US1720198A - Syringe - Google Patents

Description

July 9, 1929. c. A. BALLREICH SYRINGE Filed Dec. 15, 1926 air/007g Patented July 9, 1929.

CHARLES A. BALLREICH, 0): LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SYRINGE.

Application filed December 15, 1926. Serial No. 154,871.

This invention has to do generally with syringes and is more particularly concerned with syringes used for flushing or irrigating the vagina.

It is known that the defining walls of the vagina are normally more or less flabby and tend to cling together in a manner to resist thorough flushing and cleansing between the folds. I have provided a syringe having a dilator which is adapted to dilate the vagina walls in a manner to open out the folds and thus give full access tothe flushing stream, to the end that the cleansing operation may be thorough and effective.

Now I am aware that heretofore there have been syringes provided with devices intended to perform this function, but their common fault seems to have been that they have been so harsh that the pain accompanying their application has led to discontinuance of their use. Furthermore, these devices, while having a distending effect on the vagina, as a whole, have usually been of a nature to compress the wall-foldstogether in an entrapping manner, rather than separating said folds. I

Another short-cominghas been their comparative bulk and complication, both of which characteristics are most undesirable, as will be readily understood. The above statements are not made in the spirit of derogation, but merely that my advance in the art may be more clearly pointed out.

I have provided a dilator having characteristics which not only insure proper distention of the vagina and opening out of the wall-folds but also enable the entry, use and withdrawal of the syringe without causing pain, to the end that the use of the syringe is encouraged and harmful results avoided.

Generally, I accomplish this by the provision of a dilator held to the syringe stem near its nozzle end, the dilator comprising a body portion about the stem and from which project radial, flexible arms of a length and degree of rigidity sufficient to extend and hold out the walls of the vagina so access is had to the complete surface thereof. However, the arms have sufiicient inherent flexibility to allow them to yield and bend substantially parallel to-the stem as the syringe is inserted or withdrawn through the orifice, to obvious advantage. The resiliency of the arms is such that they assume an extended position as soon as they clear the orifice.

The dilatormay be considered as of star formation, the points being adapted to engage the vagina walls at spaced points, thereby insuring a proper extension and yet not overlying too much surface nor preventing the free flow of fluid from the syringe.

Preferably, though not necessarily, I also provide the syringe stem with a distender adapted to act on the orifice walls during use of the syringe. lVhile this distender is used to advantage in combination with the dilator above described, it is also useful in connection with syringes having no dilator or having a dilator different to that disclosed. Therefore, the combination of the stem and distender, without the inclusion of the dilator, is made the subject matter of certain of my claims.

This distender is preferably in the nature of a fluted sleeve, preferably somewhat pearshaped, the ribs of the sleeve being adapted to engage the orifice walls to prevent them from closing down on the syringe stem, proper, and the channels between ribs providing a passageway for the outlet of flushing fluid. While the distender may be a .sleeve of rubber adapted to be slipped over the stem, my broader claims contemplate the substitution of an integral enlargement of the stem, said enlargement serving as a distender and being grooved longitudinally to provide the desirable passageways.

Other objects and novel features of the invention will be made apparent in the follow ing detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1, the showing of the distender being omitted;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a variational manner of ap lying the distender to the syringe stem.

11 the drawings I have shown a syringe embodying a tubular stem 10 which preferably tapers from its rounded and apertured nozzle end 11-to the fluid inlet end 12. A hose 13 is applied to end 12 in the usual manner and leads from a relatively large capacity fluid-reservoir .14. There may be a. usual force-bulb 15 in the hose line in order to create forcible jets through the nozzle apertures 16 which open from stem bore 17.

My dilator is indicated generally at 18 and is characterized as a star-shaped member made up of ring-like body portion 19 and normally radially extending points or arms 20, these arms being smoothly rounded throughout. Arms 20 are made of a yieldable, resilient material such as rubber and may be integral with body portion 19, the degree of rigidity of the arms (tending to hold them normally projected in the manner shown in Fig. 1) is sufficient to hold the relatively yielding walls of the vagina extended and to open out the wall-folds, but the arms are sufiiciently flexible to permit them being bent either backwardly or forwardly, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, into substantially parallel relation with the stem during insertion and withdrawal, respectively,

of the syringe. The yieldability is such that this bending may be accomplished Without fear, injury or pain to the user.

As described at the forepart of this description, the dilator arms spread the vagina walls in a manner to expose them fully to the action of the spray from nozzle 11, and this insures a thorough cleansing. In view of the somewhat full remarks previously made in this connection, this point will not be enlarged upon here.

\Vlule the arms 20 may be held to the stem in any suitable manner, I preferably provide an annular groove 21 in the stem near nozzle 11, the body member 19 being first radially expanded as it is slipped along the stem into registry with the groove and then, by virtue of its inherent resiliency contracting intosaid groove, being thereby positioned on the stem.

I have provided a distender 22 on stem 10, said distender preferably being in spaced relation'with respect to extender 18. l/Vhile this dilator may be characterized as an enlargement of and therefore integral with the stem and my claims contemplate such a characterization) preferably it is in the formof a separate rubber sleeve slipped over the small end of the stem and held in any suitable manner, as by friction, in proper positionon the stem. In such a case, and as illustrated in- Fig. 5, the dilator may be adjusted longitudinally along the stem to suit the individual requirements. Or it may be contracted into an annular recess 23, as in Fig. 4, to hold it more or less fixedly in av givenposition. i

Dilator 22 is preferably somewhat pearshaped, the smaller, rounded end facingextender 19, and it is fluted to provide surface depressions or waterways 24 which preferably extend substantially parallel to the axis of the stem. The ribs 25 which define these passageways are adapted to s read or distendthe walls of the vagina ori' ce, thus holding said'wall's clear of passageways 24 and insuring the free outward flow of flushing fluid, a very important provision, as will be understood.

.It will be noted that the syringe is of a most simple nature, requires no special attention to prepare it for immediate use, and, due to its nature and appearance, relieves prospective users from any fear of its employment, its use hence being encouraged.

It will be understood the drawings. and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive onthe broader claims appended hereto, for various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without de-partingfrom the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim:

I 1. In a device of the character described, a relatively rigid tubular stem having nozzle apertures near one end thereof, the stembeing provided with an annular groove at apoint adjacent the apertures, and a dilator on the stem, said dilator being characterized as a. ring likebody portion having radial, resilient arms formed of soft yieldingmaterial, saidbody portion being radially sprung into the groove and thereby positioning the dilator longitudinally on the stem.

2-. In a syringe, a relatively rigid tubular stem havingnozzle apertures near one end thereof, and a dilator surrounding said stemhaving a ring portionadj aeent said apertures, a single row offlexible armsformedofrelatively soft elastic material extending out-- wardly fromsaid ring at right angles to said stem, said arms being yieldingly connected to said ringportionwhereby they may bebent from the position at right angles to the stem to a position parallel to the stem.

3; In a syringe, a. tubular stem formed of relatively rigid material and having a nozzle end, an independent; dilator of relatvelysoft material on said stem and havinga plurality of spaced fingers. adjacent said nozzle end and adapted tov d-ilateythewalls of the cavity into which the syringe isinserted, and a distend'er on the stem spaced from the dilator and adapted; to di'stend' the opening into the cavity, saidv distender comprising a plurality of-arms extending longitudinally of the stem and providing passageways therebetwe'en, said dilatorfingers and sa-id distender arms being formed of softyielding material whereby they may be bent around. the stem.

In witness that I claim the foregoingI" have hereunto,subscribedmy name this first day of December 1926.

7 CHARLES A. BALLREIGH;

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