Vaginal speculum apparatus

• US 9,332,898 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: McMahon, Michael T., Krauter, Allan I., Vivenzio, Robert L., Saddlemire, Dale C., Danna, Dominick, Burnett, Stephen W., Briggs, Daniel C., Spanfelner, Scott G., Salvati, Jon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert, Eduardo C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ECKMAN, MICHELLE CHRISTINE
• Application Number:
  US14/169,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 600184-249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• 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: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A vaginal speculum apparatus includes a portable illumination assembly that is releasably attached to one of the upper blade and lower blade of a disposable vaginal speculum. The portable illumination assembly is defined by a housing that retains at least one LED and a portable power supply. The portable illumination assembly can be energized by an externally accessible member after the illuminator has been attached to the speculum.

Claims

1. A system for providing illumination to a vaginal speculum, the system comprising:

a portable illumination assembly comprising;

a portable power source; and

at least one LED, each of the portable power source and at least one LED being retained within a common housing; and

the speculum comprising;

an upper blade;

a lower blade having a distal end, an opposing proximal end, an inner surface, a handle portion downwardly extending from and part of the proximal end of the lower blade, and a trough-shaped blade portion having a curved portion extending to the downwardly extending handle portion; and

an articulation mechanism disposed at a proximal end of the speculum for permitting relative movement between the upper blade and the lower blade to enable dilation of a patient, the articulation mechanism including a yoke extending from the lower blade and a lever portion extending from the upper blade, the portable illumination assembly being attached to the lower blade, and wherein the housing extends along the inner surface of the curved portion.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable illumination assembly further comprises a mechanism for selectively energizing the at least one LED.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the mechanism for selectively energizing the at least one LED comprises a switch disposed on the exterior of the housing.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable illumination assembly is accessible through viewing apertures formed in each of the lever portion and the yoke of the speculum.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one LED projects light directly to the distal end of the speculum without a light pipe.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one of the speculum and the illumination assembly is configured for at least one of single use or single patient use.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the common housing of the illumination assembly further retains circuitry enabling the at least one LED to be energized by the portable power source.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the proximal end of the housing is disposed along the inner surface of the curved portion of the lower blade.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable illumination assembly is releasably attached to the lower blade.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one LED is positioned between inner surfaces of the upper and lower blades.

11. A method for assembling a vaginal speculum apparatus, the speculum apparatus comprising a vaginal speculum having an upper blade and a lower blade, the lower blade having a trough-shaped portion, and a handle portion downwardly extending from and part of a proximal end of the lower blade in which a curved portion of the trough-shaped portion extends to the downwardly extending handle portion, the speculum further having a mechanism for moving the blades relative to one another, the movement mechanism comprising a lever portion extending from a proximal end of the upper blade and a yoke extending upwardly from the proximal end of the lower blade that define separate viewing apertures, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable illumination assembly comprising at least one battery and at least one LED retained within a common housing; and

attaching the portable illumination assembly to the lower blade such that the housing is disposed along the inner surface of the curved portion.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, including the step of providing a switch on the portable illumination assembly to enable selective energization of the at least one retained LED.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the attaching step further includes disposing the proximal end of the housing along the inner surface of the curved portion of the lower blade.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the attaching step is done by releasably attaching the portable illumination assembly to the lower blade.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the common housing is accessible for at least one of attachment or removal through at least a portion of the viewing apertures.

16. A vaginal speculum apparatus comprising:

a portable illumination assembly comprising;

a housing;

a portable power source;

at least one LED, each of the portable power source and the at least one LED being commonly retained within the housing; and

a vaginal speculum comprising;

an upper blade; and

a lower blade, each of the upper blade and the lower blade having a distal end, an opposing proximal end, and an inner surface, the lower blade further having a handle portion downwardly extending from and part of the proximal end of the lower blade and a trough-shaped blade portion, wherein a curved portion of the trough-shaped blade portion extends to the downwardly extending handle portion; and

a mechanism for permitting relative movement between the upper blade and the lower blade to enable dilation of a patient, the movement mechanism including a lever portion downwardly extending from the proximal end of the upper blade that engages a yoke upwardly extending from the proximal end of the lower blade, each of the lever portion and the yoke defining a rear opening of the speculum, the housing of the portable illumination assembly being attached to the inner surface of the curved portion of the lower blade and shaped in accordance with the curved portion.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising a mechanism for energizing the at least one LED, the mechanism comprising a switch.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the switch is mechanical.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, in which the housing of the portable illumination assembly is attached to the inner surface of the curved portion of the lower blade and shaped in accordance therewith.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the proximal end of the housing is disposed along the inner surface of the curved portion of the lower blade.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the portable illumination assembly is releasably attached to the lower blade.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one LED is positioned between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower blades.

23. A vaginal speculum apparatus comprising:

an illumination assembly comprising;

a portable power source; and

at least one LED retained within a common housing;

an upper blade;

a lower blade, each of the upper and lower blades having a distal end, an opposing proximal end, and an inner surface, the lower blade further having a trough-shaped blade portion and a handle portion downwardly extending from and part of the proximal end of the lower blade, wherein a curved portion of the trough-shaped blade portion extends to the downwardly extending handle portion; and

an articulation mechanism disposed at a proximal end of the speculum for permitting relative movement between the upper blade and the lower blade to enable dilation of the patient, the articulation mechanism including a yoke extending from the lower blade and a lever portion extending from the upper blade, the yoke forming a first viewing aperture defined at the rear of the speculum and the lever portion forming a second viewing aperture, the common housing of the portable illumination assembly being attached to the inner surface of the lower blade, wherein a proximal end of the housing is disposed along the inner surface of the curved portion and is defined by a shape that conforms with the curved portion.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the illumination assembly further comprises a mechanism for selectively energizing the at least one LED.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein the mechanism for selectively energizing the at least one LED comprises a switch.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 25, wherein the switch is mechanical.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the portable illumination assembly is releasably attached to the lower blade.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the said common housing is accessible for at least one of attachment or removal through at least a portion of the viewing apertures.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the lever portion defines an enclosed viewing aperture.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the at least one LED is positioned between the inner surfaces of the upper and lower blades.