Applicator for insertion into a body opening for medical purposes
First Claim
1. An applicator for insertion into a body opening for medical treatment or for diagnostic purposes, characterized in that said applicator includes:
- an elongated jacket having a proximal open end and a distal closed end for insertion into the body opening;
a disposable sleeve of elastomeric material also having a proximal open end and a closed distal end received on said jacket; and
a balloon of elastomeric material integrally formed with and joined to said disposable sleeve at one side of said sleeve and jacket, said balloon occupying only the distal end of said disposable sleeve and being inflatable by a fluid to press the opposite side of the jacket and sleeve facing away from the balloon laterally against the tissue of the body opening, thereby to fix the position of the jacket within the body opening and to conform the pressed body tissue to the shape of said opposite side of the jacket and sleeve.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An applicator for insertion into a body opening for medical treatment or for diagnostic purposes comprises an elongated jacket for insertion into the body opening, a disposable sleeve received on the jacket, and a balloon integrally formed on the disposable sleeve at one side of the jacket. The balloon is inflatable by a fluid to press the opposite side of the jacket and sleeve laterally against the tissue of the body opening, thereby to fix the position of the jacket within the body opening and to conform the pressed body tissue to the shape of the opposite side of the jacket. The applicator further includes a microwave antenna disposed within the jacket, the jacket further including cooling ducts adjacent its outer surface for circulating a cooling fluid therethrough in order to prevent undue heating of the body tissue in direct contact with the jacket.
315 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An applicator for insertion into a body opening for medical treatment or for diagnostic purposes, characterized in that said applicator includes:
- an elongated jacket having a proximal open end and a distal closed end for insertion into the body opening;
a disposable sleeve of elastomeric material also having a proximal open end and a closed distal end received on said jacket; and
a balloon of elastomeric material integrally formed with and joined to said disposable sleeve at one side of said sleeve and jacket, said balloon occupying only the distal end of said disposable sleeve and being inflatable by a fluid to press the opposite side of the jacket and sleeve facing away from the balloon laterally against the tissue of the body opening, thereby to fix the position of the jacket within the body opening and to conform the pressed body tissue to the shape of said opposite side of the jacket and sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- an elongated jacket having a proximal open end and a distal closed end for insertion into the body opening;
- 9. A disposable flexible sleeve of a size for receiving an applicator to be inserted into a body opening for medical treatment or for diagnostic purposes, characterized in that said sleeve is of an inflatable elastomeric material closed at one end and open at the opposite end, and has a balloon integrally formed with and joined to said sleeve at one side thereof, said balloon occupying only the closed end of said disposable sleeve, a tubelet extending externally of the sleeve and connected to said balloon to inflate the balloon and thereby to cause the balloon to press the opposite side of the sleeve and the corresponding side of the applicator, when received therein, laterally against the tissue of the body opening, thereby to fix the position of the applicator within the body opening and to conform the pressed body tissue to the shape of said opposite side of the sleeve and applicator therein.
Specification