued Feb.
14, 1967, to Eaton. In the Eaton disclosure there is shown a
tube-like container into which the solution is placed and it is
expelled through a catheter tube by squeezing the flexible sides of
the container.
As far as it is presently known, the prior art disposable enema
units have all had the shortcoming of not providing simple and easy
means of expelling substantially all of the enema solution from the
container. In addition, they have not provided simple compact units
which are easily packaged for shipment while still providing a
lubricated insertion nozzle.
To overcome these objections of the prior art, it is an object of
the present invention to provide an inexpensive disposable enema
catheter with a prelubricated nozzle or canula portion which is
easily packed for shipment and readily available for use, while
permitting the user to have the advantage of obtaining all the
solution packaged with the unit.
To obtain this objective and others which will be apparent from the
drawings and the description herein, a disposable enema catheter is
provided which has a barrel and canula combination with a movable
plug closing the open end of the barrel. The canula portion is
enclosed in a cover which protects the lubricant coating at least
on the outer surface of the canula. When the unit is desired to be
used, the cover is removed from its protective location about the
canula and one end thereof is placed against the plug and acts as a
plunger to expel the contained solution from the barrel and through
a central bore in the canula permitting quick and easy use of the
unit and insuring that substantially all of the solution is
utilized.
Heretofore, in the hypodermic syringe art covers for needles have
been suggested which can also serve as plungers for the syringe
barrel. Typical syringes of this type may be found in U.S. Pat. No.
3,130,724 of Apr. 28, 1964 to Higgins et al., U.S. Pat. No.
2,735,430 of Feb. 21, 1956 to Huber, U.S. Pat. No. 2,661,740 of
Dec. 8, 1971 to Hickey, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,550,394 of April 24,
1951 to Young et al. However, as far as it is known, no one
heretofore has even considered a disposable enema syringe wherein
the cover on a canula protects a prelubricated area and also
functions as a plunger.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partially sectional longitudinal view of a disposable
enema catheter in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partially sectional longitudinal view of the disposable
enema catheter of the present invention with a cover removed from
the canula portion and placed in a position against the plug
whereby it acts as a plunger;
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view along lines 3--3 of FIG. 1;
and
FIG. 4 is a bottom view along line 4--4 of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings and to FIG. 1 in particular, an enema
syringe package 10 is shown. The package consists of a barrel
portion 12, open at one end, and with a canula 14 affixed to the
opposite end. Surrounding the canula is a cover 16. A plug 18 is
fitted into the open end of the barrel 12.
The barrel and canula may be readily molded as an integral unit
from a suitable organic plastic material such as polyethylene or
polypropolyene. The plug advantageously is in tight fitting
relation with the inner surface of the barrel and yet must be
movable through the barrle. Accordingly, a resilient rubber
material is suitable for this use.
To insure that the plug will not be disturbed during shipment, a
pressure sensitive seal 20 may be applied over the open end 21 of
the barrel. The seal 20 has the further function of insuring that
the contents of the syringe barrel have not been tampered with
prior to the time that it is desired to use it.
In order to protect the canula in a substantially sterile condition
as well as to fix it in place, a sealing tip 22 is provided on the
lower inner surface of the cover. The tip 22 engages shoulders 24
in the canula and the lower portion of the cover is thus held in
place. On the upper inner surface of the cover, protrusions 26 are
provided and these cooperate with protrusions 28 on the canula
providing engagement means for maintaining the upper portion of the
cover in position.
A suitable lubricant 30, such as petroleum jelly, which may be
filled in the cover 16 or merely applied as a coating to the outer
portion of the canula 14 is provided. The lubricant 30
advantageously coats at least a substantial portion of the outer
surface of the canula thus providing a prelubrication of the
canula.
On the closed end of a cover a series of flanges 32 are provided
which form an X-shaped opening 34. On the upper surface of the plug
18, upstanding flanges 36 are also provided and these flanges 36
mate and coact with the X opening 34. While the flanges 36 have
been shown as part of the plug 18, it is to be understood that they
may be separately molded or be part of a platform which overlies
the plug 18. Such modifications will be apparent to those skilled
in the art.
A pair of finger grips 38 are provided on the syringe barrel
adjacent to the opening 21.
To use the syringe package 10, the cover 16 is withdrawn from the
canula and the removed cover is fitted onto the flanges 36 by
inserting these flanges into the X-shaped opening 34.
At the upper end of the cover is a thumb plate 40.
After the prelubricated canula is inserted into the body, its
insertion being expedited by the lubricant 30, a solution 42 is
expelled from the barrel 12 by forcing the cover, now acting as a
plunger, against the plug 18. The solution moves from the barrel 12
and through a bore 44 in the canula. At the end of the bore 44 a
canula opening 46 is provided through which the solution finally
passes. It is into the opening 46 that the sealing tip 22 is
inserted when the cover is functioning as a protector for the
canula and a holder for the lubricant 30.
It is to be understood that for added safety, the finger plate 40
may be located on the cover 16 at a point below the canula
protrusions 28 and a tear strip provided at the upper end of the
cover. By having the projections 28 26 in tight-fitting relation,
it will be necessary to first sever the tear strip in order to
remove the cover 16. by this means, added protection is provided
against tampering with the packaged enema syringe further insuring
the saftey of the contents.
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