Electro-cautery speculum

• US 5,135,526 A
• Filed: 04/22/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coopersurgical Incorporated (The Cooper Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zinnanti Surgical Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Zinnanti, William J., Zinnanti, Anthony Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/688,434
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 606/49, 606/127, 606/128, 606/159, 128/3, 604/902, 604/164, 604/171, 604/264
• US Class Current: 606/49
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/32 Devices for opening or enlarging the visual field, e.g. of a tube of the body dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2218/008 for smoke evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1475 Vagina

Abstract

Redundant wall retractor is tubular and is obturated for insertion. It has a duct which terminates in an opening at the top of the anterior end and terminates with a tube fitting at the bottom at the posterior end. It is made of dielectric synthetic polymer composition material, preferably transparent to retract tissues during loop electrode excision procedures with the duct positioned for withdrawing smoke.

Claims

1. An electro-cautery speculum comprising:

a tube, said tube having an anterior end and a posterior end, said tube also having a top and a substantially opposite bottom;

a duct mounted on said tube, said duct having an inlet opening on the interior of said tube at the top thereof adjacent said anterior end and having an outlet adjacent the posterior end of said tube at the bottom thereof; and

a removable obturator at the anterior end of said tube, said removable obturator being removable through said tube and at said posterior end of said tube.

2. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 1 wherein said speculum is made of dielectric material.

3. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 2 wherein said material is transparent synthetic polymer composition material.

4. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 1 wherein the anterior end of said speculum and said obturator combine to make a substantially hemispherical anterior surface on said speculum to aid in insertion.

5. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 4 wherein said speculum has flanges thereon, said flanges having surfaces substantially parallel to the length of said speculum between said anterior and posterior ends, said obturator being engaged against said flanges when in place.

6. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 5 wherein said obturator has a stem thereon, said stem being sized so that when said obturator is in obturating position, said stem extends sufficiently toward said posterior end of said speculum to be graspable for withdrawal from between said flanges and out through said posterior end.

7. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 6 wherein said speculum is made of dielectric material.

8. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 7 wherein said material is transparent synthetic polymer composition material.

9. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 1 wherein said duct is formed as part of said speculum.

10. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said speculum is formed of inner and outer tubes, said inner and outer tubes having walls therein which define said duct.

11. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 10 wherein said duct includes a duct ring extending at least a portion of the way around the posterior end of said speculum.

12. An electro-cautery speculum comprising:

an inner tube, said inner tube having a posterior end and an anterior end, said inner tube having an opening therethrough from said posterior end to said anterior end, said inner tube having an axis extending from end to end and having a top side and a bottom side;

walls at least partially in said inner tube defining a duct extending from adjacent said top at said anterior end to adjacent said bottom at said posterior end; and

an obturator positioned within said anterior opening and removable through said inner tube out of said posterior end so that said speculum can be positioned with its obturator in place and the obturator can thereupon be removed for electro-cautery procedures.

13. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 12 wherein said speculum is made of dielectric materials.

14. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 13 wherein said speculum is made of dielectric clear thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material for single use.

15. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 12 further including an outer tube, said outer tube engaging said inner tube where said walls define said duct to close said duct walls to form said duct.

16. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 15 wherein said walls include an annular duct at said posterior end of said speculum, said annular duct being in communication with said duct opening adjacent said anterior end of said speculum.

17. The electro-cautery speculum of claim 16 further including a tube fitting attached to said annular duct so that vacuum can be drawn on said tube fitting and on said duct to withdraw gas from said anterior end of said speculum.

18. The method of forming and using an electro-cautery speculum comprising the steps of:

forming a tubular speculum of dielectric transparent material with a smoke duct extending from its anterior to its posterior end;

inserting the speculum with an obturator in place;

withdrawing the obturator through the speculum;

withdrawing gas from the upper anterior portion of the speculum out through the lower posterior portion of the speculum to aid in maintaining a clear visible field; and

performing electro-cautery adjacent the anterior end of the speculum.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the fabricating step comprises molding the speculum and the obturator of dielectric transparent thermoplastic synthetic polymer composition material.

20. The method of claim 19 further including inspecting through the transparent walls of the speculum.