GB2452562A

GB2452562A - A hinged plunger for an aspiration syringe

Info

Publication number: GB2452562A
Application number: GB0717555A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Alex
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-09-08
Filing date: 2007-09-08
Publication date: 2009-03-11
Also published as: GB0717555D0

Abstract

A plunger for use with an aspiration syringe, has a 'v' shaped slit on either side of two of the four plunger fins forming a hinge 4 enabling the plunger to be bent at right angles. The cut ends of the other two fins 5 are designed to act as hooks 3, which engage with the finger flange 6 of the syringe barrel. In use, the plunger is able to be locked in position, maintaining constant suction, while the syringe is used for aspirating cells from body lumps.

Description

DESCRIPTION: ASPIRATION SYRINGE PLUNGER

Introduction

This invention is an instrument used for aspirating cells of body lumps.

It is intended to be used in mainly in Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, which is a procedure performed to diagnose certain kinds of medical conditions, such as lumps in the breast.

Current Method When performing Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, a thin needle is inserted into a mass or lump to extract cells that will be examined under a microscope.

The left (non-dominant) hand is used to fix the mass within the breast tissue. With the other hand, a 21 or 23 gauge needle on a 10 ml or 20 ml syringe is guided through the mass. Then, suction is applied by drawing the plunger in the syringe backwards and keeping it in that position. The needle with attached syringe is moved backwards and forwards several times in different directions within the lump to get an adequate and representative sample of cells. Before withdrawing the syringe, suction is relieved. Once removed from the mass, the contents of the hub of the needle are be blown out onto a microscope slide or flushed into suitable bottles containing suitable preservave fluid and sent to the laboratory.

Drawbacks of using the conventional method The plunger has to be held in position after drawing it backwards so as to maintain a constant negative pressure for drawing cells Into the path of the needle.

In order to keep the plunger withdrawn one has to hold the rear end of the syringe rather than the front end which is closer to the lump. This reduces accurateness increasing the chance of the needle tip going into normal tissue.

The afore mentioned reason also makes the procedure unsteady whereby the needle could come out of the lump without aspirating adequate cells..

Keeping the plunger withdrawn and moving the needle through the lump has to be done simultaneously using the same hand making it a strenuous procedure.

Very often these difficulties necessitate a need for a second person to draw the plunger on the syringe maintaining suction while the clinician concentrates on the needle movements.

Detailed description of the invention (Aspiration Syringe Plunger) This is an invention for aspirating cells of bodily lumps which consists of a standard syringe and needle with a modified plunger. The plunger when withdrawn to a certain extent can be bent at right angles and gets locked in place onto the finger flange at the back end of the syringe barrel. This locking of the plunger is achieved by means of a retaining hook fashioned from a fin of the plunger, maintaining constant suction. 2..

Advantages As the plunger gets locked on withdrawing and bending it, suction gets constantly applied without the need to manually hold the plunger retracted.

The right (dominant) hand is freed from having to hold the plunger in place. Thereby the front end of the syringe can be held lessening the chance of the needle going into surrounding normal tissue.

Being able to hold the syringe at its front end close to the body also lessens the chance of the needle coming out of the lump inadvertently.

The clinicians hand is freed to just concentrate on moving the needle through the lump.

The use of this Invention will help avoid the need for a second person (to draw the plunger on the syringe maintaining suction while the clinician concentrates on the needle movements) in doing the procedure.

Components ( parts) of the Aspiration Syringe Plunger This invention is made up of a modified plunger used inside a standard syringe barrel.

Plunger (Figure 2) with two specific features o a V shaped slit on either side of 2 of the 4 plunger fins, giving rise to a hinge (4) enabling the plunger to be bent at right angles (Figure 3) o the other two fins (5) are designed to act as hooks (3), which get fixed(6) onto the finger flange (2) of the syringe barrel on bending the plunger at right angles after withdrawing to the inner elevation (1) at back end of the syringe barrel (Figure 4).

Figure 1 shows the standard Syringe barrel Figure 2 shows the modifies Plunger outside the syringe (3 dimensional view) Figure 3 shows the Plunger outside the syringe with the plunger bent at 90 degree at the hinge Figure 4 shows the Syringe barrel and Plunger locked In place by means of the retaining mechanism. * 3

Claims

1. Aspiration Syringe Plunger with a V shaped slit on either side of 2 of the 4 plunger fins, giving rise to a hinge enabhng the plunger to be bent at light angles.

2. Aspiration Syringe Plunger according to claim I with the other two fins designed to act as hooks, which get fixed onto the finger flange of the syringe barrel on bending the plunger at right angles after withdrawing to the inner elevation at the back end of the syringe barrel.