NASAL TAMPON

• US 3,850,176 A
• Filed: 10/09/1973
• Issued: 11/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: George H. Gottschalk
• Original Assignee: George H. Gottschalk
• Inventors: Gottschalk, George H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaudet, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US05/404,267
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 128/325,348,129,344,349B,246,342 137/223 251/5,61.1 46/90
• US Class Current: 606/196
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12104 in an air passage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/2005 specially adapted for the nose cavity

Abstract

A self-retaining nasal tampon particularly designed to control nasal hemorrhaging, comprising, according to one embodiment, an elongated flexible tube open at one end and sealed at its opposite end, a hollow bulbous portion formed on the tube adjacent the open end thereof, such bulb preferably being molded integral with the tube, an inflatable member or sleeve surrounding and sealingly attached to the closed end of the tube, and which may also include a second inflatable member or sleeve sealingly attached to and surrounding an intermediate portion of the tube, passage means communicating the interior of the tube with such inflatable member or members to permit inflation thereof by fluid introduced into the tube, and sealing means positioned within the tube to permit facile inflation of each of the inflatable members or sleeves independently of each other to form respective inflated bags or balloons, and to retain such bags in their inflated position, and also to permit selective deflation of such inflated bags when desired, for removal of the device from the nasal passage, the bulb mounted adjacent the open end of the tube functioning to anchor the tube in position in the nasal passage without danger of the tube slipping into the throat and obstructing the airway.

Claims

1. A self-retaining nasal tampon comprising an elongated flexible tube open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a hollow self-sustaining bulb carried on said tube adjacent the open end portion thereof, and having a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of said tube, at least one inflatable member surrounding and sealingly attached to said tube remote from said bulb, said inflatable member being free to expand and form an inflated bag, passage means communicating the interior of said tube with said inflatable member to permit inflation thereof by fluid introduced into said tube and said inflatable member via passage means, said bulb being sufficiently rigid to be selfsustaining in the absence of internal pressure and thereby to prevent aspiration of the nasal tampon by a patient whether the inflatable member is inflated or deflated, and sealing means positioned in said tube adjacent said bulb, said sealing means having an inner portion in communication with said passage means and an outer portion located and arranged to permit communication between said inner portion and a source of fluid under pressure to permit inflation of said inflatable member, and to prevent deflation of said inflatable member after inflation thereof, a second inflatable member sealingly attached to said tube and disposed around said flexible tube intermediate the ends thereof and between said first mentioned inflatable member disposed around said closed end of said tube, and said bulb, said second inflatable member being free to expand and form an inflatable bag around the intermediate portion of said tube, said inflatable members being independently inflatable, second passage means communicating the interior of said tube and said second inflatable member to permit inflation thereof by fluid introduced into said second inflatable member, second sealing means positioned within said tube and spaced from said first mentioned sealing means, said second sealing means having an inner face in communication with said second passage means and an exterior face located and arranged to permit communication between said last mentioned inner face and a source of fluid under pressure, to permit inflation of said second inflatable member, and to prevent deflation of said second inflatable member upon inflation thereof.

2. A self-retaining nasal tampon as defined in claim 1, said second sealing means being positioned in the open end portion of said tube adjacent said bulb and said first mentioned sealing means being positioned in an intermediate portion of said tube on the opposite side of said bulb from said second sealing means.

3. A self-retaining nasal tampon as defined in claim 2, said tube being monoaxial, each of said sealing means being positioned within said single axial passage of said tube, said bulb being molded on said tube.

4. A self-retaining nasal tampon as defined in claim 1, said first mentioned sealing means and said second sealing means being spaced axially from each other along said axial passage of said tube, said sealing means each being capable of being selectively punctured by a needle without removal of said needle from said tube.

5. A self-retaining tampon as defined in claim 2, including an insert disposed in said tube adjacent the open end thereof and passing through said bulb, said insert being hollow and communicating at its inner end with said first mentioned passage means and said first inflatable member, said insert including channel means in the wall of said insert communicating with said second passage means and said second inflatable member, said sealing means each comprising a soft rubber plug, one of said plugs positioned in one end of said hollow insert adjacent said open end of said tube and the other of said plugs positioned in the opposite end of said insert, said channel means in said sleeve being disposed between said plugs.

6. A self-retaining nasal tampon comprising an elongated flexible tube open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a hollow self-sustaining bulb molded on said tube integral therewith, adjacent the open end thereof, providing a short end portion of said tube between said bulb and the open end of said tube, said bulb having a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of said tube, a pair of independently inflatable members surrounding and sealingly attached to said tube, each said inflatable member being free to expand and form an inflated bag around said tube, a first one of said inflatable members being disposed adjacent and around said closed end of said flexible tube, and a second one of said inflatable members being disposed around said flexible tube intermediate the ends thereof and between said first inflatable member and said bulb, passage means communicating the interior of said tube with each of said inflatable members to permit selective inflation of said respective members by fluid introduced into said tube and said respective members via said passage means, and a pair of sealing means positioned within said tube, said sealing means being respectively located to permit inflation of each of said inflatable members independently, and to prevent deflation of said inflatable members after inflation thereof, said sealing means each comprising a soft rubber plug, said plug being capable of being punctured and being resealable, a first one of said plugs positioned in said tube to seal the portion of said tube between said closed end of said tube and said first plug, said sealed portion of said tube communicating with said first inflatable member via a first one of said passage means, and a second one of said plugs positioned in said tube and spaced from said first plug, said second plug disposed between said first plug and said open end of said tube and forming another sealed space in said tube between said first and second plugs, said last-mentioned sealed space communicating with said second inflatable member via a second one of said passage means.

7. A self-retaining nasal tampon as defined in claim 6, including a sleeve open at both ends and positioned in the inner end portion of said tube adjacent said open end thereof, said first and second plugs positioned in said sleeve, said sleeve including a third passage means, said third passage means registering with said second passage Means in said tube.

8. A self-retaining nasal tampon comprising an elongated flexible tube open at one end and closed at its opposite end, a portion of said tube, adjacent its open end, being enlarged in diameter to define a hollow self-sustaining bulb having a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of said tube, at least one inflatable member surrounding and sealingly attached to said tube remote from said bulb, said inflatable member being free to expand and form an inflated bag, passage means communicating the interior of said tube with said inflatable member to permit inflation thereof by fluid introduced into said tube and said inflatable member via said passage means, said bulb being sufficiently rigid to be self-sustaining in the absence of internal pressure and thereby to prevent aspiration of the nasal tampon by a patient whether the inflatable member is inflated or deflated, and normally closed valve means positioned in said tube adjacent said bulb, said valve means having an inner port in communication with said passage means and a movable valve portion located and arranged to be engaged by a tubular member connected to a source of fluid under pressure to be moved to valve open position thereby to admit fluid under pressure to the interior of said tube for inflation of said inflatable member, and to move to closed position when said tubular member is withdrawn to prevent deflation of said inflatable member after inflation thereof.

9. A nasal tampon as defined in claim 8 wherein said movable valve member comprises a body of elastomeric material normally engaging a valve seat but being distortable away from said valve seat by said tubular member.

10. A nasal tampon as defined in claim 8 wherein said bulb defines an inwardly open bulbous chamber communicating with the interior of said flexible tube.

11. A nasal tampon as defined in claim 8 in which the inflatable member is positioned to stop nose bleeds by compressing the sphenopalatine artery where it enters the nasal cavity and before it forms any branches.