US2893379A - Illuminating devices - Google Patents

Description

July 7, 1959 H. A. SPRINGER ILLUMINATING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 15, 1956 INVENTOR. HENRY A. SPRINGER ATTORNEY July 7, 1959 H. A. SPRINGER ILLUMINATING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 15, 1956 INVENTOR HENRY A. SPRINGER BY Q [@Qk/ ATTORN EY United States ate-nit hfice 2,893,379 Patented July 7, 1959 2,893,379 ILLUMINATING DEVICES Henry A. Springer, Cincinnati, Ohio Application February 15, 1956, Serial No. 565,571

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-23) The invention relates to means adapted to transmit oblique or slanting or bent light rays indirectly to and upon parts, cavities, and the like, of a human being, :animal or other living thing.

In the past considerable difliculty, inconvenience and :trouble has been experienced by surgeons, physicians and others in the examination of various ordinarily concealed parts, particularly diseased membranes and tissues, of 'human beings, animals and other living things, because of insufficient and poor illumination of the parts being texamined and inspected. This is particularly so when rexamination is being made in cavities of the body which :are not accessible for satisfactory illumination by ordiznary lights. Also, in the past surgeons have had great difficulty in seeing properly and well when performing operations on human beings, animals, and other living ithings in regions and cavities where normal lighting and iillumination is not accessible. Particularly, when periforming operations on human beings surgeons must have exercised a great degree of care when previously selecting illumination to enable them to clearly and properly see and visualize the parts, membranes, and tissues upon which the operation is being performed. This is so because a light which develops a relatively low temperature is necessary in surgical work due to the fact that ethyl, and vapors therefrom, explode or ignite at a temperature of approximately 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and some anes thetics ignite and explode at even lower temperatures. Quite obviously, the explosion of an anesthetic being injected into or inhaled by a human being or animal results in serious complications, and often death of the patient.

Therefore, an important object of the invention is to provide simple, economical, efiicient and practical means, which operates at relative low temperatures, to clearly illuminate mucous membranes and other parts, particularly cavities in the bodies of human beings, animals and other living things, while a surgical operation is being performed by a surgeon, or during inspection of such membranes, tissues, cavities of human beings, animals and other living things by a surgeon, physician or other examiner.

Other objects of the invention are to provide dependable and efiicient means, capable of being attached to a conventional surgeons headgear, to emit or project light rays into cavities of the human body which are not accessible by the lights or illumination normally used in an operating room; to provide means to concentrate the rays of light from an electric lamp or bulb by use of a plane-convex lens positioned, also, to bend said light rays in a predetermined direction, said light rays being generated by electricity from an electrical outlet by use of a 6 volt rheostat or transformer connected by a convenrtional plug-in device with a 110, or the like, volt electric supply line; and to provide a light bulb mounted within a cylindrical casing and in combination with a lens to focus obliquely the maximum brilliancy and intensity of 2 heat generated by said bulb is, so to speak, trapped within the casing so that the normal temperature of the casing remains far below temperatures required to cause explosion of ethyl vapors that may come in contact with the casing.

Further and other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from a consideration and study of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

The invention consists in the combination of the ele-' ments, arrangement of parts and in the details of the construction, as hereinafter claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the invention attached to a head-gear received on the head of a wearer, also shown in perspective;

Fig. 2 .is a side elevational view of the invention, with the head-gear removed, and parts broken away;

light rays, said casing being sufiiciently large so that the Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through Fig. 2, and showing the head-gear partly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view showing a modified use of the invention, with parts broken away.

In the preferred construction of the invention I provide the surgeons lamp 1 comprising the horizontal cylindrical casing 1 formed from plastic, rubber, asbestos or other suitable material and having its front end 2 provided with internal threads 3 to receive the external threads 4 on the rear end of the cap 5 having fixed, as by the cement 6, in its front end 7 the pla-no-convex lens 8 having a convex front side 9 and a [flat rear side 10.

It is well known that convex and concave pieces of glass are adapted for changing the direction of rays of light and thus, respectively, magnify or diminish the apparent size of objects. A plano-convex lens will accomplish the same relative effect. If rays of light, originating from a selected area, pass through a lano-convex lens obliquely of the lens these rays are caused to bend in a direction predetermined by the position of the lens.

The oblique lens 8 is mounted in the cap 5 at an angle with a vertical plane taken through casing 1', for the purposes hereinafter fully explained. For the purpose of closing the open rear end 11, of the casing 5, I provide cup 12 which is threaded onto the outer portion of the end 11.

Secured to the rear or outer surface of the cup 12, as by the screws 13, is the leg 14 of the hinge 15 whose other leg 16 is fixed, as by the rivets 17, to the inner surface of the front 18 of the circular band 19, of the headgear 20, adapted to fit over and around the head 21 of a wearer 22, as shown in Fig. 1. The curved strap 23 has its lower ends fixed, as by stitchings 24, to the outer sides of the band 19 at points intermediate the rear and the front of the band to retain the band 19 in a predetermined stationary posit-ion upon the head 21 of the physician, surgeon, consultant or other wearer 22. The ears 25, integrally connected with the outer and lower ends of the strap 23, extend downwardly from the band 19 for the purpose of enabling the wearer 22 to manually and suitably adjust the band 19 on his head and also to enable him to change the relative position of the casing 1' with respect to his head.

Fixed to the inner side of the band 19, and in contact with the leg 16, of the hinge 15, is the rectangular-sheet or tab 26 having its lower end 27 extending below the band 19 for the purpose of retaining the eye glasses 28 of the wearer in fixed position on his head after once the casing 1' and cap 5 is properly adjusted on his head. The tab 26 is particularly useful to the wearer 22 who uses eye glasses having bifocal lenses because pressure contact of the lower end 27 of the tab 26 with the upper portions of the rims of the eye glasses 28 retain the bifocarlswer'arc reading lenses in'pr'oper and desirable focus with the eyes of the wearer.

For the purpose of enabling the wearer 22 to vertically aiid' adjustably fix the position of the casing 1 and cap {with respect 'to his head, and with the headgear receiyed on his head, the bolt 29 is received through holes in th'e iippe'r'ends of the legs 16 and 14, of the hinge. A coil or spiral spring 30 is received around the body of thebolt and has it's ends 31 and 32 in contact with the'legs 16 and rm'r'especuva or the hinge 15. The head 33, of the bbltcontacts the rear side of the leg 16 and the nut 3'4'isreceived on the forward threaded end of the ma of the "bolt nut normally is in contact with the front side of the 'leg'14, brine hinge 15, whereby manual movement of the nut on the threaded body of the b o lt 29 changestherelative position of the casing 1' and cap 5. is s o because the spring'30 is com pressed between the upper ends of the leg 16 and 14, of the hingeISQwhereby manual movement of the nut 34 rearwardlyon the body of the bolt 29 causes the leg 14 of the hinge to move rearwardly and toward the rear leg 16 whereby the leg 14 being fixed to the cup 12, which is fixed to the casing 1', as herein previously explained, draws the casing rearwardly and as the distance between the upper ends of the legs 16 and 14 of the hinge normally is greater than the distance between the lower hinged ends of the hinge 15, movement of the leg 14 toward the leg 16 simultaneously moves the upper portion of the casing 1'- both rerwardly and upwardly, and manual movement ofthe nut 34 forwardly on the body of the bolt 29 changes the normal axis through the center of the casing 1 and cap 5, and allows the compressed spring 30 to move the upper end of the leg 14, and the casing 1, away from the leg 16, and thereby tilt the casing 1' o nw r y nd f wa y- Fixed to the bottom or lower side of the casing, as by the screws 35, is the conventional 6 volt electric lamp or bulb socket 36 having its bulb receiving receptacle 37, ex-v tending upwardly from the bottom of the casing. Re ceived in the receptacle 37 is the conventional 6 volt elec: tric'lamp or. bulb 38 mounted transversely of the casing and whose filament 39 is disposed somewhere above a horizontal plane taken through the center of the casing. Electric, current conducting wires 40. and 41 are; connected with the transformer 42, and the socket 45. to conduct or convey electric current through the transformer 42 and to' the. filament 3.9. in the. bulb 38 for illuminating the filament and bulb. Connected with the transformer is the electric current conducting wires 43 and 44 which are connected by the plug 45 with suitable outside source of electric current supply, normally of 110 to 115 volts.

The lens 8, preferably is 1.6 inch focal length, and it may be positioned approximately. 1.6 to 1.5 inches for- Wardlyof the filament 3.9of the-bulb 38. The lens 8 is permanently'pos'iti oned and cemented in the cap 5 and with its: fiatrear side 'ltlinclined upwardly and forwardly whereby light rays from the filament travel horizontally'to the' lens'8 and thence, as'indicated by' dotted lines 8", bend downwardly orobliquely at an angle from a horizontal plane taken through the center of-the casing 1'. "In'otherwords, the light rays pass indirectly and downwardly from the filament--39 onto an'object to be illuminated.

'The top edges of the front ends of the casing 1 and the cap 5, respectively, are beveled or cut-a-way at 1" and 5 'whereby when the lampI'is held in the hands of an operator or-sui'georihe may lookdown the line of vision, represented'by' the-dotted line 38 which'is substantially parallel with'and in direct line with the rays of light emitted by the'lens 8, i

Animpor'tant obje'ctof. usingia 6 volt lamp 38, in the casing l is that'cert'ainvapors of ethyl, and other anestheticspexplblde or ignite at 212 degrees, and less, Fahren: heit and it' is, therefore, advantageous to maintain a relative low temperature of the exterior of the lamp 1.

The auxiliary lens 46 is not a part of my invention but it is normally used to magnify an object the surgeon, examiner, physician or other wearer 22 desires to plainly see in magnified form. The lens 46 is mounted on the rod 47 which is rotatable on the shaft 48 suitably connected with the casing 1'.

The operation of the invention is as follows: First the wearer 22 who, as previously explained, may be a phy sician, surgeon, consultant, examiner or other person, positions the headgear 20 on his head with the band 19 horizontally around hishead and the strap 23 over and around the top of his head. Then the operator 22 connects the plug 45 with suitable outside source of electric current supply whereby the filament 39 of the 6 volt electric bulb 38 is illuminated. Now, let us assume that the wearer 22 is a surgeon who wants and needs illumination of a specific darkened cavity in a human body. First, the wearer adjusts the nut 34 to cause the casing 1 to be properly elevated or lowered to permit .rays of light to pass from the lamp 38 through the 'lens5 in the proper directiontoward the object, or cavity of the human body, on which the necessary surgeryoperation is destined to be performed for the ultimate purpose of saving the human being or subject from immediate death or prolonging his now apparently reduced ultimate span of life expectancy.

-A t this point it is well to explain that when a surgeon performs a surgical operation and he cuts intotissues of any animal, including a human being, the degree of the efficiency and ultimate success-of the operator, or surgeon, to cure the patient or importantly reduce his present physical ailment, pain and discomfort resides to a great degree in the operator or surgeon in clearlyvisualizing or seeing exactly what tissues in the human body that needs correction.

In the past 'numerous'operations by surgeons on human-beings have been failures, or only partially successful,'because' the surgeon was not able to clearly visualize or see the human tissues on which he was operating. Quite naturally without proper and efiicient illumination of the cavity, or tissues on which the surgical operation is being performed, the surgeon may-not achieve desired success of the operation. For example, I have found by experimentation that at a distance of 6 inches from a 6 volt, 15 candle power electric-lamp, or bulb, the reading one. Weston Phatronic Exposure'Meter, Model .650is approximately 40, whereas when .the capI-Scontaining the convex lens 8, whose diameter is 1% inches and whose. thickness is inch, is screwedonto thecasing 1' to as position where the distance fromithe. filament 39 to the'flat side 10 of the lens 8 isv approximately 1 /2 inches, the reading of said meter is somewhat'over' 400. Now place the meter 12 inches fromlthe cap-.5. and the'meter reading, with the lens 8 removed, is around 10, but after thecapS is again screwed onto thecasing l'and the rays of" light pass through-the-lensonto the sensitive meter placed-12 inches distant from the lens 8, the meter reading is somewhat over 400. Under these explainedconditions the area of the spot of light, after the light rays pass through the lens 8,-12 inches from'thelensis approximately 2.5 sq. inches, whereas at a distance of 2 feet from the lens the area of the spot of light is approximately 5 sq. inches and the abovementioned meter reading of this last mentioned spot of light is approximately" 400.

Therefore, a surgeon who operates on human tissues illuminated by the above mentioned 400 degrees of illumination is enabled to perform his work moreefiiciently than when hisvisibility is limited. "After the surgeon has: satisfactorily adjusted the'headgear and the relative position of the casing 1'- and cap 5 he may readily direct thefspot light or coneentrated rays of light, which pass throughthe lens, in thedarkened, cavity or; on the membranes and tissues on which'the surgical operation is to be performed. Moreover, he may continue to direct the spot-light or concentrated rays of light at desired locations simply by movements of his head. If he wears eye glasses the end of the tab 26 will retain and hold the glasses in a stationary position with respect to his eyes.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a modification of the invention, incorporated with a conventional proctoscope 49' which consists of a tube 49 capable of receiving accessories, as a conventional staff (not shown) having a round forward end. The upper end 50' of the tube 49 is releasably received in the hole 51 of the vertical frontplate 52. The hole 51 is in the lower portion of the front plate and its side walls are inclined downwardly and forwardly whereby, when the tube 49 is inserted into the hole 51, the tube 49 extends downwardly and forwardly at an angle from the frontplate, the degree of the angle being dependent upon the degree of inclination downwardly and forwardly of the sidewalls of the hole in the frontplate, and for purposes fully explained hereinafter. The thumb nut 53 is threaded in the frontplate and can be manually screwed with its inner end in contact with the tube 49 for retaining the tube in fixed position in the hole 51.

There are many reasons why the tube 49 should be quickly and conveniently manually removed from the hole 51 in the frontplate 52, as will be hereinafter fully explained. An important reason is that in practical usage the tube 49 sometimes is inserted into the rectum of a patient with the rounded end of a staff (not shown) acting as a guide after both the outer surface of the tube and the rounded end are smeared with a lubricant, as Vaseline. After the tube 49, with the staff therein has been inserted into the patients rectum, the thumb nut 53 is manually loosened and the casing 54 is manually forced rearwardly to disengage the rear end of the tube 49 from the hole 51 after which the stafl is removed from the tube which is again inserted into the hole 51 and the thumb screw 53 is manually tightened to fix the tube 49 in contact with the casing 54. p

The frontplate 52 is integral with the front end of the horizontal cylindrical casing or support 54 having its upper side cut away forming the spaced apart horizontal edges 55.

Fixed to the inside of the bottom of the casing or support 54, as by the screws '56, and near the rear end 57, is the electric bulb socket 58 the stem of which extends upwardly. In the socket 58 is the electric lamp or bulb 59 adapted to be illuminated by electric current conducted through the electric current conductors 60 and 61 in proper connection with the socket 58. The conductors '60 and 61 are connected with suitable outside source of electric current supply capable of illuminating the 6 volt filament 62 in the bulb by use of 6 volts, or the like, electric current received from conventional electric storage batteries or from an outside source of 110, or the like, volts electric current supply which passes through conventional means, as a transformer (not shown) to reduce the voltage of the electric current to 6, or the like, volts which is conducted through the conductors 60 and 61 to the filament 62 of the bulb.

The purpose of using in the socket 58 a 6 volt bulb is to efficiently provide 15, or the like, candle power illumination from the bulb 59 at relatively low temperature of the bulb and to maintain a relatively low temperature within the casing 54, because the exploding or ignitious point of ethyl, for example, is 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the herein described proctoscope, and modifications of the invention, very frequently may be utilized in close vicinity and proximity to ethyl, and vapors therefrom, and other anesthetics and their vapors which will ignite or explode at relatively low temperatures. The casing 54 is formed from plastic, rubberized or other suitable material and has an open threaded rear end 57. Fixed in the casing '54 forwardly of the bulb 59 is the planeconvex lens 63 having its rear fiat side 64 disposed at an oblique angle with respect to a v'rtial plane takeii through the casing 54. The front side 65 of the lens is convex in formation. The rear side 64 of the lens is inclined upwardly and forwardly. The purpose of inclining the lens is to cause the light rays, which are emitted from the bulb and pass through the rear flat side 64, to be diverted obliquely, forwardly and bent downwardly from a horizontal plane taken through center of the casing 54 and cause light rays to pass from the lens in concentrated light formation through the hole 51 in the frontplate 52 and thence into and through the hole 66 in the tube and into the bowel and upon the mucous membranes of the rectum and the alimentary tract of the human being, animal or other living thing whose rectum, bowel or mucous membranes of the rectum and the alimentary tract may be infected or otherwise in disorder so that the surgeon, physician or other examiner may look through the holes 51 and 66 without having the lens 63 or casing '54 interfere with his normal line of vision as indicated by dotted line 67 in Fig. 5.'

The degree of inclination from the horizontal plane taken by the light rays after passing from the bulb '59, through the casing 54 and the lens 63 depends upon the inclination of the lens 63 from the vertical plane; the position of the filament 62; and the convexity of the front side 65 of the lens. It is desirable that the light rays which pass from the bulb 59 through the lens 63 shall be diverted or bent downwardly into and through the hole 51, in the frontplate 52 and through the hole 66 in the tube 49 which is in longitudinal alignment with the surgeons vision, as represented by dotted lines 63', and, also, that such light rays shall be concentrated, as in a spot of light, in order to provide excellent illumina-- tion of the rectum, bowel or the mucous membranes: of the rectum and the alimentary tract being inspected and examined by the surgeon, phyician or other examiner. This result may be accomplished satisfactorily by scientific calculations or by manual experimentations with different kinds of lenses, lenses having different degrees of convexity, varying the distance from the lens to the hole 51, varying the angle at which the flat side of the lens is inclined, varying the position of the filament, and varying the downwardly and forwardly degree of inclination of the sidewalls of the hole 51 and the tube 49. The top of the casing 54, at its front end, is beveled or cut-away at 54 and in close proximity to the top edge 68' of the lens 63 so that the eye 68 of the surgeon, or other user, can look over the tops of the casing and lens into and through the tube 49 of the proctoscope.

By experimentation, I have .found that a very satisfactory way of deciding the proper oblique position of the lens 63, and the vertical position of the filament 62 is as follows: First, the operator should select the desirable position of the tube 49 so that the vision line 67 from the operators eye 68 passes directly over and in contact with the uppermost edge 68' of the lens 63, and also through the center of the tube 49. Then after the position of the filament 62 is decided upon, which position is a relative short distance above the center of the casing 54, the casing and the tube 54 are placed in a darkened room, and the filament 62 is illuminated by usu-al electrical connections, previously explained, whereby rays of light pass from the filament toward the lens 63. Then the operator should induce proper light reflective means, as smoke from a cigarette or cigar, directly in front of the lens 63. Then the operator can plainly see the exact direction and area vertically, of the rays of light which travel from the lens 63 toward the tube 49. The operator then merely manually moves or manipulates the lens 63 to a proper oblique position until the rays of light, which he sees reflected by the smoke, passing through the top edge of the lens also pass through the center of the tube 49, and in direct line with the surgeons line of vision. But I do not guarantee or positively indicate that this particular arrangement of parts is necessary or required to produce or provide what may be termed by the ordinarily prudentand experienced surgeon, physician or other examiner to bemost or nearmost satisf'actory and desirable to illuminate for inspections and surgical operations of the rectum, bowel or the mucous membra-nes of the rectum and the alimentary tract after insertion of the tube 49.

Threaded to the rear threaded end 57 of the casing 54 is the. cap 69 which closes the opening in the rear end of the support or casing 54. v

In Figs. 4 and are shown the support or casing 54 having the upper end 5.0 of theproctoscope tube 49 received in'the hole 51 in the frontplate 52 for use, as above explained, for inspection, visual examination, and surgical operations on the mucous membranes of the recturnand the alimentarytract.v

.Il1'Fl gJ6 is shown the upper end 70 of a nasalscope tube 'll-received in the hole 51 of the front plate 52, whereby a relatively bright spot of light or concentrated light rays can bepassed-frorn the bulb '62, through the lens 63 and through the tube 71 and end piece 72 for inspections, examinations and performance of surgical operations of the inner nostrils or nose. The hole 51 in the frontplate '52 may also receive the upper ends respectively of a gastroscope, bronchos'cope, and ophthalmoscope for the purpose of inspecting, examining and per formance of surgical operations on various tissues and parts of the human body to which use of these appliances generally is applicable.

The conventional framed magnifying glass. or lens 73, not a part of my invention, is pivotally attached to the casing 54 so that when the surgeon desires to magnify apart of the human body, at the end of the; tube 49, the glass is manually pivoted from the position shown in Fig. 4 to a position adjacent the hole '51. Also, the frame 74 of the lens then seals the hole 51 so that compressed air may be introduced into the tube 49 for expanding the intestines of the person whose interior is being inspected or on which an operation is to be performed.

An advantage of the invention is that a concentrated and brilliant spot of light having a relatively high light meter reading can be readily and safely directed in, toward and on selected cavities and tissues of and inside a-humanu body, whereas, in the past inspections, examinations and surgical operations have been performed when readings of similar'light meters have been relatively low in and on said cavities and tissues.

It is apparent that Ihave. devised a novel and useful structure which embodies the features of advantages enumerated, and while Ihave,-in the present instance,

cation ill-various particulars. In other words, the relative 1 size and positionsof the parts of the invention may be varied and saidparts constructed of any materials deemed convenient, andsuitable for an article of this character, andI wish to emphasize the fact that I desire to include in this application all equivalents and substitutes that may fairly be considered tocome within the scope and pur-- view of the: invention. as defined in the claims.

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

1. In a device of the class described and comprising a casing, an electric lampin 'said casing, a plano-convcx lens insaid casing and through which light rays pass from said lamp, aproctoscope-releasably fixed to the front end of said casing and having a tube extending downwardly and forwardly through which said light rays. pass, the .top of said casing being cut-a-way in close proximity to the top edge of said lens to enable a surgeon to look over said casing into and through said tube, said tube being in longitudinal alignment with said surgeons line of vision when he looks over said cut-a-way of said casing and into saidtube. v

2. In a'device of the class described and comprising a horizontalcasing, an electric lamp therein, a planoconvex lens mounted in said casing with its flat side disposed at an, oblique. angle with respect to a vertical plane taken through the casing, a proctoscope extending downwardly and forwardly and having its rear end releasably connected with'the front end of said casing and being mounted to-receive' light rays therethrough which pass :from said lamp and through said lens, the topedge of said casing being beveled whereby a line extended parallel with said light rays passes: over said' beveled edge and into an: eye of, a user of said device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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