GB2185688A

GB2185688A - Device for cleansing ear canal

Info

Publication number: GB2185688A
Application number: GB08601825A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Peter Andrew Clarke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-01-25
Filing date: 1986-01-25
Publication date: 1987-07-29
Also published as: GB8601825D0

Abstract

A medical instrument for cleansing an ear canal consisting of a speculum which can be releasably connected to a conventional auriscope to allow inspection of the ear canal, the speculum being provided with a nozzle through which cleansing fluid is injected into the ear canal, and the nozzle is connected to a pump mechanism which supplies the cleansing fluid under pressure thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to medical instruments This invention relates to improvements in or relating to medical instruments and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an improved medical syringe for body cavities such as a human external auditory meatus, i.e. ear canal.

Cleansing of a human ear canal afterthe usual preliminary period of treatment with ear drops to soften wax in the canal, is normally carried out by utilising an aural syringe which produces a jet of water. The jet of water is directed into the ear canal to dislodge accumulations of wax and also wash the dislodged wax out of the ear canal.

A conventional aural syringe comprises a piston-and-cylinder assembly capable of being loaded with waterwhich is then injected through a long nozzle at one end of the assembly when the piston is moved manually in the cylinder towards said nozzle. The jet of water discharged from the long nozzle, which rests in the ear canal, effects cleansing of the ear canal.

This conventional aural syringe suffers from the disadvantages that there is a risk oftraumatising the ear drum with the end ofthe nozzle during the syringing operation, particularly, as motion ofthe piston in such syringes is not always smooth and a variable amount of force has to be utilised to move the piston. In addition, the syringe has to be re-loaded with waterfrom a reservoir each time one stroke of the piston has been completed and the progress ofthe syringing operation can only be visually checked by removing the nozzle of the syringe from the ear canal, inserting an auriscope to viewthe interioroftheearcanal and then re-inserting the syringe to continue with the cleansing operation.

The object of this invention is to provide a medical instrument for effecting cleansing of a human ear canal or other body cavity in which the above disadvantages of the conventional syringe are alleviated.

According to this invention, a medical instrument for effecting cleansing of an ear canal or other body cavity comprises a speculum adapted to be releasably mounted on a head portion of an auriscope to form an attachment for use therewith so that light from the light emitting means of the auriscope is transmitted through the speculum to illuminate the ear canal or other body cavity to allow visual inspection thereofthrough the auriscope's viewing arrangement, the speculum having a nozzle therein through which a cleansing fluid can be injected into the ear canal or other body cavity to effect cleansing thereof, wherein a fluid connection is provided between the nozzle and pump means which supplies cleansing fluid to the nozzle.

It will be appreciated that auriscopes are in general use for carrying out visual inspections of body cavities such as ear canals and the provision of an instrument for use as an attachment to an auriscope comprising a speculum for releasably mounting on an auriscope which is provided with a nozzle for injecting cleansing fluid into the body cavity, enables visual monitoring of the cleansing operation to be carried out.

Preferably, the pump means is releasably connected to a body portion of the auriscope.

Preferably, also, the pump means comprises a handle and a manually operable trigger mechanism for actuating a pump.

The pump, preferably, comprises a piston-and-cylinder mechanism, wherein the piston is moved by the trigger mechanism in the cylinder to carry out a pumping stroke to eject cleansing fluid from the nozzle in the speculum and inject said fluid into the body cavity.

Preferably, the pump means is releasably connected to a reservoir of cleansing fluid by conduit means and resilient means is provided for effecting a return stroke of the piston in the cylinder after a pumping stroke has been carried out.

Preferably, also, the pump means includes valve means for enabling the cylinder to refill with cleansing fluid from the reservoir during the return stroke of the piston.

An outlet port is, preferably, formed in the speculum to enable the used cleansing fluid and debris dislodged thereby to drain therefrom.

Preferably, the outlet port is connected to a drain conduit and an air vent is provided to obviate a build up of pressure in the speculum and the body cavity which is being cleansed.

Preferably, also, a transparent partition is provided in the speculum between the auriscope's light source and viewing arrangement and the outlet port.

A preferred embodimentofthis invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammaticview of a medical instrument shown in use with an auriscopefor effecting cleansing of an ear canal; Figure2 is a side elevation of the instrument mounted on an auriscope; Figure 3 is a front elevation of the instrument mounted on the auriscope; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a speculum of the instrument; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view of a handle, trigger and pump assembly of the instrument; Figure 6 is a side view of the trigger; Figure 7is a side view of a pump drive rod of the instrument; Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view ofthetrigger and drive rod connection;; Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the pump and cleansing fluid reservoir assembly; Figure 10 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a piston ofthe pump; Figure 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the piston and drive rod connection; and Figure 12 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a valve in the pump and reservoir assembly.

Referring now to the drawings, a medical instrument for effecting cleansing of a body cavity such as an ear canal of a human ear 10 comprises a hollowsubstantiallyfrust-conicallyshaped speculum 12which is adapted to be releasably mounted on a head portion 14 of a conventional auriscope indicated generally at 16. The head portion 14 ofthe auriscope 16 contains a conventional light sourcefor illuminating the ear canal of the ear 10 and a conventional optical arrangement to enable an operative, whose eye is indicated at 18, to viewthe ear canal when the speculum 12 is placed in the patient's ear 10.

The speculum 12 has a nozzle 20 mounted therein which is releasably connected by a tube 22 to a trigger operated pump assembly indicated generally at 24. The pump assembly 24 draws cleansing fluid from a reservoir 26 via a supply tube 28. An outlet port 30 is provided in the speculum 12 and is connected via an air vent assembly 32 to a drain tube 34through which used cleansing fluid and debris dislodged thereby is drained from the ear canal and the interiorofthespeculum 12.Atransparent partition 36 is mounted in the speculum 12 between the outlet port 30 and the end of the speculum 12 connected to the head portion 14 ofthe auriscope 16.

The trigger operated pump assembly 24 comprises a body 38 having a handle 40 and a substantially cyldinrical portion 42 in which the body portion 44 of the auriscope 16 is releasably mounted.

A cylinder 46 in which a piston 48 is slidably mounted is provided in the body 38 and the piston 48 is connected to a trigger 50 by a drive rod 52 so that operation ofthetrigger 50 produces a pumping stroke of the piston 48 in the cylinder 46. The drive rod 52 has a bifurcated end to which the trigger 50 is connected by a crank pin 54 as shown in detail in Figures 5,6,7 and 8 ofthe drawings and the other end ofthe drive rod 52 is pivotally connected to the piston 48 as shown in detail in Figures 5,10 and 11 of the drawings. Atension spring 56 is connected between the body 38 and the trigger 50 to return the piston 48 to the position shown in Figure 5 ofthe drawings after a pumping stroke has been carried out.

The cylinder46 is connected via ball-type non-return valves 58 to the nozzle tube 22 and to the supplytube 28 so that successive operations and releasing of the trigger 50 produces pumping and return strokes of the piston 48 to draw cleansing fluid from the reservoir 26 and injectthefluid into the ear canal through the nozzle 20 in the speculum 12.

The utilisation ofthis trigger type of mechanism produces a smoother operation ofthepumpwhich in combination with the provision of the handle 40 enables the position of the speculum 12 in the ear 10 to be more accurately controlled. Furthermore, utilisation ofthis instrument in combination with and as an attachment for an auriscope enables constant visual monitoring of the cleansing operation to be carried out so that the jet of fluid from the nozzle 20 can be directed to a required portion of the ear canal.

During the cleansing operation, the used cleansing fluid and debris dislodged thereby from the ear 10 is drained through the outlet port 30 in the speculum 12. During such a cleansing operation, it is possible thatthe speculum 12 is inserted into the ear 10 into such a position and the external surface ofthe speculum forms a partial seal with the ear 10 and thus the provision of the air vent 32 avoids any build up of pressure in the ear canal during a cleansing operation.

It will be appreciated from the above that this instrument enables a conventional auriscope to be utilised in combination therewith to carry out cleansing of body cavities such as ear canals in a manner which overcomes or alleviates the disadvantages of using conventional aural syringes.

Claims

1. A medical instrument for effecting cleansing of an ear canal or other body cavity comprising a speculum adapted to be releasably mounted on a head portion of an auriscope to form an attachment for use therewith so that lightfrom the light emitting means of the auriscope is transmitted through the speculum to illuminate the ear canal or other body cavityto allow visual inspection thereof through the auriscope's viewing arrangement, the speculum having a nozzle therein through which a cleansing fluid can be injected into the ear canal or other body cavity to effect cleansing thereof, wherein a fluid connection is provided between the nozzle and pump means which supplies cleansing fluid to the nozzle.

2. A medical instrument according to Claim 1, wherein the pump means is releasably connected to a body portion of the auriscope.

3. A medical instrument according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the pump means comprises a handle and a manually operable trigger mechanism for actuating a pump.

4. A medical instrument according to Claim 3, in which the pump comprises a piston-and-cylinder mechanism,whereinthe piston is moved bythe trigger mechanism in the cylinder to carry out a pumping stroke to eject cleansing fluid from the nozzle in the speculum and inject said fluid into the body cavity.

5. A medical instrument according to Claim 4, wherein the pump means is releasably connected to a reservoir of cleansing fluid by conduit means and resilient means is provided for effecting-a return stroke ofthe piston in the cylinder after a pumping stroke has been carried out.

6. A medical instrument according to Claim 5, wherein the pump means includes valve meansfor enabling the cylinderto refill with cleansing fluid from the reservoir during the return stroke of the piston.

7. A medical instrument according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an outlet port is formed in the speculum to enable the used cleansing fluid and debris dislodged thereby to drain therefrom.

8. A medical instrument according to Claim 7, wherein the outlet port is connected to a drain conduit and an air vent is provided to obviate a build up of pressure in the speculum and the body cavity which is being cleansed.

9. A medical instrument according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein a transparent partition is provided in the speculum between the auriscope's light source and viewing arrangement and the outlet port.

10. A medical instrument constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.