Surgical appliance

• US 3,983,878 A
• Filed: 11/27/1974
• Issued: 10/05/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Claude Edward Kawchitch
• Original Assignee: Claude Edward Kawchitch
• Inventors: Kawchitch, Claude Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Truluck, Dalton L.
• Application Number:
  US05/527,559
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 128/334 R, 128/334 C, 128/335, 128/337, 24/201 C
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/085 with adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/26 Slit closing means including guides on opposite edges of slit and slidable bridging component

Abstract

Appliance for sutureless closure of surgical incision comprises tape member and spring closure member. Tape member has adhesive on one side for fastening to skin of patient and pair of closely spaced longitudinal ribs on other side. Incision is made through tape member between ribs and spring member subsequently clasps ribs to provide sutureless closure. Spring member has straight side portions to grip ribs throughout substantial part of their length and is shaped so to contract laterally on axial compression to increase the grip.

Claims

1. A surgical appliance comprising an elongate flexible tape member and an elongate spring member;

said tape member having on one side an adhesive surface by which it can be adhered to the skin of a surgery patient and on the other side a pair of parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the tape member and defining between them a course along which to make an incision through the tape member and the skin beneath;

said spring member comprising two sets of aligned straight side portions interconnected by connecting portions such that the spring member is of generally channel shaped configuration with said sets of straight side portions defining the mouth of the channel;

said spring member being applicable to the tape member such that the ribs project into said channel shaped configuration of the channel member and are clasped between said sets of straight side portions; and

said connecting portions of the spring member being formed with tongues to fit between said ribs when the spring member is applied to the tape member so as to engage the ribs and restrain them against laterally inward movement relative to one another.

2. A surgical appliance comprising an elongate flexible tape member and an elongate spring member;

said tape member having on one side an adhesive surface by which it can be adhered to the skin of a surgery patient and on the other side a pair of parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the tape member and defining between them a course along which to make an incision through the tape member and the skin beneath;

said spring member comprising two sets of aligned straight side portions interconnected by connecting portions such that the spring member is of generally channel shaped configuration with said sets of straight side portions defining the mouth of the channel; and

said spring member being applicable to the tape member such that the ribs project into said channel shaped configuration of the spring member and are clasped between said sets of straight side portions, said ribs being shaped to define at their outer sides a pair of longitudinally extending and laterally outwardly facing channels for engagement with the two sets of straight side portions of the spring member when the spring member is applied to the tape member, said tape member including a flat base strip from a face of which the ribs project and the ribs have inner portions by which they are connected to the base strip and outer portions which project laterally outwardly from the inner portions such that said laterally outwardly facing channels are defined between the outer portions of the ribs and said face of the base strip, said straight side portions of the spring member and said outwardly facing channels of the tape member interengage with an interference fit, said connecting portions of the spring member engage the rims of the ribs when the spring member is applied to the tape member to provide gripping action on the ribs between said rib rims and the channels, and tongues formed in the connecting portions of the spring member to fit between said ribs and restrain them against laterally inward movement relative to one another when the spring member is applied to the tape member.

3. A surgical appliance comprising an elongate flexible tape member and an elongate spring member;

said tape member having on one side an adhesive surface by which it can be adhered to the skin of a surgery patient and on the other side a pair of parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the tape member and defining between them a course along which to make an incision through the tape member and the skin beneath;

said spring member comprising two sets of aligned straight side portions interconnected by connecting portions such that the spring member is of generally channel shaped configuration with sets of straight side portions defining the mouth of the channel;

said spring member being applicable to the tape member such that the ribs project into said channel shaped configuration of the spring member and are clasped between said sets of straight side portions; and

said tape member further including flap means to fold against the rims of the ribs and carrying tongue means to engage between the ribs and restrain them against laterally inward movement relative to one another when the spring member is applied to the tape member.

4. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein said flap means is a flap hingedly connected to one of said ribs to fold against the rims of the ribs and having a tongue to fit between the ribs so as to provide the restraining action.

5. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flap also includes an outer edge flange to engage the other of the ribs to restrain the ribs against lateral separation.

6. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein said flap means is a pair of flaps connected one to each of the ribs to fold against the rims of the ribs and each having a tongue to engage between the ribs.

7. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 3, wherein said connecting portions of the spring member engage the flap means with an interference fit when the spring member is applied to the tape member.

8. A surgical appliance comprising an elongate flexible member and an elongate spring member;

said tape member having on one side an adhesive surface by which it can be adhered to the skin of a surgery patient and on the other side a pair of parallel ribs extending longitudinally of the tape member and defining between them a course along which to make an incision through the tape member and the skin beneath;

said spring member comprising the sets of aligned straight side portions interconnected by connecting portions such that the spring member is of generally channel shaped configuration with said sets of straight side portions defining the mouth of the channel; and

said spring member being applicable to the tape member such that the ribs project into said channel shaped configuration of the spring member and are clasped between said sets of straight side portions, wherein the two sets of straight side portions of the spring member are staggered relative to one another in the longitudinal direction of the spring member and said connecting portions are successively oppositely inclined to the longitudinal direction of the spring member with each straight portion which is overlapped in the longitudinal direction by a pair of the straight portions of the other set being connected to the adjacent ends of that pair by two mutually oppositely inclined straight portions, whereby axial compression of the spring member causes the two sets of straight portions to move toward one another.

9. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connecting portions of the spring member are successively equally and oppositely inclined to the longitudinal direction of the spring member.

10. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spring member has two end portions disposed on a longitudinal central plane of the spring member such that the spring member can be axially compressed by tensioning a thread between those end portions.

11. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the straight side portions of each said set traverse a major proportion of the overall length of the set when the spring member is in its relaxed condition.

12. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 8, wherein the straight side portions of each set traverse at least 75% of the overall length of the set when the spring member is in its relaxed condition.

13. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 12, wherein said tape member comprises a flat base strip having said adhesive surface on one face thereof and said ribs project from the other face of the base strip;

said ribs have inner portions by which they are connected to the base strip and outer portions which project laterally outwardly from the inner portions such that a pair of longitudinally extending, laterally outwardly facing channels are defined at the outer sides of the ribs between the outer portions of the ribs and said other face of the base strip;

said straight side portions of the spring member are cylindrical and the roots of said laterally outwardly facing channels are cylindrically curved to suit.

14. A surgical appliance as claimed in claim 13, wherein said connecting portions of the spring member engage the rims of the ribs when the spring member is applied to the tape member to provide gripping action on the ribs between said rib rims and said laterally outwardly facing channels.