Anaesthesia set

• US 5,106,376 A
• Filed: 07/03/1990
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B Braun Melsungen AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: B Braun Melsungen AG (B. Braun Holding GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Haindl, Hans- G., Mononen, Pekka, Plantiko, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US07/548,125
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 604/27, 604/28, 604/36, 604/38, 604/43, 604/158, 604/164, 604/165, 604/170, 604/181, 604/239, 604/264, 604/272, 604/48, 604/49, 604/51, 128/748, 128/760
• US Class Current: 604/164.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3401 Puncturing needles for the peridural or subarachnoid space or the plexus, e.g. for anaesthesia local anaesthesia A61M19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 19/00 Local anaesthesia syringes therefor A61M5/00; Hypothermia A61M5/42 takes precedence; cooling blood in a bypass of the arterial system A61M1/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/06 Body-piercing guide needles or the like

Abstract

An anasesthesia set which includes a straight epidural cannula with a ground opening, a spinal cannula which is longer and thinner than the epidural cannula and which is insertable therein such that its front end projects from the epidural cannula, and a catheter adapted to be advanced through the epidural cannula. The tip of the epidural cannula is bent and the opening is directed sideward. A hole is formed in the outer wall of the bend of the tip. The hole is centered on the longitudinal central axis of the epidural cannula and is smaller than the outer diameter of an epidural catheter. The tip of the spinal cannula enters the spinal channel straightly, whereas the epidural catheter is deflected from the spinal channel and introduced into the epidural space. Without requiring any particular knowledge, spinal anaesthesia and epidural anaesthesia are performed in combination so that full use is made of the fast effect of the spinal anaesthesia and of the expansion of the area of the anaesthesia provided by the epidural analgesia. The duration of the analgesia is optionally extensible by subsequent injections.

Claims

1. An anaesthesia set comprising:

an epidural cannula defining a leading end, a first aperture, and a substantially longitudinal central axis,

a spinal cannula defining a front end and being adapted for insertion into the epidural cannula, the spinal cannula and the epidural cannula being mutually configured so that the front end of the spinal cannula projects beyond the leading end of the epidural cannula when the spinal cannula is inserted into the epidural cannula, and

an epidural catheter defining an outer diameter and being adapted for insertion into the epidural cannula,

the epidural cannula further defining a bent tip having an outer wall and a second aperture formed in the outer wall of the bent tip, the second aperture being coaxial with the longitudinal central axis of the epidural cannula and having a diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of the epidural catheter, whereby the second aperture serves as a passage for the spinal cannula.

2. The anaesthesia set of claim 1, wherein the second aperture is substantially oval in shape and wherein the second aperture defines a longitudinal axis extending substantially coaxial with the longitudinal central axis of the epidural cannula.

3. An anaesthesia set comprising:

an epidural cannula defining a leasing end, a first aperture, and a substantially longitudinal central axis,

a spinal cannula defining a front end and being adapted for insertion into the epidural cannula, the spinal cannula and the epidural cannula being mutually configured so that the front end of the spinal cannula projects beyond the leading end of the epidural cannula when the spinal cannula is inserted into the epidural cannula, and

an epidural catheter defining an outer diameter and being adapted for insertion into the epidural cannula,

the epidural cannula further defining a bent tip having an outer wall and a second aperture formed in the outer wall of the bet tip, the second aperture being coaxial with the longitudinal central axis of the epidural cannula and having a diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of the epidural catheter, wherein the epidural cannula defines an inner diameter and further comprising a coaxial guide ring mounted on the spinal cannula, the guide ring defining an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the epidural cannula.

4. The anaesthesia set of claim 3, wherein the guide ring comprises a circumferentially closed circularly cylindrical tube.

5. The anaesthesia set of claim 4, wherein the tube comprises a hose of plastic material substantially enclosing the spinal cannula and exposing a section of the spinal cannula adjacent the front end.

6. An anesthesia set for delivering anesthetic to a spinal channel and an epidural space, comprising:

an epidural cannula having a substantially longitudinal central axis,

a spinal cannula adapted for advancement through the epidural cannula,

an epidural catheter adapted for advancement through the epidural cannula,

the epidural cannula defining a bent tip having an outer wall, a first aperture and a second aperture, the second aperture being formed in the outer wall of the bent tip and being substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the epidural cannula,

the epidural cannula and the spinal cannula being mutually configured to enable the spinal cannula to be advanced through the second aperture,

the epidural cannula and the epidural catheter being mutually configured to prevent the epidural catheter from being advanced through the second aperture and to enable the epidural catheter to be advanced through the first aperture,

whereby the spinal cannula is advanced through the epidural cannula and the second aperture toward the spinal channel and whereby the epidural catheter is advanced through the epidural cannula and the first aperture toward the epidural space, whereby the second aperture serves as a passage for the spinal cannula.

7. An method of delivering anesthetic to a spinal channel and an epidural space, comprising:

providing an epidural cannula having a substantially longitudinal central axis, the epidural cannula defining a bent tip having an outer wall, a first aperture and a second aperture, the second aperture being formed in the outer wall of the bent tip and being substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the epidural cannula,

advancing the epidural cannula through skin and muscle tissue to the outside of the dura enclosing the spinal channel,

advancing a spinal cannula through the epidural cannula and the second aperture into the spinal channel,

delivering an analgetic through the spinal cannula into the spinal channel,

withdrawing the spinal cannula from the epidural cannula,

advancing an epidural catheter through the epidural cannula and the first aperture into the epidural space,

withdrawing the epidural cannula over the epidural catheter, and

administering anaesthesia through the epidural catheter to the epidural space.