GB2217464A

GB2217464A - Abdominal probing device

Info

Publication number: GB2217464A
Application number: GB8907593A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barrera Fernando Padron
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-11
Filing date: 1989-04-04
Publication date: 1989-10-25
Also published as: GB8907593D0; FR2629705A1; IT1229171B; IT8920086A0; ES2006403A6; DE3910722A1; JPH0245032A

Abstract

An Abdominal Probing Device, for early detection of e.g. appendicitis, comprising a probe (2, 3) in a cylindrical body (5), the outer end 3 of the probe projecting beyond the body 5 and the inner end of the probe operating against a compression spring (4) and actuating an electronic of mechanical indicator (1) which indicates the resistance of the abdominal muscle. The preload of the spring may be adjusted and an external collar (9, 10), intended to be placed on the epidermis of the patient, can be adjusted on the body 5 so that the probe end protrudes to varying degrees beyond the collar 10 when pressure is applied to the patient's muscle. <IMAGE>

Description

DIFFERENTIAL ABDOMINAL PROBING DEVICE k 1,17 1 22., J64 The present

invention relates to a Differential Abdominal Probing Device, whose.invention represents an evident and substantial improvement over the known techniques of today.

The purpose of this invention i,5 to quickly determine when a patient suspected of having acute-abdomen, and especially acute appendicitis, _should be operated on or at least rushed to a hospital and consequently to reduce the risk of death that exists, as well as the high costs and suffering for a patient whose diagnosis is delayed.

In studies done in the United States, it has been concluded that more than 2,000 young persons will die as a result of acute appendicitis not diagnosed on time or only partially diagnosed. When appendicitis is properly diagnosed and when the operation is performed on time, the rate of death is low: 1/100,000.

It still isn't easy to distinguish appendicitis from-other ailments whose symptoms are similar, but by following the saying "if in doubt, take it out," the number of deaths can be reduced considerably.

The so-called "acute-abdomen" and its most frequent manifestation., the often serious acute appendicitis, can be very easy to diagnose in some cases, but difficult or very difficult in others. Early diagnosis is highly important because a delay in getting these patients to surgery can result in death in some cases, as has been demonstrated by the studies previously mentioned, or major post-surgery complications which can extend their hospital stays thereby i ncreasing medical 0 2 costs.

The surgeon, as a general rule, bases his diagnosis of acute appendicitis on clinical history, temperature, analytically and fundamentally on exploration, specifically on abdominal probing in which he seldom finds any signs more definitive than stiffness of-the right side of the abdomen.

The most valuable information according to a great many surgeons, even more valuable than analytical information, temperatures., etc., is derived from abdominal probing and specifically from abdominal resistance or contraction.

Therefore, medical professionals have needed long training in order to be able to evaluate such a transcendent piece of information, and it is noteworthy that the majority of postgraduates, as well as many professionals who practice medicine" in rural areas or more or less isolated communities, have real difficulty in evaluating abdominal resistance. This resistance is defined by the amount of-difficultyin depressing the abdominal wall in the area on which this important procedure is carried out.

The importance of this"information is well-known and therefore, the device described in this document has been developed, making it possible now to obtain objective evaluations on the patient to which it is applied, harmlessly and painlessly, allowing measurement of abdominal resistance.

After a long process of investigation this device was developed, with which measurements canbe made, even by nonexperts, of the most important information that a surgeon can obtain with his experience, that is, measuring the abdominal 1 - /a - 1 1 resistance, substituting the current subjective evaluation with an objective evaluation, easily and without harm to the patient.

This device is basically a dynamometer, to which a known force is applied to a suitable sensor and a reading is given as to the degree, greater or lesser, of penetration of the senor.

Different sensing systems, mechanical, electronic, etc. can be adapted for the reading.

It is worth noting that due to its simplicity in design and application, this device is destined to be found among the utensils of the majority of medical professionals., and to be essential to any community, especially if it is far away from any medical centers.

To better understand the invention described in this document a diagram has been attached in which one A embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example only; the illustration depicts a probing device represented in partial longitudinal section.

As is noticed through careful observation of the diagram, the device consists of an indicator mechanism -1-, which can be a dial, electronic display or any other properly graduated gauge, which converts the movement of a rod -2- joined to a probing tip -3- into an expression of measurement; said rod is surrounded by a compression spring -4-, appropriately tared according to the muscular resistance, which is located inside a sleeve or cylinder -5-, designed with caps at each end - 6and -7-, such that the spring is supported at one end by the upper cap 6- , by which it stops and holds the supporting rod of the indicator 1-, and at the other end in a ring -8 joined to the rod--2, which rests on the lower cap -7- when the device is not in use., through which the rod passes freely -2-, so that in function with the resistance felt by the probing tip -3-, the spring -4- is compressed when the rod -2is moved, whose free end acts upon the indicator -1, thereby transmitting and measuring muscular resistance.

On the outer part of the cylinder -5 a collar -g- has been provided, designedwith an external crown or rim -10-, whose crown acts as an adjustable stop of the probe -3-, given that it can be moved along the outside of the cylinder -5-, being provided with a set screw 11, so that according to the degree C of obesity or'accumulation of fat in the patient, the probing tip -3- can protrude to varying degrees with respect to the crown -10-, which in its application is supported on the 11 epidermis of the patient, while the probing tip -3is pushed to measure muscular resistance and transmits the measurement to the indicator mechanism -1-.

It should be noted that this device acts in the same way as in manual auscultation, in other words, first muscular resistance is measured on the right side of the abdomen and then on the left comparing both measurements, so that if there is a difference, the existence of acuteabdomen or appendicitis is detected. Therefore, it is possible that the device described up to now can be designed for a dual purpose, combining simultaneous probing of both sides, right and left, with simultaneous measurement being registered on a single indicator -1-.

Claims

Modifications to the invention are possible and may be desirablein

particular circumstances; the foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment only and the scope of the invention is to be determined by the Claims appended hereto.

- 6,e CLAIMS 1. A differential abdominal probing device comprising a tubular body with closed ends, a plunger proud of the body and movable axially of the body against the resistance of spring means within-the body and indicator means to indicate the relative axial position of plunger and body.
2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the plunger is co-axial with the body and passes through the end caps thereof, said spring means comprising a compression spring acting between one of said end caps and a flange of the plunger.
3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and further comprising abutment means movable axially of the body to fix the effective protrusion of said plunger.
4. A device according to Claim 4 wherein said abutment means comprise a cylindrical collar on the outside of said body and having a set screw to lock the collar and body at any desired relative position.
A device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the cylindrical collar is screw-threaded to the body.
6. A device according to any preceding Claim wherein the pre-load of the compression spring is adjustable.
7. A differential abdominal probing device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1989 at The Patent Office; State House, 6EV71 High Holborn, London WClR 47?. Further copies maybe obtained from The Patent Office. Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orptngton, Kent BR5 3RD. Pr2nted by Multiplex techniques ltd, St Maly Cray, Kent, Con. 1/87 ^1