Depth controller for epidural needle

• US 20010047151A1
• Filed: 02/01/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deye Wei, Yongming Xian
• Original Assignee: Deye Wei, Yongming Xian
• Inventors: Xian, Yongming, Wei, Deye
• Application Number:
  US09/773,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20010047151A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3401 Puncturing needles for the peridural or subarachnoid space or the plexus, e.g. for anaesthesia local anaesthesia A61M19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/034 abutting on parts of the device itself
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/46 having means for controlling depth of insertion

Abstract

A method for holding an epidural needle together with a syringe and controlling the depth and advancement of penetration of the epidural needle during the epidural needle insertion into the human epidural space through the multiple layers of the tissues with the apparatus of the invention.

An apparatus for holding an epidural needle together with a syringe and controlling the depth and the advancement of penetration of the epidural needle during the epidural needle insertion into the human epidural space through the multiple layers of the human tissues with the epidural needle held in a slot of an epidural needle holder which is a plate connected to a sliding plate with an angle, and with the epidural needle'"'"'s wing and the attached syringe to slide and advance on the said sliding plate, on which there is a screw with a screw nut, which can move forwards and backwards to stop further advancement of the epidural needle together with the syringe by blocking the wing of the epidural needle together with the epidural needle and the attached syringe to slide and advance further over the said sliding plate. The said screw nut can be turned and driven half to one millimeter further toward the patient to allow the epidural needle to advance half to one millimeter deeper in each attempt until entering the human epidural space with multiple attempts, which is identified and confirmed with the lose of resistance technique. A scale in centimeter marked on each side of the said sliding plate indicates directly how many centimeters deep the tip of the said epidural needle has been inserted from the skin.

Claims

1. An apparatus for holding an epidural needle together with a syringe and controlling the depth and the advancement of penetration of the epidural needle during insertion of the epidural needle into the human epidural space, comprising:

a. a plate-like epidural needle holder with a needle slot in its middle for holding the epidural needle in the said slot in the midline of the said epidural needle holder and for supporting the said apparatus on the back of the patient.

b. a needle slot, which is a little wider than the diameter of the epidural needle, in the middle of the said epidural needle holder for holding the epidural needle in the midline of the said epidural needle holder.

c. a sliding plate, which forms an angle with the said epidural needle holder, for supporting the wing of the epidural needle, the syringe, two supporters of a screw and two syringe holding walls.

d. two syringe holding walls on the rear part of the said sliding plate for keeping the syringe from moving from side to side.

e. a screw with two supporters on the side of the said sliding plate for controlling the depth and the advancement of the epidural needle with a screw nut to block the wing of the epidural needle to advance forwards over the said sliding plate.

f. a front finger hold below the front part of the said sliding plate for the index finger to hold the said apparatus easily.

g. a rear finger hold below the rear part of the said sliding plate for another index finger to hold the said apparatus easily.

h. an elastic band connected between two holes in the lower end of the said front finger hold and the front end of the said sliding plate, respectively, for the index finger to hold tightly and easily the front finger hold.

i. a scale in centimeter marked on each side of the said sliding plate for indicating directly how many centimeters deep the tip of the epidural needle has been inserted from the skin.

2. A method for holding an epidural needle together with a syringe and controlling the depth and the advancement of penetration of the epidural needle during insertion of the epidural needle into the human epidural space, comprising the following steps:

a. inserting an epidural needle into the interspinous ligament between two spinous processes of the human vertebrae through the skin, subcutaneous tissue and supraspinous ligament as the regular way after the preparation, drape and application of the local anesthetic with the sterile technique.

b. removing the stylet from the epidural needle and connecting a syringe filled with some air or saline to the epidural needle.

c. holding the said apparatus with the index finger over the said front finger hold with the said elastic band.

d. placing the said apparatus under the epidural needle and syringe with the said epidural needle holder and the index finger supported on the patient'"'"'s back with the epidural needle in the said needle slot of the said epidural needle holder and with the syringe over the said sliding slot of the said sliding plate and between two said syringe holding walls, and the wing of the epidural needle on the said sliding plate.

e. turning and driving the said screw nut half to one millimeter in front of the wing of the epidural needle and offering half to one millimeter of space for the wing of the epidural needle together with the epidural needle and the syringe to advance further and deeper.

f. advancing the epidural needle further and deeper until the said screw nut blocks the wing of the epidural needle to advance further.

g. using the lose of resistance technique to identify and confirmn the tip of the epidural needle in the epidural space.

h. repeating the steps of e, f and g until the tip of the epidural needle in the epidural space is identified and confirmed with the lose of resistance technique.

i. placing an epidural catheter or administering a drug into the epidural space through the epidural needle as the regular way.