GB2368575A

GB2368575A - A spool for filamentary material

Info

Publication number: GB2368575A
Application number: GB0025160A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John S H Curnow; Colin Evans; Robert Freeman
Original assignee: Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Current assignee: Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Priority date: 2000-10-13
Filing date: 2000-10-13
Publication date: 2002-05-08
Also published as: GB0025160D0

Abstract

A spool for filamentary material comprises a base member 11 and a removable closure member 13 which form a housing for a rotary spool 12, the housing being provided with an aperture through which the filamentary material may pass out of the housing and the closure member being adapted to cooperate with, and selectively prevent rotation of, the spool. The spool may be movable within the housing between a locking and a release position, and the spool may be biased towards the release position. The base and/or closure member may be provided with a channel or slot 21/29 which receives a bush 30 on the spool, the at least one channel/slot delineating the maximum extent of movement the spool may achieve. Complementary teeth 24 may be provided on the spool and the housing to prevent rotation of the spool, and the teeth may have a rounded profile to allow incremental rotation of the spool. The closure member may comprise a lid, secured to the base member by snap-fit spigots 28 on the lid which engage complementary passages on the base member. The base member may further comprise a reservoir for an antibiotic composition and the underside of the base member may have an antibiotic coating. In use, the spool is adapted for use in surgery, the filamentary material comprising suture thread. The spool for filamentary material is particularly suited to use in the diagnosis and/or treatment of female urinary incontinence.

Description

ADJUSTABLE THREAD TERMINAL This invention relates to thread terminals in general and in particular provides a suture terminal for surgical use and which allows the tension of the suture to be adjusted.

As used herein, the word'thread'is a reference to any flexible binding material and, in particular, to cable, twine, filaments, rope, suture material, fibres, string, yam or the like.

In various applications, a thread needs to be tightened relative to a fixed anchor point and the tension on the thread needs to be adjustable. Example applications include those in the domestic, industrial, farming and medical settings.

A particular application of this device is in the medical field.

In various surgical procedures, a supporting suture is anchored externally of the body at one end, the other end being passed internally of the body in an organ-supporting or tissue-supporting position, and back through the body wall to a terminal device in contact with the skin.

For use in the diagnosis or temporary treatment of female urinary incontinence, for example, the supported organ is the bladder or bladder neck and the procedure changes the position of the bladder or bladder neck within the abdomen. The clinician needs to be able to adjust the suture length in order to establish the optimum position of the bladder or bladder neck, possibly on an experimental basis over several days between successive patient consultations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a terminal device which permits secure but adjustable anchorage of the free or running end of a thread.

According to one aspect of the invention, a thread terminal device comprises a base member and a removable closure member therefor which cooperate to define a housing, and a rotary spool means having thread wound thereon, the housing including access means through which thread can pass externally of the device, the spool means cooperating with the closure member to lock the spool means to prevent rotary movement when the closure member is in the closure position on the base member.

The spool means may be movable within the housing between lock and release positions and may be biassed towards the release position, the closure member when in position to close the housing maintaining the spool means in the lock position against the bias.

However, for convenience and simplicity, the spool means may be movable manually from the lock to the release position on removal of the closure member. The spool means may be laterally or axially movable between the locked and release positions. It is preferable that, in any of these positions, the spool means is at least partially prevented from extreme axial movement by the base member.

To limit lateral movement of the spool means, the base member may incorporate a channel or slot which receives a bush formed on the spool means, the channel or slot determining the extent of movement, and the closure member or the spool means may incorporate a recess which cooperates with a corresponding bush formed in the other of the closure member and spool means to prevent movement of the spool means to the release position.

Either the spool means or the housing may include peripheral teeth which in the lock position cooperate with corresponding undulations formed in the other of the spool means and housing to prevent rotation of the spool means. Preferably, the teeth have a rounded profile whereby in the release position the spool means can be rotated while maintaining contact with the housing under tension in the suture, with associated reciprocating linear movement of the spool means as the respective peaks and troughs of the teeth/undulations pass over each other. In this way, the thread can be adjusted incrementally by counting the number of"clicks"between successive teeth, the length of thread corresponding with each "click"being known from the diameter of the spool means and the distance between successive teeth.

The closure member preferably comprises a lid portion that engages with the base member via locating passages in the base member, the closure member being secured by resilient spigots that engage with the walls of the said passages by snap-action, whereby the closure member cannot easily be removed once fitted in place on the base member. Alternatively, the locating passages may be formed in or as part of the closure member and the resilient spigots may be formed integrally with or as part of the base member.

An adjustment tool can be used to wind in or let out thread from the spool. The tool fits into a slot or shaped hole formed axially of the spool means to enable easy adjustment thereof. The spool means preferably has a thread retaining means, such as a slit, formed therein, for example radially.

In a preferred embodiment, the spool means is wound with suture material.

Preferably, the access means for the suture thread through the body member of this embodiment is formed substantially centrally of the base member, whereby the base member is kept flat on the skin surface under the tension in the suture thread. The base member may include a reservoir in communication with the access means for holding an antibiotic composition and the underside of the base member may have a coating comprising an antibiotic or other composition for preventing infection of the suture site from non-sterile material.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of a suture terminal device including a base, spool means and closure member ; Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view of the base and spool means of the device of Fig. 1 from another angle ; and Figure 3 is a perspective view from below of the spool means of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring firstly to Fig. 1, the device shown generally at 10 has a base 11, spool means 12 and a closure member 13. The base 11 has an upstanding formation 14 extending centrally from one end and flaring towards each side to define, as better seen in Figure 2, an undulating curved wall 15 provided with a bridging member 16 supported at its outer ends by side walls 17, passages 18 being defined between the side walls 17 and the ends of the curved wall 15.

The bridging member 16 has a central slot 19 formed therein, the blind end of which corresponds with a vertical groove 20 formed centrally of the curved wall 15 and communicating with a hole formed through the base 11. The base 11 also includes a longitudinal slot-like depression 21 formed generally at the centre of curvature of the wall 15 and which in use receives the lower boss 22 of the capstan-like spool means 12, formed with an upper annular flange 23, the peripheral edge of which is formed with a series of teeth 24 which are adapted to mate with the undulations formed in the curved wall 15.

With the boss at the left hand end of the slot 21, as shown in the drawings, the undulations and teeth are spaced apart from each other and the capstan 12 is free to rotate. However, with the boss at the right hand end of the slot, the undulations and teeth mesh or mate with each other and the capstan cannot rotate.

The closure member 13 has an upper wall 25, a curved depending end wall 26 and two resilient spigots or arms 27 which engage for location purposes in the passages 18.

The spigots 27 secure the closure member to the base member by snap-action against the side walls 17 of the passages 18 and are retained by barbs 28. To remove the cover member, the protruding ends of the spigots 27 are pressed towards the central longitudinal axis of the device and the closure member can thus be slid away (to the left as shown in the Figures).

The upper wall 25 of the closure member has an internal recess 29 which receives an upper boss 30 of the capstan and is positioned such that, when the device is assembled, the capstan is retained with its lower boss at the right hand end of slot 21 and, thus, with the teeth and undulations in engagement. The upper boss 30 of the capstan is formed with a slot 31 to receive an adjustment tool such as a screwdriver.

The lower boss 22 of the capstan is joined to the upper annular flange 23 by a neck 32 (see especially Fig. 3) having a diametric passage 33 formed therethrough. The upper flange 23 and the lower boss 22 each have radial slots formed therein, respectively 34,35, in registration when viewed axially and extending to the neck 32.

In use, the free end of the suture thread is passed through the hole formed in the base 11, then the suture thread is wound around the capstan, and secured in the passage 33. With the closure member removed, the capstan can be rotated in the left hand end of the slot 21, using a tool, to impart a desired tension to the suture thread ; the capstan is then moved to the right to engage the respective teeth and undulations of the capstan and wall 15 and the closure member is located in place, whereby the upper boss 30 engages in the recess 29 in the closure member and is thereby prevented from moving to the left, thereby preventing rotational movement of the capstan.

To adjust the tension on the thread with the closure member removed, the suture tension and the overhanging screen formed by the bridging member 16 can maintain the capstan in loose engagement with the base so that the capstan can be turned a predetermined or known number of"clicks"as the peaks and troughs of the teeth and undulations move with respect to each other.

Claims

Claims 1. A thread terminal device comprising a base member and a removable closure member therefor and which cooperate to define a housing, and a rotary spool means for thread, the housing including access means through which thread can pass externally of the device, the closure member including means to cooperate with and prevent rotary movement of the spool means.
2. A device according to claim 1, in which the spool means is movable within the housing between lock and release positions.
3. A device according to claim 2, in which the spool means is biassed towards the release position, the closure member when in position to close the housing maintaining the spool means in rotation-prevention position against the bias.
4. A device according to claim 2 or claim 3, in which the base member incorporates a channel or slot which receives a bush formed on the spool means, the channel or slot determining the extent of movement of the spool means.
5. A device according to any of claims 2 to 4, in which the closure member or the spool means incorporates a recess which cooperates with a corresponding bush formed in the other of the closure member and spool means to prevent movement of the spool means to the release position.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, in which either the spool means or the housing includes peripheral teeth which cooperate with corresponding undulations formed in the other of the spool means and housing to prevent rotation of the spool means.
7. A device according to claim 6, in which the teeth have a rounded profile whereby in the release position the spool means can be rotated while maintaining contact with the housing to adjust the thread incrementally.
8. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the closure member comprises a lid portion that engages with the base member via locating passages in the base member, the closure member being secured by resilient spigots that engage with the walls of the said passages by snap-action.
9. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the access means for the thread through the base member is formed substantially centrally of the base member.
10. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the device is for use in surgery or therapy, the thread comprising suture thread.
11. A device according to claim 10, in which the base member includes a reservoir in communication with the access means for holding an antibiotic composition.
12. A device according to claim 10 or claim 11, in which the underside of the base member has a coating comprising an antibiotic or other composition for preventing infection of the suture site from non-sterile material.
13. A thread terminal device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.