CERVICAL DILATOR

• US 3,626,949 A
• Filed: 01/23/1969
• Issued: 12/14/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wallace B. Shute
• Original Assignee: Wallace B. Shute
• Inventors: Shute, Wallace B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pace, Channing L.
• Application Number:
  US04/793,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 128/344,349B,361 206/DIG.30
• US Class Current: 606/193
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 29/02 Dilators made of swellable material balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104

Abstract

A cervical dilator comprising a fluidtight bag formed from a flexible material and insertable in a collapsed state into the cervical canal, inlet means in said bag for periodically introducing fluid under pressure to alternately inflate said bag whereby the wall of said bag radially expands to directly contact the walls of said canal and to deflate said bag so as to cause dilatation of the cervix and simulate effects of labor contraction, a portion of the wall of said bag intermediate the ends thereof being adapted to be more resistant to radial expansion whereby to form on inflation of said bag a constricted waist portion which accommodates the edges of the cervix.

Claims

1. A cervical dilator comprising a flattenable, closed end, tubular fluidtight bag formed from a flexible plastic material and insertable in a collapsed state into the cervical canal, inlet and outlet means in said bag for allowing intermittent introduction of fluid under pressure to alternately inflate said bag such that the peripheral tubular sidewall of said bag radially expands to directly contact the walls of said canal and deflate said bag so as to cause dilatation of the cervix and simulate effects of labor contraction, a portion of the peripheral wall of said bag intermediate the ends thereof including relatively inextensible reinforcing means which extend circumferentially of the peripheral wall in radially restraining engagement therewith so as to cause said portion of said peripheral wall to be more resistant to radial expansion than the remainder of said peripheral wall whereby to form on inflation of said bag a constricted waist portion having substantially the same girth when said bag is inflated as when said bag is in said collapsed state and which locates and retains the edges of the cervix when said bag is inflated, the ends of said bag defining substantially the extremities of said dilator and being reinforced by being folded transversely and sealed to limit axial expansion of said bag during inflation.

2. The cervical dilator of claim 1 wherein the bag peripheral wall is formed from polyvinyl chloride and the relatively inextensible reinforcing means is a continuous textile thread imbedded in said portion of the peripheral wall.