Medical apparatus for suction and combination irrigation and suction

• US 9,427,504 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Babicore LLC
• Original Assignee: Wet Nose Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Newman, Lionel Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schmidt, Emily
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, LAUREN MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US11/849,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,286 Days
• Field of Search: 604/19, 604/27, 604/30, 604/35, 604/37, 604/43, 604/75, 604/118, 604/119, 604/133, 604/246, 604/540, 604/36, 604/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/7411 by changing the size of a vent in combination with changing the cross-section of the line A61M1/7413
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/76 Handpieces specially for suction-irrigation A61M1/774, aspiration tips A61M1/84

Abstract

A finger-controlled combination irrigation and suction device is provided. The device includes a handpiece. The handpiece includes: a shaft having a first end and a second end, and having a channel disposed from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft for allowing suction through the shaft; a nozzle coupled to the first end of the shaft; an inlet disposed through an exterior surface of the shaft and in operable communication with the channel, the inlet being disposed to be manually covered and uncovered by one or more fingers of a single hand of a primary caregiver for control of suction through the shaft; and a conduit having a first end disposed to receive a volume of irrigation solution after one or more fingers of the single hand of the primary caregiver act upon an irrigation source proximate to the conduit.

Claims

1. A finger-controlled handpiece disposed to provide combined irrigation and suction, the handpiece comprising:

a shaft having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the shaft also having a channel disposed from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft and disposed to allow suction through the shaft;

a nozzle coupled to the first end of the shaft, wherein the nozzle is a first component of the handpiece and the shaft is a second component of the handpiece;

an inlet disposed through an exterior surface of the shaft and in operable communication with the channel, the inlet being disposed to be manually covered and uncovered by a first portion of a single hand to control suction through the shaft wherein the inlet is sized such that an amount of the inlet that is covered is controllable to cause different suction pressures that are controllable to differ in pressure during a same operation of the finger-controlled handpiece;

a conduit having a first end disposed to receive irrigation solution and having a second end disposed to output at least one of a spray, droplet or stream of the received irrigation solution from the conduit; and

a dispenser coupled to the first end of the conduit and capable of alternatively outputting each of a spray, a droplet or a stream of the irrigation solution to the conduit,

wherein whether the spray, the droplet or the stream is output is based, at least, in part, on an amount of pressure applied to a pliable irrigation source by the single hand,

wherein the dispenser is disposed to receive irrigation solution and output the spray, droplet or stream of the irrigation solution to the conduit,

wherein the conduit is disposed to output the spray, droplet or stream of the irrigation solution, due to positive pressure applied, from the single hand, on the pliable irrigation source that is coupled to the dispenser and that contains the irrigation solution,

and wherein the finger-controlled handpiece can concurrently control the amount of pressure applied to the pliable irrigation source and the volume of irrigation solution emitted from the pliable irrigation source such that the amount of pressure and the volume of irrigation solution emitted from the irrigation source is modifiable during operation of the finger-controlled handpiece and such that a first form of the irrigation solution is capable of being emitted from the dispenser at a first time and a second form of the irrigation solution is capable of being emitted from the dispenser at a second time, the first time and the second time being during the operation of the finger-controlled handpiece, wherein the first form is at least one of the spray, the droplet or the stream and the second form is at least one of the spray, the droplet or the stream, wherein the finger-controlled handpiece can be controlled during operation such that the first form differs from the second form,

wherein the dispenser and the inlet are concurrently operable by the single hand,

and wherein concurrent operation comprises;

causing the dispenser to receive the irrigation solution based on depression of the pliable irrigation source by at least one of a second portion of the single hand or the first portion of the single hand, and wherein the finger-controlled handpiece is configured such that manual depression by the single hand on the pliable irrigation source controls whether the first form or the second form of the irrigation solution is output from the pliable irrigation source; and

at least one of a covering or uncovering of the inlet by the first portion of the single hand.

2. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is comprised of pliable material.

3. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the shaft is comprised of a rigid material.

4. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the second end of the conduit is in fluid communication with the channel.

5. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the handpiece is disposable.

6. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is adapted for use in an oral cavity.

7. The handpiece of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is telescopically coupled to the shaft.

8. A finger-controlled handpiece disposed to provide suction and irrigation of a body cavity, the handpiece comprising:

a shaft having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the shaft also having a channel disposed from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft and disposed to allow suction through the shaft;

a nozzle integrally formed with the first end of the shaft, the nozzle being pliable;

an inlet disposed through an exterior surface of the shaft and in operable communication with the channel, the inlet being disposed to be manually covered and uncovered by one or more fingers of a single hand to control suction through the shaft;

a finger rest coupled to the shaft;

a conduit that outputs received irrigation solution from the handpiece; and

a dispenser coupled to the conduit and coupled to an irrigation source having the irrigation solution, wherein the dispenser is configured to be alternatively controlled to output, from the conduit to a location outside the handpiece, a first form of the irrigation solution and a first amount of volume of the irrigation solution during a first period of operation of the finger-controlled handpiece, and a second form of the irrigation solution and a second amount of volume of the irrigation solution during a second period of operation of the finger-controlled handpiece, wherein the first form and the first amount of volume are distinct from the second form and the second amount of volume, and wherein an amount of pressure applied manually to the irrigation source is associated with whether the first form or the second form is a spray, a stream or a droplet.

9. The handpiece of claim 8, wherein the nozzle is comprised of at least one of rubber or plastic.

10. The handpiece of claim 8, wherein the first end of the nozzle has a substantially flat configuration.

11. The handpiece of claim 8, wherein the nozzle and the shaft are integrally formed with one another via welding or adhesive.

12. A finger-controlled handpiece disposed to provide suction and irrigation of a body cavity, the handpiece comprising:

a shaft having a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the shaft also having a channel disposed from the first end of the shaft to the second end of the shaft and that allows suction through the shaft;

a nozzle coupled to the first end of the shaft;

an inlet having at least one portion disposed through a first position on an exterior surface of the shaft and in operable communication with the channel, the inlet being disposed to be manually covered and uncovered by one or more portions of a single hand to control suction through the shaft;

a finger rest coupled to a second position on the exterior surface of the shaft and located between the first end of the shaft and the second end of the shaft, the finger rest disposed to receive at least the one or more portions of the single hand or another portion of the single hand to facilitate stabilization of the handpiece;

a flap surrounding at least a portion of a boundary of the inlet; and

a dispenser coupled to an irrigation source having the irrigation solution, wherein the dispenser is capable of outputting a spray or a droplet from, at least, the dispenser, wherein whether the irrigation solution output is a spray or a droplet is based on an amount of positive pressure applied to the irrigation solution in response to a respective amount of depression of an irrigation source coupled to the dispenser and that contains the irrigation solution, wherein a first type of depression of the irrigation source is associated with a first type of irrigation solution output and wherein a second type of depression of the irrigation source is associated with a second type of irrigation solution output.