GB2067414A

GB2067414A - Hinged fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table

Info

Publication number: GB2067414A
Application number: GB8101913A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: MARZET RENE ETS
Current assignee: MARZET RENE ETS
Priority date: 1980-01-23
Filing date: 1981-01-22
Publication date: 1981-07-30
Also published as: GB2067414B; DE3101865A1; DE3101865C2

Abstract

A hinged fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table is constituted by at least two tubes 3, 4 sliding one into the other in telescopic manner, one of the tubes being integral with one of the members of a swivel-type joint 6 which is lockable in position, whilst the other member is secured to the operating table 2, and the other tube being integral at its free end with one of the members of a swivel-type joint 21 whose other member bears means 23 for supporting and positioning the patient's limb. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hinged fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table The present invention relates to a hinged fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table.

Certain surgical operations, such as for example in urology, gynaecology and proctology, require the adjunction of means for supporting the lower limbs of the patients on the upper plates of the operating tables. These fittings can be secured to the table by means of vices or any other means and they are constituted by any support means such as calf supports partly enclosing the legs of the patient. The major drawback with these fittings resides in their single function which necessitates the use of several different devices to conduct the aforesaid surgical operations. So that it is necessary to change the fittings for each different operation, and in some cases even during the same operation, especially were surgery in two stages is involved, abdominal and perineal.

The present invention relates to a fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table, and allowing the lower limbs to be placed in different positions, depending on the type of surgical operation conducted. According to the present invention, the device is constituted by at least two tubes, sliding one into the other in telescopic manner, one of these tubes being integral with one of the members of a swivel type joint, which is lockable in position, and whose other member is secured to the operating table, the other tube being integral at its free end with one of the members of a swivel type joint whose other member is provided with a means to support and position the patient's limb.

With said telescopically adjustable device, the patient's limbs are supported without any mechanical link between the different points of displacement.

Said device can be used in abdominal-perineal surgery as well as in proctology, by simple rotation, without any element having to be removed.

The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the hinged device for supporting a patient's limbs, according to the invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section along line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an elevational view of the device used when the patient is lying horizontally on the operat ingtable; Figures 5, 5a are elevational views of the device when the patient's legs are raised on the operating table; Figure 6 is an elevational view of the device when the patient is in position to undergo proctological surgery;; Figure 7 is an elevational view of another embodiment of the device according to the invention for supporting a patient's limbs; Figure 8 is a cross-section of the swivel-type joint, along line VIII-VIII of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a cross-section along line IX-IX of Figure 8.

The device or telescopic arm 1, for supporting a patient's lower limbs, is fixed on each side of the operating table 2 (Figure 1,4). Said device or arm 1 is composed of two tubes 3 and 4 mounted for sliding one into the other in telescopic manner. The outer tube 3 is fixed at one of its ends on a housing 5 (Figures 1,2,3) inside which a swivel joint 6 is pivotally mounted, which swivel joint is extended by a rod 7 extending outside the housing 5 through an opening 8 thereof defined by two rectilinear edges 8a and 8b arranged vertically and horizontally and against which moves the rod 7. The said rod 7, of hexagonal cross-section, is engaged in a corresponding hole of the table 2 in which it is fixed.

The housing 5 (Figures 2 and 3) is provided on one side with a tapped hole 9 inside which is screwed a cover 10 provided axially with a tapped hole 1 Oa inside which is screwed-a spindle 11 one end of which is integral with a pusher 12 comprising a spherical part 1 2a which rests against the swivel joint 6. At its other end, the screwed spindle 11 is integral with an operating lever 13 permitting to operate the pusher 12 and to lock the swivel joint 6 in position. A boss 14 is provided at the upper part of the housing 5 which boss comprises internally a recess 15 inside which a finger 17 is mounted for pivoting about an axis 16, said finger 17 being extended on the outside of the recess 15 by a knob 17a permitting to actuate the finger manually against the action of the spring 18.

The finger 17 is adapted to be engaged in a guiding groove 19 provided in the swivel joint 6, the said groove extending over an angle of 1800 and having an evolutive depth which is maximum at one of its ends constituting an abutting face 1 9a for the finger 17, and which is minimum at the other end, the said groove being widen than the finger in order to allow the movement of the swivel joint according to an angle a.

At the free end of the inner tube 4 is fixed a housing 20 inside which is pivotally mounted a swivel joint 21 extended by a rod 22 on which is fitted a cradle 23 or any other means for supporting and positioning the lower limb of a patient.

As described hereinabove, the housing 20 comprises means 24 for locking the swivel joint in position. Inside the tubes 3 and 4 is placed a rod 25 secured at one of its ends to the housing 5 and provided at its other end with an abutment member 26 adapted to come into abutting contact with a washer 27 fixed inside the tube 4 and which is designed to limit the stroke of the tube 4 with respect to the tube 3.

On the outer tube 3 are fitted supple means 28 for locking the sliding tube 4 which bears the limbsupporting cradle 23.

When the patient is in a horizontal position, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the finger 17 is in abutment on the face 19a of the swivel joint 6 and the maximum length adjustment in relation to the leg is obtained by sliding the tube 4 inside the tube 3.

By unlocking the swivel joint 6 by means of the handle 13, the assembly remains stationary, and it is possible by moving the telescopic arm 1 and the finger 17 sideways in the groove 19 (Figure 2) to obtain an abduction of the support and as a result of the patient's limb.

The raising up of the lower limb (Figures 5, 5a) is done by unlocking the swivel joint 6 about which pivot, in the direction of arrow F, the housing 5 and the telescopic arm 1, thereby allowing the folding up of the knee, which entails the displacement of the cradle 23 supporting the patient's calf, which cradle remains in permanent contact with the leg. In order to keep the leg in the desired position, it is also possible to slide the tube 4 inside the tube 3 to obtain a suitable length of the arm which is locked in position by the locking means 28.

The vertical displacement of this assembly may be combined with an outward lateral orientation (Figure 5a) by displacement of the housing about the swivel joint and of the finger 17 inside the groove 19 (Figure 2) and also by a rotation of the axis of the telescopic arm in the direction of arrow F1 permitting to return the cradle 23 supporting the calf, on a horizontal plane.

By unlocking the swivel joint 6 and pivoting the finger 17 along arrow F2, in order to engage the latter in the recess 15 and to release it from the groove 19 of the swivel joint, one obtains a rotation of the arm 1 towards the ground and towards a vertical position (Figures 3, 6). It is then possible to use the cradle 23 as a support for the knee and thus to obtain the "proctology" position (Figure 6).

Figures 7,8 and 9 show a device which is similar to that described hereinabove, but in which the housing 5 has been modified and presents a cylindrical recess with flat bottom 30 against which rests a ring 29 which is made integral with the housing by way of a key 31 fixed on the housing and engaged in a recess 32 provided in the external face of the ring 29.

Said ring 29 has an innerface 29a which is spherical in shape and against which rests the swivel joint 6 under the action of the pusher 12 integral with the screwed spindle 11 engaged in the tapped hole 1 Oa of the cover 10 and which supports at its other end the operating lever 13.

The swivel joint 6 comprises a groove 6a (Figures 8 and 9) which extends in parallel to the axis of the pin 7 fastening it to the operating table, the said groove receiving a lug 33 secured on the ring 29.

At the lower part of the housing 5 (Figures 7 and 8) is provided a boss 14 comprising on the inside a recess 15 inside which a finger 17 is mounted for pivoting about an axis 16, which finger 17 is extended on the outside by a part 17a permitting to actuate manually the finger against the action of a spring 18. The finger 17 is adapted to be engaged selectively in grooves 19, 19a provided in the outer wall of the ring 29, the said grooves being parallel to the axis of the groove 6a. This particular arrangement allows the rod 7 to move against the faces 8a and 8b of the opening 8 and to rotate about its axis which is integral with the swivel joint and it also allows the rotation of the ring 29 which can occupy two angular positions depending on whether the finger 17 is engaged in the groove 19 or in the groove 19a.

The invention is not limited to the description given hereinabove but on the contrary covers any modifications that may be brought thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims

1. Hinged fitting for supporting the lower limbs of a patient lying on an operating table, wherein said fitting is constituted by at least two tubes, sliding one into the other in telescopic manner, one of these tubes being integral with one of the members of a swivel type joint, which is lockable in position, and whose other member is secured to the operating table, the other tube being integral at its free end with one of the members of a swivel type joint whose other member is provided with a means to support and position the patient's limb.

2. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein one of the tubes is fixed at one of its ends on a housing inside which is mounted a swivel joint provided with a rod which is fixed in an element of the operating table, the other tube being integral at its free end with another housing inside which is also mounted a swivel joint on which are fitted means for supporting and positioning the patient's limb.

3. A fitting according to claim 1 and 2, wherein a rod is provided inside the two tubes, which rod is fixed at one of its ends on the housing of the swivel joint integral with the operating table, whilst its other end is provided with an abutting member against which can come to rest another abutting member integral with the tube which bears the member supporting the patient's limb.

4. A fitting according to claims 1 and 2, wherein the housing whose swivel joint is integral with the operating table comprises a recess inside which a finger is pivotally mounted, which finger is subjected to the action of an elastic member and is adapted to be engaged selectively in a groove provided in the swivel joint and in the said recess.

5. A fitting according to claim 4, wherein the said groove in the said swivel joint extends over an angle of 1800 and has an evolutive depth which is maximum at one of its ends constituting an abutting face for the said finger, and which is minimum at the other end, the said groove being wider than the said finger.

6. A fitting according to claim 4, wherein the said housing is provided with means for locking the said swivel joint in position, which means consist in a cover provided with a tapped hole inside which is engaged a screwed spindle comprising at one of its ends a pusher fitted inside the said housing and adapted to come into resting contact with the said swivel joint, and at its other end an operating lever.

7. A fitting according to claims 4 and 6, wherein the said housing comprises on its side opposite the said pusher, an outlet for the rod of the said swivel joint which is defined by two edges which extend respectively horizontally and vertically.

8. A fitting according to claims 1 and 2, wherein supple means are provided on the outer tube for locking in position the tube which holds the limb support.

9. A fitting according to claim 1,wherein at the bottom of the said housing is provided a ring integral with the latter and having an inner face of spherical shape against which rests the said swivel joint under the action of the said pusher, the said swivel joint comprising a groove which extends in parallel to the said rod provided for fixing the fitting to the operating table, inside which groove is engaged a lug secured to the said ring.

10. Afitting according to claim 9, wherein grooves are provided on the outer face of the said ring, which grooves extend in parallel to the axis of the groove of the said swivel joint, and inside which the end of a finger can be selectively engaged, which finger is subjected to the action of an elastic member, and is pivotally mounted in a recess provided at the lower part of the said housing.

11. A fitting according to claim 9, wherein the said ring is made integral with the said housing by means of a key which is fixed on the housing and engaged in a recess provided on the said ring.

12. A fitting substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.