Vacuum curet having an improved curetting opening

• US 4,311,140 A
• Filed: 06/04/1979
• Issued: 01/19/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Warner-Lambert Company (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Bridgman, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KRUTER, JEROME
• Application Number:
  US06/045,403
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 128/276, 128/304
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0291 for uterus A61B10/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320708 Curettes, e.g. hollow scraping instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320008 Scrapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/84 Drainage tubes; Aspiration tips for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/90; for surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32

Abstract

A vacuum curet having an improved curet tip opening. The curetting opening has a larger open cross section area than heretofore used and a novel shape. The shape includes (a) a central flat portion extending in a plane through the axis of the curet, (b) a cutting edge portion, at the distal end of said central portion, inclined slightly from a plane perpendicular to the axis of the curet toward the proximal end; and (c) a rounded non-cutting portion extending in a curved shape with a preferred radius from the near end of the central portion to the outside of the curet. Use in sampling tissue from the endometrium for diagnostic purpose.

Claims

1. A curet for use in sampling tissue from the uterus with an initial high vacuum, e.g. higher than 0.2 atm., comprising a tube of flexible material having a distal end portion adapted to be inserted into the uterus, and a proximal end portion adapted to be connected to a high vacuum source, and an intermediate shank;

said distal portion having at its tip region at least a pair of tip openings opposed to one another;

one of said tip openings being rounded when viewed from a side plane parallel to the curet longitudinal axis, and the other being a macerator, said macerator opening being closer to the tip than the round one, and having an open cross section area of the lumen approximately 8 to 12 times the outside diameter of said curet in the distal portion;

said macerator open cross section area further comprising three portions;

a large central portion extending in a plane substantially parallel to and through the axis of the curet and having a length along the axis of approximately 10 to 12 mm, a cutting edge portion beginning at the distal end of said central portion and inclined slightly from a plane perpendicular to the axis of the curet toward the proximal end; and

a rounded smooth portion beginning in said plane substantially through the axis of the curet and extending to the outer wall away from said plane in a half-round shape with a radius which is approximately one-and-one-half times the outside diameter of the curet, and said curet wall thickness in the region of said opening being approximately 0.025 inches to 0.04 inches.

2. A curet according to claim 1 having an outside diameter of approximately 4 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 32 mm².

3. A curet according to claim 1 having an outside diameter of approximately 3 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 25 mm².

4. A curet according to claim 1 having an outside diameter of approximately 5 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 45 mm².

5. A curet according to claim 1 having an outside diameter of approximately 6 mm said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 72 mm².

6. A curet according to claim 1 wherein said curet is transparent at least in its shank region.

7. A curet according to claim 1, wherein said curet is a single piece of molded plastic.

8. A curet for use in sampling tissue from the uterus with an initial high vacuum, e.g., higher than 0.2 atm., comprising a tube of flexible material having a distal end portion adapted to be inserted into the uterus, and a proximal end portion adapted to be connected to a high vacuum source, and an intermediate shank;

said distal portion having at its tip region at least a pair of tip openings opposed to one another;

one of said tip openings being rounded when viewed from a side plane parallel to the curet longitudinal axis, and the other being a macerator, said macerator opening being closer to the tip than the round one, and having a cross section area approximately 11 to 18 times the diameter of the lumen, i.e., the inside diameter of said curet in the distal portion;

said macerator opening further comprising three portions;

a large central portion extending in a plane substantially parallel to and through the axis of the curet, a cutting edge portion beginning at the distal end of said central portion and inclined slightly from a plane perpendicular to the axis of the curet toward the proximal end; and

a rounded smooth portion beginning in said plane substantially through the axis of the curet and extending to the outer wall away from said plane in a half-round shape with a radius which is approximately one-and-one-half times the outside diameter of the curet.

9. A curet according to claim 8 wherein said curet is transparent at least in its shank.

10. A curet according to claim 8, wherein said flexible material is a single piece of molded plastic.

11. A curet according to claim 8 having an outside diameter of approximately 4 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 32 mm².

12. A curet according to claim 8 having an outside diameter of approximately 3 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 25 mm².

13. A curet according to claim 8 having an outside diameter of approximately 5 mm, said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 45 mm².

14. A curet according to claim 8 having an outside diameter of approximately 6 mm said macerator having its cutting edge towards said tip, and an open cross-section of approximately 72 mm².