Surgical scrub device

• US 6,289,547 B1
• Filed: 12/13/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dipak Narula, Vinod Narula
• Original Assignee: Dipak Narula, Vinod Narula
• Inventors: Narula, Vinod, Narula, Dipak
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/460,054
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 151/06, 151/10, 151/13, 151/14, 151/049.4, 151/672, 151/673, 151/87, 152/443, 152/444
• US Class Current: 15/167.3
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 11/0041 Flexible or deformable reservoirs, e.g. resilient bulbs, compressible tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 15/00 Other brushes; Brushes with additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/1006 Brushes for cleaning the hand or the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 9/06 Arrangement of mixed bristles or tufts of bristles, e.g. wire, fibre, rubber
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/80 Implements for cleaning or washing the skin of surgeons or patients

Abstract

The present invention is a surgical scrub device that includes a semi-rigid body, at least one row of bristles projecting from the body, and a sponge attached to the body. The design and dimensions of the scrub device are such that the user can wash the palms and the backs of the hand, and under the fingernails and between the fingers, without the need to exchange a sponge for a brush. Optionally, the scrub device can further a cleansing agent impregnated within the sponge, or housed in a reservoir within the body.

Claims

1. A surgical scrub device comprising:

at least one semi-rigid body, having a head and a trunk, and said body being made from an extrudable polymeric material, and said trunk defining a horizontal plane;

a first set of bristles projecting from said head and being essentially parallel to the horizontal plane, said bristles being made from an extrudable polymeric material and being co-extruded with said body;

a sponge at least partially circumscribing and attached to said trunk for cleaning skin portions of a surgical team member whereby said sponge may be manually gripped to scour the nails of said team member with said first set of bristles.

2. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic polyester, polycarbonate, polyurethane, high density linear polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), high density polyethylene/ethylvinyl acetate (HDPE/EVA) copolymer, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), cellulose acetate, or combinations thereof.

3. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein the polymeric material further includes a plasticizer.

4. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein said body further includes a tail extending from the trunk.

5. The surgical scrub device of claim 4 wherein the tail further includes a second set of bristles projecting along the horizontal plane from the tail.

6. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 further including a second body, having a head and a trunk, and defining a horizontal plane, and a second set of bristles projecting along the horizontal plane from the head, wherein said sponge is also reversibly attached to the trunk of the second body.

7. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein said bristles of the first set of bristles are of essentially the same length.

8. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein said bristles of the first set of bristles are of different lengths.

9. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein said sponge envelopes the trunk.

10. The surgical scrub device of claim 1 wherein said sponge is impregnated with a cleansing agent.

11. A surgical scrub device comprising:

a semi-rigid frame having a ledge which projects inwardly toward a center of the frame along a horizontal plane, said ledge defining an upper portion and a lower portion within said frame and said frame being made from an extrudable polymeric material;

at least one set of bristles projecting outwardly from the frame of said body and being essentially parallel to the horizontal plane, said bristles being made from an extrudable polymeric material and being co-extruded with said body;

a first sponge secured within the upper portion of said frame and abutting said ledge; and

a second sponge secured within the lower portion of said frame and abutting said ledge.

12. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein the polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic polyester, polycarbonate, polyurethane, high density linear polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET), high density polyethylene/ethylvinyl acetate (HDPE/EVA) copolymer, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), cellulose acetate, or combinations thereof.

13. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein the polymeric material further includes a plasticizer.

14. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein said bristles of the first set of bristles are of essentially the same length.

15. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein said bristles of the first set of bristles are of different lengths.

16. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein said sponge is impregnated with a cleansing agent.

17. The surgical scrub device of claim 11 wherein a reservoir is formed between said first sponge and said second sponge.

18. The surgical scrub device of claim 17 wherein said reservoir contains a cleaning agent.

19. A surgical scrub device comprising:

at least one semi-rigid body, having a head and a trunk, and defining a horizontal plane, and said head having at least two branches wherein the branches lie in the horizontal plane;

a first set of bristles projecting from the branches of said head and away from said trunk, and said bristles lying in the horizontal plane;

a sponge at least partially circumscribing and attached to said trunk for cleaning skin portions of a surgical team member whereby said sponge may be manually gripped to scour the nails of said team member with said first set of bristles.

20. The surgical scrub device of claim 19 wherein said body is made from a polymeric material.

21. The surgical scrub device of claim 20 wherein the polymeric material further includes a plasticizer.

22. The surgical scrub device of claim 19 wherein said body further includes a tail extending from the trunk, and said tail further includes a second set of bristles projecting away from said trunk and lying in the horizontal plane.

23. The surgical scrub device of claim 19 wherein said bristles are made from a polymeric material.

24. The surgical scrub device of claim 19 wherein said bristles are made from a natural fiber, and wherein the head of said body further includes cavities, and the bristles are secured to said head within the cavities.

25. The surgical scrub device of claim 19 wherein said sponge is impregnated with a cleansing agent.

26. A surgical scrub device comprising:

a semi-rigid body, being made from an extrudable polymeric material, said body having a top with a shell-like structure, the shell having a interior surface and an exterior surface, and the shell further defining a cavity on the interior surface, and said body having a base defining a horizontal plane;

at least one set of bristles projecting from the base of said body and being essentially parallel to the horizontal plane, said bristles being made from an extrudable polymeric material and being co-extruded with said body; and

a sponge secured within the base of said body for cleaning skin portions of a surgical team member.

27. The surgical scrub device of claim 26 wherein said shell-like top further includes a plurality of pores on the top.

28. The surgical scrub device of claim 27 wherein the pores are open channels allowing unimpeded transport of materials from the exterior surface to the interior surface.

29. The surgical scrub device of claim 27 wherein the pores have a closed first position and an opened second position, and where the pores move from a first to a second position by the application of pressure.