CA1093921A - Surgical scrubbing, prepping device - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

A single use surgical scrub device complete with its own germicide can be fashioned from an absorbent sponge attached to a sealed reservoir handle which can be ruptured easily to release the germicide immediately prior to use in any antiseptic procedure.

Description

26,167 10~3~1 The history of the search to find methods of skin antisepsis originated with Lister's use of carbolic acid in 1867. The techniques and products used to in-sure antisepsis in the prevention of postoperative wound infections, preoperative shaving and preparation of the operative site in the operating room have advanced stead-ily as the art developed. The factors influencing reduc-ed postoperative wound infection rates are many and in general are well known to those skilled in the art. Not least a~ong these is proper skin antisepsis. Since most ~' 25 bacteria do not descend below the keratinized infundi-~;~ bulum above the orifices of the sebaceous ducts, the Majority of organisms lie within easy reach of surface antiseptic maneuvers and can be rendered sterile if ef-fective ~crubbing techniques are employed. ~ith regard to the surgical scrub technique, it is knOwn that bacteria

- 2 - , , :.

~ 3"3~1 1 die in logarithmic order, i.e., the majority of organ-isms are destroyed durina the first few r,linutes of scrubbing.
An effective and easy way to insure skin S antisepsis in surgical procedures is by the use of a germicide impregnated in a sponge-brush type applicator.
While this is an improvement over the multi-component products which consist of solutions, sponges, towels, etc., it has an inherent disadvantage, i.e., the germi-cide already in the sponge in a dispersed state issubject to potency deterioration.
The most pertinent prior art known to Appli-cant is Avery, United States Patent 3,768,916 (1973) which discloses a scrubbing unit enveloping a frangible ampule containing liquid soap. This device is designed to enable the user to break the ampule and to utilize the released soap while employing the scrubbing unit.
Applicant has fabricated a surgical scrub sponqe for scrubbing procedures which comprises:
~0 (a) an absorbant sponge having a bottom scrubb-ing surface and a cavity in the upper portion of said sponge;
(b) at least one puncture prong within ~aid cavity;
(c) a reservoir handle, containing a liquid germicide;
(d) a frangible lamination sealing said germi-cide within said reservoir; and (e) a means for adhesively bonding said sealed reservoir to the upper portion of said sponge over said V~3S'21 1 cavity so that when the sponge is vertically compressed, said puncture prong pierces said lamination allowing the germicide to permeate said sponge and flow to the bottom scrubbinq surface.
Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of an assembled scrubbing device embodying the novel features of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view in eleva-tion, taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial perspective view of the device in Figure 1 showing a variation in the texture of the sponge.
Figure 4 is the cross-sectional view depicted in Figure 2 showing the compression of the sponge with the resulting rupture of the frangible lamination with the puncture prongs.
Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the parts of the device aligned for assemblage as a unit.
In contrast to the surgical prepping devices shown in the prior art, the present invention offers a more convenient one-piece surgical scrub device. Speci-fically, in the present invention the germicide is re-tained in a vacuum formed plastic reservoir which also functions conveniently as a handle. This will avoid the potential danger of shards resulting from broken ampules and the like. The handle reservoir can also accomodate a larger quantity of liquid than the imbedded ampules which, as a practical matter, must be somewhat smaller in size than the sponge or absorbant pad.
As shown in the drawings, the present inven-39Zl 1 vention is embodied in a surgical scrub device 10 com-prising a pre-cut absorbant sponge 15 which may be made from polyurethane, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, regenerated celllllose, foamed rubber, or any polymer, natural or synthetic, that can be foamed in situ or ex-ternally by means of Freon~ or CO2, and may be textured to provide either a particularly abrasive scrubbing surface 18 or a fine-celled scrubbing surface 17. The sponge 15 i5 designed primarily to prepare the skin to conform with any pre-operative technique. To aid in achieving the ideal aseptic conditions this scrub de-vice 10 carries its own germicide 14 in a vacuum formed reservoir handle 11 fashioned from a plastic compatible with the particular germicide employed (e.g. iodophor, alcohol, quaternary ammonium compound, etc.). The sur-face of the reservoir handle 14 may be scored or tex-tured 20 to enhance the grip. The germicide 14 is re-tained within the reservoir handle 11 with a frangible lamination 12 which can be fashioned from either paper or foil and coated with an appropriate adhesive bond for securing the reservoir handle to the uppor portion of the absorbant sponge 15.
In the upper portion of the absorbant sponge 15 is a cavity 16 which is designed to house a puncture prong 13 which may be little more than a piece of molded plastic or even a droplet of hot melt, epoxy or the like that could be dripped into place within the cavity 16 and allowed to harden. The puncture prong 13 could also be an integral part of the absorbant sponge 15 by crimpin~ or heating a small section of said sponge with-

3'~i 1 in the cavity 16 area. The crimping action could alsocoat the foam point with an epoxy or hot melt solution which would harden to provide the puncture prong 13.
In any event, the puncture prong 13 should have a point or an edge of sufficient rigidity to pierce the frang-ible lamination 12 when a moderate ~mount of force is applied.
In use, the person preparing the patient's skin for surgerv applies vertical pressure to the sponge causing the cavity 16 to move vertically upward eventually causing the frangible lamination 12 to rup-ture and release the stored germicide 14 into the ab-sorbant sponge 15.

Claims (2)

1. A surgical scrub sponge for scrubbing procedures which comprises:
(a) an absorbant sponge having a bottom scrubbing surface and a cavity in the upper portion of said sponge;
(b) at least one puncture prong within said cavity;
(c) a reservoir handle containing a liquid germicide;
(d) a frangible lamination sealing said germi-cide within said reservoir; and (e) a means for adhesively bonding the sealed reservoir to the upper portion of said sponge over the cavity so that when said sponge is vertically compressed, said puncture prong pierces said lamination allowing the germicide to permeate said sponge and flow to the bottom scrubbing surface.

2. The surgical scrub sponge of Claim 1 wherein the sponge material is polyurethane.