Electrode carrying surgical drape and method

• US 6,102,044 A
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microtek Medical Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Medical Concepts Development
• Inventors: Naidyhorski, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US09/415,584
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 128/849-856
• US Class Current: 128/849
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/16 Indifferent or passive electrodes for grounding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes

Abstract

An electrode carrying surgical drape and method is provided. The drape includes a polymeric film having opposing surfaces and an electrode receiving aperture therethrough. An electrode is disposed in and through the electrode receiving aperture. Electrode receiving aperture patches sealingly affix portions of said electrode to each of the opposing surfaces of the polymeric film in the vicinity of the electrode receiving aperture so as to thereby form a reinforced laminate structure capable of maintaining the sterility of an established sterile field.

Claims

1. An electrode carrying surgical drape comprising,

(a) a polymeric film having opposing surfaces and an electrode receiving aperture therethrough;

(b) an electrode disposed in and through said electrode receiving aperture; and

,

(c) electrode receiving aperture patches sealingly affixing portions of said electrode to each of said opposing surfaces of said polymeric film in the vicinity of said electrode receiving aperture so as to thereby form a reinforced laminate structure capable of maintaining the sterility of an established sterile field.

2. The electrode carrying surgical drape of claim 1 wherein said electrode receiving aperture patches are substantially centered about said electrode receiving aperture.

3. The electrode carrying surgical drape of claim 1 wherein said electrode receiving aperture is a slit.

4. The electrode carrying surgical drape of claim 1 wherein said polymeric film is polyurethane.

5. The electrode carrying surgical drape of claim 1 wherein said electrode receiving aperture patches are polyethylene.

6. The electrode carrying surgical drape of claim 1 further including a layer of medical grade silicon adhesive interposed between each of said electrode receiving aperture patches and each of said opposing surfaces of said of said polymeric film.

7. A method of forming an electrode carrying surgical drape comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a polymeric film and an electrode;

(b) creating an electrode passage through said polymeric film;

(c) placing said electrode through said electrode passage; and

,

(d) affixing at least a portion of said electrode relative to said polymeric film using polymeric reinforcement patches, each of said reinforcement patches being opposingly adhered about and substantially centered on said electrode passage such that the end portions of said electrode extend beyond the areal extent of each of said reinforcing patches so as to link sterile and non-sterile fields while nonetheless maintaining the sterility of said established sterile field.

8. A method of forming an electrode carrying surgical drape which reliably maintains the sterility of an established sterile field comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an electrode and a polymeric film capable of delimiting sterile and non-sterile environments;

(b) creating an electrode passage through said polymeric film;

(c) placing said electrode through said electrode passage so as to form an electrode site and define sterile and non-sterile field portions for said electrode; and

,

(d) reinforcingly patching said electrode site such that a first segment of said sterile field portion of said electrode is fixedly interposed between a first patch and the sterile surface of said polymeric film, and a second segment of said non-sterile field portion of said electrode is fixedly interposed between a second patch and the non-sterile surface of said polymeric film, said first and said second patches being substantially centered about said electrode passage.