DISPOSABLE DUAL TIPPED EAR CURETTE INCORPORATING DEPTH MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

• US 20130190647A1
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deepak Pahuja
• Original Assignee: Aerolib Healthcare Solutions
• Inventors: Bookhamer, Ryan Scott, Pahuja, Deepak
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320708 Curettes, e.g. hollow scraping instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/006 Ear cleaners, e.g. curettes cotton tips A61F13/38; cleaning by suction A61M1/71, by irrigation A61M3/02

Abstract

A disposable dual ended ear curette incorporates specialized tip configurations and a depth measurement system. The ear curette may comprise a central handle portion; a first tip extending from one end of the handle portion and including an annular array of projections; and a second tip extending from an opposed end of the handle portion and including a blade member having a first lateral scraping edge on one edge of the blade member positioned adjacent a concave surface of the blade member, and a second lateral scraping edge on an opposed edge of the blade member. The ear curette may further include a sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia on each tip, configured to provide an operator with a visual indication of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

Claims

1. An ear curette comprising:

a central handle portion;

a first tip extending from one end of the handle portion and including an annular array of projections; and

a second tip extending from an opposed end of the handle portion and including a blade member having a first lateral scraping edge on one edge of the blade member positioned adjacent a concave surface of the blade member, and a second lateral scraping edge on an opposed edge of the blade member.

2. The ear curette of claim 1 wherein the first tip includes a ring member extending along plane and wherein the annular array of projections extend from the ring member substantially perpendicular to the plane.

3. The ear curette of claim 2 wherein the annular array of projections extend from one side of the ring member, and wherein a side of ring member opposed from the annular array of projections includes an annular scraping edge.

5. The ear curette of claim 2 wherein the annular array of projections extend from one side of the ring member and wherein each projection is formed of one of i) an arc segment projection generally conforming to the radii of the portion of the ring member from which it extends, ii) a frusto-conical member, and iii) including a cross section extending in a general radial direction relative to the ring member.

8. The ear curette of claim 1 further including a sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia on each tip, configured to provide an operator with a visual indication of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

9. The ear curette of claim 8 wherein the sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia includes at least one of i) evenly spaced unit gradation indicia and evenly spaced subunit gradations between the unit gradation indicia, ii) a spectrum of colors that varies in accordance with the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear, and iii) alpha-numerical indicia indicative of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

11. The ear curette of claim 9 wherein the sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia includes the spectrum of colors and wherein the spectrum of colors includes the color red at substantially the deepest depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

13. The ear curette of claim 1 wherein the blade member is formed as an S shape in cross section extending between the two scraping edges.

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

14. An ear curette comprising a handle portion and a tip extending from one end of the handle portion and including one of i) an annular array of projections and ii) a blade member having a first lateral scraping edge on one edge of the blade member positioned adjacent a concave surface of the blade member, and a second lateral scraping edge on an opposed edge of the blade member wherein the blade member is formed as an S shape in cross section extending between the two scraping edges.

15. The ear curette of claim 14 wherein the tip includes the annular array of projections and a ring member extending along plane and wherein the annular array of projections extend from the ring member substantially perpendicular to the plane, wherein the annular array of projections extend from one side of the ring member and wherein each projection is formed of one of i) an arc segment projection generally conforming to the radii of the portion of the ring member from which it extends, ii) a frusto-conical member, and iii) including a cross section extending in a general radial direction relative to the ring member.

17. The ear curette of claim 15 wherein a side of ring member opposed from the annular array or projections includes an annular scraping edge.

21. The ear curette of claim 14 further including a sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia on each tip, configured to provide an operator with a visual indication of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear, wherein the spaced, visible measurement indicia includes at least one of i) evenly spaced unit gradation indicia and evenly spaced subunit gradations between the unit gradation indicia, ii) alpha-numerical indicia indicative of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear, and iii) a spectrum of colors that varies in accordance with the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

24. The ear curette of claim 21 wherein the spectrum of colors includes the color red at substantially the deepest depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

32. The ear curette of claim 14 wherein the tip includes the S shape blade member having a first lateral scraping edge on one edge of the blade member positioned adjacent a concave surface of the blade member, and a second lateral scraping edge on an opposed edge of the blade member.

33. The ear curette of claim 32 wherein the tip further includes a sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia on each tip, configured to provide an operator with a visual indication of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear wherein the spaced, visible measurement indicia includes at least one of i) evenly spaced unit gradation indicia and evenly spaced subunit gradations between the unit gradation indicia, ii) alpha-numerical indicia indicative of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear, and iii) a spectrum of colors that varies in accordance with the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

34. The ear curette of claim 33 further including a second tip extending from an opposed end of the handle portion and including an annular array of projections and wherein the second tip includes a ring member extending along plane and wherein the annular array of projections extend from the ring member substantially perpendicular to the plane.

16. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. An ear curette comprising a handle portion and at least one operative tip extending from one end of the handle portion and including a sequence of spaced, visible measurement indicia on each tip, configured to provide an operator with a visual indication of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear wherein the spaced, visible measurement indicia includes at least one of i) evenly spaced unit gradation indicia and evenly spaced subunit gradations between the unit gradation indicia, ii) alpha-numerical indicia indicative of the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear, and iii) a spectrum of colors that varies in accordance with the depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

27. The ear curette of claim 26 wherein the spectrum of colors includes the color red at substantially the deepest depth of operation of the associated tip in a patient'"'"'s ear.

28. The ear curette of claim 26 wherein the tip includes a ring member extending along plane and an annular array of projections extending from the ring member substantially perpendicular to the plane.

29. The ear curette of claim 26 wherein the tip includes a ring member extending along plane and an annular array of projections extending from the ring member substantially perpendicular to the plane and further including a second tip extending from an opposed end of the handle portion and including a blade member having a first lateral scraping edge on one edge of the blade member positioned adjacent a concave surface of the blade member, and a second lateral scraping edge on an opposed edge of the blade member, wherein the blade member is formed as an S shape in cross section extending between the two scraping edges.

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

35. (canceled)