FR2782468A1 - Resin-impregnated band for e.g. casings or local protection, especially around broken bones, is hardened under control by light radiation from a source, with x-ray observation - Google Patents

Abstract

The resin is polymerized and hardened by rays from a source (14). An Independent claim is included for corresponding equipment. The section (10a, 10b) is wrapped by the band (11). Irradiation is controlled (16). Preferred features: The resin is transparent, at least before being photo-polymerized. In the equipment, the source emits from infra red to ultraviolet. An imaging system observes the section after wrapping and before hardening. Radiographic equipment images the broken section. In the method, an intentionally-weakened region of the sheath, assists eventual removal.

Description

The present invention relates to a material for making

  sheathing or local protection devices for a room. These are, for example, devices for immobilizing and maintaining a fractured or weakened part. The material comprises a strip which is intended to be placed around said part, this strip comprising resin

likely to harden.

  It is already known, for the containment of fractured or cracked limbs of human beings or animals, the use of plastered bands or based on self-curing resin which is placed around the limb to be maintained, and which harden to form this commonly known as

a compression plaster.

  With these known materials, once the strips have been placed around the fractured or cracked area, it is necessary to wait several minutes before the plaster dries or the resin hardens. During this relatively long period of time, from 5 to 10 min for the self-curing resin, it is difficult to force the patient to remain completely immobile, particularly if it is a child or a young animal. Consequently, it may happen that the initially reduced fracture moves during the setting of the plaster or of the self-curing resin, in which case it is necessary to break the plaster after it has hardened and to start again the assembly during the operations of

  reduction of the fracture then placement of the bands, then hardening

  plaster. Of course, this results in a waste of time, a loss

  financial and trauma for the patient.

  In other areas than that of fracture containment or

  cracks in the human or animal body, it may be necessary to immobilize

  read and maintain a fractured or weakened part with a view to its consolidation

  donation. It is for example a frame, a sculpture, or a fragile object. To date, there is no viable technique for securing and maintaining these parts safely, in a short time. The problem is all the more delicate when the part must be immobilized and kept in situ, for example in a place that is difficult to access from a dwelling or outside, for example in an archaeological excavation field. Similarly, it is difficult to intervene in atypical environments such as aqueous or liquid, gaseous or whose

  the ambient pressure is different from atmospheric pressure.

  In other fields, for example for the electrical, thermal, mechanical or chemical insulation of parts such as a cable, the production or repair of a sheathing is a relatively

long and expensive.

  The object of the invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a material making it possible to produce cladding devices or

  of local protection of a room in a safe and fast way.

  This object is achieved thanks to the fact that the resin is a resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a

  source of polymerization rays.

  Thanks to the invention, once the strip is arranged around the part as is already known to do for the containment of fractures of the human or animal body, the hardening of the resin can be obtained in a very short period of time under the radiation action. In addition, the curing process is completely under control, so that the operator cannot control

  radiation only when it is certain that the part is correct

  tely positioned while being held by the strip in the not yet cured state of the resin. This feature even facilitates the positioning of the band around the part, since the operator must not respect any delay beyond

  from which it would no longer be possible for him to manipulate the tape before his

  hardening as in the case of plastered strips or strips based on self-curing resin. Thus, if the strip is positioned incorrectly, it is possible to replace it before ordering the polymerization. The radiation which allows the polymerization of the resin is of the electromagnetic type. Preferably, the resin is a photopolymerizable resin. In this case, the time necessary for the hardening of an immobilization and holding device arranged around a fractured leg is a few seconds, for example of the order of 10 s to 30 s when choosing a resin. photopolymerizable under the effect of ultraviolet radiation. It is possible in particular to use a methacrylate-based resin, polymerizable by radiation in the spectrum of

infrared to ultraviolet.

  Thanks to the invention, the operator who has reduced the fracture, whether it is the fracture of the body of a patient or that of any part, can continue to maintain the fractured part during polymerization, to

  make sure that the fractured parts do not move relative to each other.

  For sheathing or the like, the strip can be placed around the part to be protected or insulated without difficulty. In the event that it is incorrectly positioned, it can be removed and replaced properly and polymerization can only be ordered when the placement is correct. Advantageously, the resin is transparent, at least in the non-polymerized state. The choice of transparent resin is particularly advantageous when the fracture is directly visible on the part, for example when it is an object having a visible fracture or break. Indeed, in this case, the operator can verify with the naked eye that the fractured parts are correctly positioned relative to one another before triggering

  the emission of radiation used to polymerize the resin.

  The invention also relates to an installation for producing sheathing or local protection devices for a part, in particular devices for immobilizing and holding a fractured or weakened part using a strip which is intended to be placed around said part,

  this strip comprising resin capable of hardening.

  For immobilization and maintenance of fractures of a human or animal patient, this patient is generally installed on a table and the plastered or self-curing resin-based strips are placed around the fractured area. As indicated above, it is then necessary to wait a relatively long time before the plaster dries or

  self-curing of the resin.

  In general, there is no simple and efficient installation to immobilize and maintain a fractured part such as a

  any object of the type mentioned above.

  By fractured or weakened part, we generally include any type of part, including areas of the human or animal body, presenting one or more fractures or cracks, or, in general, any break or weakened zone which must be consolidated. , momentarily or permanently. The invention aims to provide a simple installation for carrying out

such devices.

  This object is achieved thanks to the fact that, the resin being capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a source of rays, the installation comprises a source of polymerization rays and means for controlling the emission. of rays by said source once the strip has been placed around the part to be

sheath or protect.

  The installation is very simple since it comprises a source of polymerization rays of any type suitable for triggering the polymerization of the photopolymerizable resin used, this source being supplied by o0 an energy source (for example electric current) and l the emission of the rays being controlled by any means such as a switch, a control signal transmitter of any known type or, in general, any

type of control means.

  The source of polymerization rays is advantageously intended to emit rays in the spectrum ranging from infrared rays to ultraviolet rays, adapted to cause the polymerization of a photopolymerizable resin. For example, one can use an infrared or ultraviolet lamp of a type known per se. The power of the lamp or lamps used will of course be chosen according to the nature of the fractured or weakened part to be consolidated and the dimensions (length, thickness) of the immobilization and holding device formed using the strip comprising photopolymerizable resin. It is also possible to use plasma lamps (allowing an even shorter polymerization, for example from 1 s to

  5 s), or mercury lamps.

  The invention also covers the use for the manufacture of devices for sheathing or local protection of a part, in particular devices for immobilizing and holding a fractured or weakened part, with a strip intended to be placed around said part, this strip comprising resin which is capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a source of

  polymerization rays, preferably a photopolymerizable resin.

  Currently, in the case of fractures or cracks in the human or animal body, the use of plaster strips or strips of self-curing resin is known. The drawbacks presented by the use of this type of bands have been indicated above. In general, the invention relates to the immobilization and the maintenance of fractured parts of any type or else

  sheathing or local protection of parts such as cables.

  The use of a strip comprising a photopolymerizable resin

  according to the invention is both very reliable and very simple.

  The invention also relates to a method for the sheathing or local protection of a part, for example for immobilizing and maintaining a fractured or weakened part, excluding therapeutic treatment methods, method according to which around the room

  a strip comprising resin capable of hardening.

  The method according to the invention aims to allow, in a simple and easy to implement, immobilization and maintenance of a fractured or weakened part other than an area of the human or animal body to be treated or, in general , cladding or local protection of a piece. According to the invention, a strip is used comprising resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a source of polymerization rays and, after having placed this strip around said part, the ray emission by

said source.

  According to the method of the invention, the step of controlling the emission of rays by the source of polymerization rays, which initiates the polymerization process, is a step voluntarily controlled by the operator, when the latter considers that the position of the various parts of the part or parts to be immobilized and maintained is correct. Once triggered, this step allows very rapid polymerization. It is also possible to choose the duration of the emission of the polymerization rays and the power

  said radii as a function of the final state of rigidity that it is desired to obtain.

  There are fractured parts on which the fractures are direct-

  noticeable, in which case the use of a strip based on photo-

  transparent polymerizable; or at least translucent allows the visualization of the fractured part after the positioning of the strip, which makes it possible to start the polymerization only when one has acquired the certainty that the

  position of the part inside the strip is correct.

  Fractures or weakened areas may be less noticeable, and there may be times when you want to use a band

  having non-transparent resin.

  The visualization is advantageously carried out by radiography, that is to say

  that is to say by a system for emitting display rays on the part around which the strip is arranged, in particular X or y rays, and a system for viewing the images obtained using these rays. s Advantageously, the fractured or weakened part is visualized after having placed the strip around this part and before the hardening of the

  resin, for example by radiography.

  The invention also relates to a device for immobilizing and holding a fractured or weakened part produced from a strip

  io comprising resin capable of hardening.

  According to the invention, to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks, the resin is a resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the effect of a

  radiation emitted by a source of polymerization rays.

  The following description will better understand the invention.

  It refers to the accompanying drawings showing exemplary embodiments, in which: - Figure 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of the method according to the invention, - Figure 2 shows a device according to the invention, and FIG. 3 shows in section a device for immobilizing and holding a fractured part produced in accordance with the invention, and

  comprising elements to facilitate its breaking.

  Figure 1 shows a part broken into two parts, respectively-

  ment 1 OA and lOB. Around the fracture zone 1 OC is disposed a sleeve 12 for immobilizing and holding this fractured part. This sleeve is produced from a strip 11 comprising photopolymerizable resin, this strip being unwound around the fracture zone 1 OC as are usually the plastered strips or the strips of self-curing resin to make the sleeves commonly called plasters serving to treat fractures in human or animal patients. The parts 10A and LOB of the fractured part are voluntarily represented in a schematic manner. Indeed, the fracture can affect an area of the body of a human or animal patient, for example an arm or a leg. It can also be a fracture or a simple zone of weakness affecting a part of any type, for example a beam of

frame, mat or the like.

  The strip is arranged around the fracture zone, which does not necessarily mean that the immobilization and holding device finally obtained has the shape of a sleeve. Indeed, this device is used to wrap to consolidate a fracture or weakness area of a given part. This part can have a general shape far from that of a cylinder, it can for example be an object found during underwater excavations and whose transport would be difficult, even impossible 0o without momentary consolidation. In other fields, for example in architecture, they may be parts of buildings, for example parts

framing or ceilings.

  The strip can be placed in situ on parts located in atypical environments, for example underwater, the resin being able to be photopolymerized in situ, provided that the composition of these environments does not disturb the diffusion of radiation necessary for this polymerization. Figure 1 shows schematically, under reference 14, a radiation source, for example constituted by a lamp with ultraviolet or infrared rays. This lamp 14 is supplied in a manner known per se and it is controlled by control means 16, in particular a switch or the like capable of controlling

lamp power.

  The resin is light-curing and, under the effect of the radiation emitted by the lamp 14, it can harden in a time which depends on the size of the sleeve 12 and its thickness, this time generally being a few seconds for UV radiation. and a methacrylate-based resin. Advantageously, the resin is transparent at least in the non-polymerized state, which makes it possible to verify the correct positioning of the two parts OA and 10B relative to each other, that is to say the reduction in the fracture

  1 0C before starting the resin hardening process.

  One can also choose to use a resin which, even in the polymerized state, is transparent. This allows the immobilization and holding device to be produced, so that it does not constitute any noticeable visual discomfort, in particular when it is placed on aesthetic objects such as statutes or the vaults of a ceiling. For medical use, this transparency makes it possible to visualize the appearance of the skin and the integuments, and to ensure the correct positioning and the good state of emergence of parts, splints or fixators (orthopedic pins) placed for a long time. . Figure 2 shows a device according to the invention, specifically intended to use the material according to the invention for the reduction of fractures affecting a limb of a patient. Thus, a patient 20 is lying on an operating table 22 and it can be seen that one of his legs 21 is l0 equipped with a compression device 24, produced from a strip 11 conforming to the invention arranged to surround the fractured area of the leg. The device 24 is of the type commonly known as compression plaster. Above the table 22 is arranged a source 26 of polymerization rays, capable of triggering the polymerization of the resin of the

strip 11.

  In addition, next to the source 26 is arranged a source of

  x-ray radiation 28, belonging to an x-ray system.

  For example, the sources of the rays 26 and 28 are arranged in a box in which the fractured leg 21 of the patient is engaged. These sources are connected to a control console 32 equipped with a display screen 34, this console being manipulated by an operator 36. Thus, this operator is capable of controlling the display operation of the fractured leg, the image obtained using the rays emitted by the source 28 being retransmitted on the screen 34. It is also capable of controlling the emission of the

  polymerization radiation from the source 26.

  Alternatively, a multifunctional pedal 37 indicated in phantom can be provided to allow the operator to control the radiography and polymerization of the resin with the foot, while keeping the hands free, for example to keep the broken leg. Eventually,

  the operator may be assisted by an assistant, stationed near the patient.

  The radiography device 28 and the source 26 of polymer rays

  rization are arranged so as to be simultaneously opposite the fractured leg 21. Thus, they can be used simultaneously or, in any case, without the need to move the patient between the radiography operation and the operation resin polymerization ni, if more than one

  x-rays are necessary, between these different x-rays.

  Of course, the installation shown in Figure 2 can be used not only in the medical field, but also, in general, in any type of situation in which a fractured or weakened part must

  be immobilized or maintained, or consolidated.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows the parts 10A and O10B of the part of FIG. 1, with their fractured zone 10C, around which is a sleeve 12 ′ generally similar to that of FIG. 1, except that it comprises at minus a zone of least resistance intended to facilitate its voluntary rupture. In this case, the sleeve 12 ′ comprises two or more zones of least resistance 12 ′ A and 12 ′ B which are substantially diametrically opposite. Indeed, during the production of the device with the strip 11, at least one zone of least resistance has been produced. For example, the two zones of least resistance 12'A and 12'B were obtained by placing two rod-shaped elements 13A and 13B during the production of the sleeve, for example these elements were placed after having produced a very thin sleeve thickness around the fractured area. The elements 13A and 13B can have the form of rigid or flexible rods. To easily break the sleeve 12 ′, it suffices to release the rods 13A and i13B from the sleeve, so that clearance zones are created in which a tool such as the tip of a screwdriver can be inserted to

  easily cut the 12 'sleeve into two parts.

  It is of course possible to envisage a system in which the operation of

  withdrawal of the rods 13A and 13B causes itself the rupture of the sleeve 12 '.

  For example, the rods 13A and 13B can be produced in the form of very resistant wires, which could be torn off, thereby causing the sleeve to rupture. This possibility of being able to easily break the sleeve 12 ′ is particularly advantageous when the invention applies to the compression of fractured limbs of a human or animal patient. Indeed, it happens that the patient's condition experiences complications, for example gangrene or phlebitis occurring in the region in which the compression plaster is found, which requires very rapid intervention and removal of the plaster, operation which, thanks to the zones of least resistance, can be

  performed very quickly, possibly in a non-hospital setting.

  Optionally, the device produced in accordance with the invention may include a decor which gives a pleasant or playful appearance, for example when it is a support plaster for a child. To do this, decorative elements can be embedded in the resin, for example

  glitter or colored pigments.

1l

Claims (16)

  1. Material for producing sheathing or local protection devices (12; 12 '; 24) of a part (1OA, lOB; 21), comprising a strip (11) which is intended to be arranged around said piece, this strip comprising resin capable of hardening, characterized in that the resin is a resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a source of polymerization rays (14; 26).   io 2. Material according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin is a photopolymerizable resin.   3. Material according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the resin   is transparent, at least in the non-polymerized state.   4. Installation for the production of sheathing devices or local protection of a room (1OA, 10B; 21) using a strip (11) which is intended to be placed around said room, this strip comprising resin capable of hardening, characterized in that, the resin being capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a ray source, the installation comprises a source of polymerization rays (14; 26 ) and means (16; 32) for controlling the emission of rays by said source once the strip (11) has been placed around the part to be sheath or protect.   5. Installation according to claim 4, characterized in that, the resin being photopolymerizable, the source of polymerization rays (14; 26) is intended to emit rays in the spectrum from the rays   infrared to ultraviolet rays.   6. Installation according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that it comprises means (28, 34) for viewing the piece to be sheathed or protected (1OA, 10B; 21) after the establishment of the strip and before hardening resin.   7. Installation according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises an X-ray device (28, 34) capable of generating an image of the fractured part, this X-ray device and the source of polymerization rays (26) being arranged. so as to be simultaneously in   view of the part to be sheathed or protected (1OA, 10B; 21).   8. Use for the manufacture of sheathing or local protection devices (12; 24) of a part (1OA, lOB; 21), of a strip (11) intended to be arranged around said piece, this strip comprising resin capable of hardening, characterized in that the resin is a resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of radiation emitted by a source of polymerization rays (14; 26).   9. Use, for the manufacture of sheathing or local protection devices of a part (1 OA, lOB; 21), of a strip (11) intended to be disposed around said part, this strip comprising resin capable of hardening,   characterized in that the resin is a photopolymerizable resin.   10. Method for sheathing or local protection of a part, excluding therapeutic treatment methods, method according to which around the part (10OA, I OB) is a strip (11) comprising resin capable of harden to form an immobilization and holding device, characterized in that a strip (11) is used comprising resin capable of hardening by polymerization under the action of 2o radiation emitted by a source of radiation polymerization (14) and in that, after having placed this strip around said part, it is controlled   (16) the emission of rays by said source.   11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the part to be sheathed or protected (I OA, 1 OB) is visualized after having arranged the strip (11)   around this part and before the resin hardens.   12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that one visualizes   the part to be sheathed or to be protected by radiography (28).   13. Method according to any one of claims 10 to 12,   characterized in that it comprises a step of producing at least one zone of least resistance (12'A, 12'B) of the immobilization device and of   holding (12 '), intended to facilitate the voluntary rupture of this device.   14. Device for sheathing or local protection (12, 12 ′, 24) of a part (I OA, lOB; 21) produced from a strip (11) comprising resin capable of hardening,   characterized in that the resin is a resin capable of hardening by poly-   meritization under the effect of radiation emitted by a source of rays of polymerization (14; 26).   15. Device according to claim 14, characterized in that the resin is a photopolymerizable resin. 16. Device according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that it comprises at least one zone of least resistance (12'A, 12'B) intended for facilitate voluntary termination.