Pelvic surgery drape

• US 20020078964A1
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: American Medical Systems Incorporated (Endo International PLC)
• Inventors: Kovac, S. Robert, Lund, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/850
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2046/205 Adhesive drapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2046/236 with means for collecting drain fluid, e.g. drain tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 42/20 Finger-stalls specially adapted for surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/30 for surgery through the lower body openings, e.g. urology, gynaecology

Abstract

A urological drape is provided defining a vaginal aperture and a finger cot for accessing the rectum of a patient without making contact therewith. The drape includes an adhesive backing for fixing the drape relative to the patient. Preferably, a pouch is provided which is constructed and arranged to catch any fluids which might be discharged from the vagina during an examination or surgical procedure.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

a sheet of flexible material having an aperture of a predetermined size through which a body orifice may be accessed with a probe;

an adhesive backing operably disposed on said sheet, proximate said aperture; and

,

a finger cot disposed on said sheet;

wherein said finger cot is sized to enable to access a second body orifice with the probe; and

,

said finger cot has a barrier layer between said probe and said second body orifice.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pouch disposed on said sheet and sized to receive fluids discharged from the orifice.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a stiffening member disposed on said pouch.

4. The device of claim 2 further comprising graduated markings disposed on said pouch according to a volumetric value of fluid retainable in said pouch.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein said pouch is integral with said sheet.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising an antimicrobial agent disposed on said sheet.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising an antimicrobial agent disposed in said adhesive backing.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said finger cot is constructed of a second material which is more flexible than said flexible material.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein said predetermined aperture size is between two and six inches in diameter.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein said predetermined aperture size is on the order of four inches in diameter.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said aperture is an oval.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said aperture is on the order of four inches long.

13. The device of claim 2 further comprising a drain port in fluid communication with said pouch, attachable to a tube through which fluid may exit said pouch.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising adhesive tabs, operably disposed on said sheet, displaced from said aperture.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein said adhesive tabs are located proximate lower corners of said sheet.

17. The drape of claim 16 further comprising a fluid pouch attached to said sheet.

18. The drape of claim 17 wherein said pouch is integral with said sheet.

19. The drape of claim 17 wherein said pouch comprises visual graduations according to a volumetric value representative of a quantity of fluid.

20. The drape of claim 17 wherein said pouch includes a stiffening member sized to hold said pouch away from said sheet surgeon side.

21. The drape of claim 16 further comprising at least one antimicrobial agent disposed on said sheet.

22. The drape of claim 16 further comprising at least one antimicrobial agent disposed in said adhesive backing.

23. The drape of claim 16 wherein said finger cot is constructed of a material which is more flexible than said sheet.

24. The drape of claim 16 wherein said finger cot is integral with said sheet.

25. The drape of claim 16 further comprising adhesive tabs, operably disposed on said patient side, displaced from said aperture.

26. The drape of claim 17 further comprising a drain port in fluid communication with said pouch, attachable to a tube through which fluid may exit said pouch.

29. A method as set forth in claim 28, wherein said second aperture is a finger cot.

30. A method as set forth in claim 29, wherein said barrier is a membrane which substantially forms said finger cot.

31. A method as set forth in claim 28, wherein said probe is not cleansed between the act of inserting in the vagina and the act of inserting in the rectum.

32. A method as set forth in claim 28, further including collecting fluid from said patient in said sheet of material.

33. A method as set forth in claim 32, further including discerning a volumetric quantity of fluid in said sheet of material from visual indicators on said sheet of material.

35. A method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said barrier is disposed on said layer of protection.

36. A method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said first body orifice is a patient'"'"'s vagina.

37. A method as set forth in claim 36, wherein said second body orifice is a patient'"'"'s rectum.

38. A method as set forth in claim 37, wherein said barrier is a finger cot.

39. A method as set forth in claim 34, wherein said probe is not cleansed between said examination of said first body orifice and examination of said second body orifice.

16. A medical drape for examining a patient'"'"'s vagina and rectum, comprising:

a flexible sheet having a patient side to be placed against the patient, and a surgeon side facing away from the patient;

an aperture of a predetermined size on said sheet sized to allow access to the vagina when said sheet is placed on the patient;

an adhesive backing on said patient side, proximate said aperture

a finger cot disposed on said sheet proximate said aperture, said cot sized to allow a probe to be placed in the rectum;

said cot having a physical barrier between the rectum and the finger.

27. A method of conducting a digital vaginal and digital rectal examination on a patient comprising:

placing a drape over a pelvic region of the patient, the drape including a vaginal aperture, a finger cot, and an adhesive backing;

positioning said drape such that said vaginal aperture is aligned with the patient'"'"'s vagina;

examining the patient'"'"'s vagina by placing a probe in the patient'"'"'s vagina;

removing the probe from the vagina;

placing the probe in said finger cot,

placing the probe, covered by said finger cot, in the patient'"'"'s rectum;

examining the patient'"'"'s rectum with said probe.

28. A method of examining the pelvic region of a patient comprising:

draping a sheet of material over said pelvic region of said patient;

inserting a probe into a vagina of said patient through an aperture in said sheet;

inserting said probe into a rectum of said patient through a second aperture in said sheet; and

,

providing a barrier between said probe and said rectum prior to inserting said probe into said rectum.

34. A method of examining the pelvic region of a patient comprising:

providing a layer of protection between said pelvic region of said patient and an examining clinician;

examining a first body orifice in said pelvic region through said layer of protection with a probe free from any barrier between said probe and said first body orifice; and

,

examining a second body orifice in said pelvic region with a probe having a barrier between said probe and said second body orifice.