AU599996B2

AU599996B2 - Medical or veterinary instrument

Info

Publication number: AU599996B2
Application number: AU75068/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kevin William Gobby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-03
Filing date: 1987-07-02
Publication date: 1990-08-02
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-02
Also published as: AU7506887A

Description

01 PATENT.OF0 r~l TOFCE PATENT OFFICE ilmmuntv 5999 TWENTY DOL R COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRAI ONE HUNDHO DOLLA'RSTE PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: PH06726 Lodged: PH09708 -3.7.86 -30.12.86 Class Int. Class 4. 4 6 46* 664 4 6 6 #4

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6 4 I 6 Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related An: st 6 I 4~ This document contains the amendments made iindor Seddion 49 and is corxt for prin tinf Name of Applicant; TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT KEVIN WILLIAM GOBBY 14 Rickman Street, Balcatta, in the State of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

Addresa of Applicant: '1 j.

.4 Actual Inventor:1 Kevin William Gobby Wray Associates, Primary Industry Hoduse$ 239 Adelaide Terrace, Penth, W.A. 6000 Address for Service: Comnplete Specification for the Invention entitled: "Medical or Veterinary Instrument" The following statement is a full description of this Invention, Including the best method of Iperforming it known to me i I a L U4-- '--Lur~m~aarmi xY" u.

2 THIS INVENTION relates to a medical or veterinary instrument primarily for use e: an inseminating pipette in artificial insemination procedures in humans and other animals.

Conventional inseminating pipettes comprise an elongated tube having a needle at one end thereof whereby semen contained in the tube may be delivered into the uterus by way of the needle.

With convent -al inseminating pipettes, it is difficult to attach the needle to the elongated tube in a reliable and easy manner.

es The present invention seeks to provide an inseminating pipette which does not suffer from this difficulty.

t In one form the invention resides in a medical or bt veterinary instrument comprising an elongated tube having an open end, a mounting body of resilient material received in sa open end of the tube and retained therein in a compressc state, and a needle mounted in and S supported solely by the mounting body, the needli :20 extending through the mounting body whereby one end of the needle communicates with the interior of the elongated tube and the other end of the needle communicates withi the exterior of the elongated tube, said open en4 of the Ltube being occupied solely by the mountng body alid tho needle, preferably, said one end of the elongated tv4be is provided with a section of reduced diameter to clampingly engage SI- the mounting body within the elongated tube.

Preferably, the mounting body extends beyond the 4iaid one end of the elongated tube, 1 N O w t 'fl.r I I *rUnanb~ 2a Preferably, the needle is received in an axial passage formed in the mounting body, the axial passage being formed by pushing the needle or another sharpened object through the body.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of several specific embcdi- C 4t r r r C C C< 1 C iC Cc r i c t r r

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C C r <i i CC j 9: I tC C I 4 4 4' C04 vr 4 4: *9 0' 99 20 -3ments thereof each in the form of an inseminating pipette The description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the inseminating pipette; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of one end of one form of the inseminating pipette; Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation of a form of the embodiment which may be used with fresh semen; and Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation of the form of the embodiment of Fig. 3 adapted for use with frozen semen.

The inseminating pipette according to the embodiment is primarily intended for use in the artificial insemination of sheep. It should however, be appreciated that the inseminating pipette may be used with other animals.

The inseminating pipette comprises an elongated tube 11 which is of a plastics material but may be formed of any suitable material. At one end of the tube there is provided a tapered portion 13 which defines a section of reduced diameter within the tube.

A mounting body 15 is inserted into said one end of the tube for location within the tapered portion 13.

The mounting body 15 is in the form of a plug of resiliently deformable plastics material of circular crosssection the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the tapered portion of the elongated tube 11. In this way, the mounting body is compressibly clamped within the tapered portion 13 of the elongated tube.

A needle 17 is received in the mounting body to extend therethrough in axial alignment with the elongated tube 11. One end of the needle opens into the interior of A00 Z-

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pri p ps I I *t 5 s tp -4the tube 11 and the other end of the needle opens onto the exterior of the tube. The first mentioned end of the needle terminates at the inner end of the mounting body or slightly below the inner end. The other end of the needle 17 (which opens onto the exterior of the outer tube) is sharpened.

The needle 17 is received within an axial passage formed within the mounting body 15. the passage is formed by pushing theneedle through the mounting body using the sharpened end of the needle. In this way, the needle forms the axial passage and because of the resilient nature of the body, the diameter of the axial passage so formed is less than that of the outer diameter of the needle. Consequently, the needle is frictionally retained in the mounting body when installed at its final position within the mounting body. The needle is inserted into the mounting body 15 before the latter is inserted into the end of the elongated tube. When the mounting body 15 (with the needle 17 installed therein) is inserted into the end of the elongated tube 11, the reduced section 13 of the outer tube compressibly clamps the mountinq body to not only retain the mounting body in position but also to "squeeze" the mounting body in a radially inwardly direction to clamp the mounting body around the needle, this action serves to securely retain both the needle in the mounting body and the mounting body in the tube.

The inseminating pipette is associated with a piston 19 slidably movable within the interior of the elongated tube 11. The piston 19 can be attached to one end of a connecting rod 21 the other end of which is provided with a handle 22 to facilitate manipulation of the piston As a result, a chamber 23 of variable volume is defined between the inner side wall of the tube 11, the inner face of the mounting body 15 and the inner face of the piston 19. A charge of semen within the chamber 23 can be expelled from the chamber through the needle 1/

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aQ 'I t t l.t~ ~cV( 17 by inward movement of the piston 19 so as to reduce the volume of the chamber 23.

The inseminating pipette according to the embodiment is used in a manner similar to a conventional inseminating pipette.

According to the form of the embodiment shown at Figs.

3 and 4, the piston 19 has a cross-section substantially equal to the inner cross-section of the tube 11 such that it is snugly and slidably received within the tube 11. The piston has a forward end face 24 and a trailing end face 26, each of which is formed with an axially directed flange 25 around its circumference which acts as a lip seal to prevent the leakage of fluid past the piston. The forward end face is substantially planar such that when the forward end of the piston abutts the inner end 16 of the mounting body 15 they are in face to face engagement and the flange 25 is received in the space between the sides of the inner portion of the mounting body and the internal wall of the tube 11 at the one end thereof whereby the flange almost fills that space. This ensures the minimum loss of semen. The lip seal provided by flange 25 ensures that there is no leakage between the piston and the tube as a result of pressure build-up created by the reduction in volume of the chamber 23 and the restricted flow therefrom through the needle 17.

The piston is formed with an axial bore 27 which is enlarged at the end 28 remote from the chamber 23 to be able to accommodate the end of a straw 30 of the type which is used to store frozen semen. The other end 29 of the bore 27 is of suitable dimension to be threadably engaged by the inner end 31 of the connecting rod 19. AS a result the pipette may be used with fresh semen by engaging the connecting rod 19 with the piston (Fig. 3) and charging and discharging the pipette in the conventional manner.

c c C t'r SCt c .9 i 'i 1 t -6- The pipette may also be used with frozen semen by engaging a straw containing frozen semen in the other end 29 of the bore 27 of the piston. The piston is then inserted into the tube and forced into engagement with the mounting body. A plunger rod 31 is then passed down the tube 11 and into the straw 30 to engage the plug 32 in the straw. Further insertion of the plunger rod 31 forces the plug 32 into the straw to force semen therefrom through the one end 29 of the bore 27 of the piston and the needle 17.

,o t t The piston of the form of pipette of Figs. 3 and 4 prot viles an effective seal between the piston and tube and facilitates utilisation of fresh or frozen semen.

4tt 4c It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention k't is not limited to the scope of the embodiment described.

For example, the invention is not limited to inseminating pipettes and may be applied where appropriate to any other medical or veterinary instrument having an elongated tube provided with a needle at one end.

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Claims

1. A medical or veterinary instrument comprising an elongated tube having an open end, a mounting body of resilient material received in said open end of the tube and retained therein in a compressed state, and a needle mounted in and supported solely by the mounting body, the needle extending through the mounting body whereby one end of the needle communicates with the interior of the elongated tube and the other end of the needle communicates with the exterior of the elongated tube, said open end of the tube being occupied solely by the mounting body and the needle.

2. A medical or veterinary instrument according to ft. claim 1 wherein said one end of the elongated tube is provided with a section of reduced diameter to clampingly L 4engage the mounting body within the elongated tube,

3. A medical or veterinary instrument according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the mounting body extends beyond the said one end of the elongated tube. crl t 4. A medical or veterinary instrument according to claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the needle is received in an axial S passage formed in the mounting body, the axial passage being formed by pushing the needle or another sharpened object through the body, .4 A medical or veterinary instrument according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a piston slidably mounted in the tube whereby a fluid receiving p- chamber is defined between the mounting body and the i 0 A4 7a

6. A medical or veterinary instrument according to claim 5 wherein the end of the piston facing said mounting body is provided with an axially directed flange around its circumference to form a lip seal, said flange being adapted to be received in a space between the sides of the mounting body and the internal wall of the tube when the piston is in face to face engagement with the mounting body. I ILI P-t i f- 1 -8-

7. A medical or veterinary instrument according to claim 6 wherein the other end of the piston is provided with an axially directed flange around its circumference to form a lip seal.

8. A medical or veterinary instrument according to claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein the piston is formed with an axial bore to threadably engage an end of a connecting rod.

9. A medical or veterinary instrument according to i claim 7 wherein the end of the bore remote from the fluid receiving chamber is enlarged to accommodate an Send of a straw containing semen. c 10. A medical or veterinary instrument substantially as her-in described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Second day of July, 1987. KEVIN WILLIAM GOBBY. Applicant. WHAY ASSOCATES, Perth, WGatern Australia, Patent Attorneys for Applicant.