US2887151A

US2887151A - Proctological support

Info

Publication number: US2887151A
Application number: US709267A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry A Springer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-01-16
Filing date: 1958-01-16
Publication date: 1959-05-19
Anticipated expiration: 1976-05-19

Description

May 19, 1959 HQA. SPRINGER PRocToLoGICAL SUPPORT Filed Jan. 16, 1958 United States Patent O 2,887,151 1 PROCTOLOGICAL SUPPORT Henry A. Springer, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 16, 1958, Serial No. 709,267

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-166) The invention relates to means for enabling a human patient of a physician, surgeon, or the like, to assume and automatically maintain desirable position for his proctological or sigmoidoscopic examination. j

In the past al1 physicians, surgeons and other examiners have experienced ditiiculty and trouble inhaviug patients assume, maintain and keep a desired position for an examination of the lower intestine by use of a hollow. tube as a proctoscope with light rays projecting means to provide illumination through the tube so that the physician, surgeon or other examiner may clearly see and examine a selected portion or all portions of the lower intestine or bowel. Obviously for efficiency the physician, surgeon or other `examiner must quickly and with the least possible discomfort to the patient insert the forward end of the tube or 1proctoscope into and through the anus and rectum of the patient, the anus being the terminal portion of the rectum and the excremental orifice of the human body, The sphincter ani, or the sphincter of the anus, operates automatically to close the anus and rectum by utilization of muscles, namely the sphincter ani proper, or sphincter externus which consists of thin, at muscular fibers supplied by hemorrhoidal branches of neryesvfrom the :sacral "plexus, "surrounding the anus. Like most sphincters, it consists of symmetrical lateral halves -united by a raphe in front of and behind the opening it incloses. The sphincter is automatic and voluntary, of striated muscular fibers, and ordinarily maintains its automatic contractility because it yields by reex action to the pressure of the contents of the bowel.

. Therefore, if the position of the patient being examined by the physician, surgeon or other examiner is such that the front end of the tube can be inserted into the lumen of the bowel with slight or minimum fri-ctional contact with the anus and rectum, and therefore with practically no discomfort to the patient there is little or no tendency for the rectum to be in a spastic state. Under these circumstances comparativelyrsmall quantities of air must be injected by the physician, surgeon or other examiner into the tube to overcome the contraction of the bowel or intestine at the inner end of the tube. This is advantageous particularly for comfort of the patient, because when large quantities of air are injected into the large bowel, to cause the bowel to dilate the patient usually experiences colic or similar pains and therefore he has a desire to pass gas from his bowel. This passing of gas interferes with the physician, surgeon or other examiner making a quick and efficient examination. And then again a nervous patient may become panicky when air is injected into his bowel through the tube whereby the sphincter may suddenly relax with the ultimate result that it is very diticult for the physician, surgeon or other examiner to retain the tube in proper position for a thorough and eflicient examination. Also sudden relaxation of the sphincter may cause moist waves of air to pass from the anus and contact the facial areas, of the examiner, and eye glasses, thus obscuring his vision. And again, many inconveniences and discomforts are suffered by yboth the 2,887,151 Patented May 19, 195.9V

patient `and the physician, surgeon or other examiner when a sigmoidoscope, proctoscope or other tube is inserted into and through the anus and rectum of a patient, who is in an improper position. i

`An important object of the invention is to provide simple, eicient and practical means to enablea patient to be examined by a physician, surgeon and other examining person with minimum discomfort, by use ofY a proctoscope, tube or sigmoidoscope, and cause the patient to automatically relax and lose considerable control ,ot the exer muscles of the thighs and abdomen.

Other objects of the invention are to provide eflicienty and practical means to assist a patient to naturally and automatically maintain a position desired by the physi cian, surgeon or other examiner during his examination by use of a sigmoidoscope, proctoscope or similar tubeI whereby the physician, surgeon and other examining person may with least discomfort to the patient insert a sigmoidoscope, proctoscope, or tube through the anus and with its front end at a desired location with respect to the lower or large intestine; and to provide means of assist said patient to automatically relax, assume and maintain a desired position during the time he is being examined by the physician, surgeon or other examiner and with minimum physical eiort and discomfort to said` j patient.

Further, and other objects, and details of the invention, will be apparent from a careful study and reading of the: accompanying specification, claims, and reference to they drawings. l 2

The invention consists in the combination of the ele`A ments, arrangements of parts and in the details of thel construction, as hereinafterV claimed.

In the drawings: Y 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. `2` is `the sameshowing the rear of the invention;y

Fig; 3 is an assembly view-of parts shown supporting; a human being;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of parts of the invention shown broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the invention showing a human being positioned thereon.

In the preferred construction of the invention I provide the rectangular table 1 which comprises the vertical ends 2 and 3, the vertical front and rear sides, respectively, 4 and 5, the top 6 and the bottom 7,.

Suitably iixed to the ends 2 and 3, of the table 1, are the rigid vertical side-boards 9 and 10, respectively. The upper ends 11 and 12 of the side-boards 9 and 10, extend upwardly from the top 6.

The bottom 7, of the table 1, is supported by a suitable horizontal support or surface 13 such as a oor of a room, top of a table, or the like, which is in horizontal alignment with the bottom 7 of the box.

The top 6, of the table 1, is inclined downwardly and rearwardly, for purposes hereinafter explained.

Detachablyxed or connected with the rear side or edge 14, of the top 6, are the spaced apart stii and unyielding

vertical plates

15 and 16 which extend upwardly from the top 6. The space between the

plates

15 and 16 is vacant and unobstructed. In the lower ends of each

plate

15 and 16 is suitably fixed the vertical rod 17, shown inFig. 4, which extends downwardly from the plate and into the hole 18.

Fixed to the upper ends of the

plates

15 and 16, respectively, are the upper ends of the downwardly and forwardly extending spaced apart stii and unyielding supports 19 and 20 whose lower ends are fixed to the stiff and unyielding platform 21 whose side edges are aligned with the outer side edges of the supports 19 and 20. The space between the supports 19 and 20 is vacant and un obstructed.

assainir .f

When the table 1 is in practical use the knees 22 and 23, of the human being, or patient 24, are supported 'by the top 6, of the box and preferably with the knees 22 and 23, respectively in contact with the inner sides of theside-boards 9 and10, whereby the knees are spaced a predetermined distance from each other. The table is supported by the floor 25 and the lower edge ofthe 'platform 21 also rests upon the floor. The elbows `26 and 27, of the human being 24, are supported by floor 25 and the head 28 rests between the elbows upon the forearms of the human being, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, whereby the trunk 29 of the patient or human being, is inclined downwardly and forwardly to allow the intestines (not shown) to move or hang away from the buttocks 30 and toward the head of the human being, and particularly -in the space 31 between the supports 19 and 20.

The top 6, of the table 1 slants or is inclined downwardly and rearwardly which aids Tin angling the legs 32 of the patient 24 in a comfortable upgrade position and with the fronts of his

thighs

33 and 34 in contact with the rear sides of the

plates

15 and 16. The space 31 between the supports 19 and Ztl allows the abdomen to sag between the supports which prevents compression of the abdominal contents. Therefore, a physician, surgeon or other examiner may make an eicient examination of the lower intestine or bowel of a patient by use of the proctoscope or sigrnoidoscope 35, or other similar instru ment consisting of a hollow tube with means to project light rays through the tube so that .the examiner may see and examine through the tube a selected portion of the lower intestine or bowel. When the patient is positioned as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 the proctoscope may be received without difficulty into the lower bowel or intestine of the patient 17, which is advantageous because it is important that the examiner shall quickly and with the least possible discomfort to the patient insert the `forward or front end of the proctoscope through the anus and rectum of the patient vand into the lower or great intestine of the patient.

The invention shown in the drawings, and referred to 'and described in the above description, is the preferred embodiment of the same. However, I realize that the conditions concurrent with the adoption and utilization of my invention will necessarily vary. Therefore, I de` sire to state that various changes in the details of my invention may be resorted to without sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention, as dened in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A table having a top for receiving the knees of a human being, a pair of spaced apart unyielding vertical plates having` their lower ends detachably fixed to the rear side of said top, a pair of spaced apart downwardly and rearwardly extending unyielding supports having their upper ends connected with the `upper ends of said vertical plates, the space between said supports being vacant and unobstructed the lower ends of said supports being connected with a platform to support the chest of a patient while his abdomen is free and unsupported in the space between said downwardly and rearwardly lextending supports, andrneans to retain Vsaid 'knees against further spacing from each other.

2. A table having a top for receiving the knees of a human being, a pair of spaced apart vertical plates having their lower ends xed to the rear side of said top, a pair of spaced apart downwardly and rearwardly` extend ing supports having their upper ends connected with the upper ends of said vertical plates, the lower ends ofl said supports being connected with a stiff and unyielding platform to support the chest of a patient while his abdomen is free and unsupported in the space between said downwardly and rearwardly extending supports, the space between said supports being unobstructed.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Dec.v 16, 1874