WO2023161948A1

WO2023161948A1 - Bipolar cautery forceps tip cleaning device

Info

Publication number: WO2023161948A1
Application number: PCT/IN2022/050388
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yogesh Pralhad Chaudhari; Hrushikesh Pralhad Chaudhari; Megha Yogesh Chaudhari; Sneha Hrushikesh Chaudhari
Original assignee: Yogesh Pralhad Chaudhari; Hrushikesh Pralhad Chaudhari
Priority date: 2022-02-27
Filing date: 2022-04-26
Publication date: 2023-08-31

Abstract

This invention discloses a cleaning device for surgical bipolar electrocautery device with spaced tips, the device comprising: a middle part having at least two middle sides disposed along a longitudinal axis, wherein said middle sides having frictional surfaces; and at least two enclosure sides having at least two inner surfaces each of which is located on opposite side of each of said middle sides, wherein said enclosure sides are connected to said middle part and parallelly disposed to said middle part along said longitudinal axis.

Description

BIPOLAR CAUTERY FORCEPS TIP CLEANING DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION:

The invention relates to a tip cleaning device for electrocautery instruments such as bipolar cautery forceps, scissors, hook and similar instruments. Electrocautery instruments are used in different types of surgery, e.g., in open and endoscopic types of surgeries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART:

Electrocautery instruments are widely used in various medical fields. Bipolar electrocautery instruments are generally used to stop bleeding and also to cut tissues without bleeding. Bipolar electrocautery instruments can be used in multiple enduse forms, for example, the end use forms could be forceps, scissors or generally similar forms. These instruments generally have a pair of arms with specialized ends, each of which is called a “tip”, which is also an electrode. While the electrical current flows from one tip to the other tip, the tissue that is held in between the tips is thus cauterized and can be cut. At electrical level, the cauterization process, either as a cut or a coagulation, is due to controlled high frequency ionic currents that generate heat but not vibration.

Generally, the bipolar electrocautery instrument including its tips are reusable, but the instrument with its tips has to be sterilized each time before its use to prevent infections during surgery. Hence, there is a need to keep the bipolar electrocautery instrument in good usable condition, especially the alignment of end or tips need to be kept in proper alignment of opposition to each other without any deformation to be surgically useful for further use in other operations. Bipolar current passed between the tips of an electrocautery instrument produces heat in between the tips which leads to coagulation of tissues. During the process of cauterization, the coagulated or charred tissue often sticks to the tips of the instrument and hampers the passage of electric current due to resistance caused by the coagulated tissue pieces stuck on the tips. Electrocautery instruments in use during surgeries have tips that have coagulated tissues covering their surface area which lowers the efficiency of bipolar electrocautery instruments. Hence the instrument tips have to be repeatedly cleaned to remove the coagulated tissues covering the tip surfaces.

Cleaning of the tips is performed using tip cleaners. FIG. 1 shows one type of prior art cleaner which is a cleaning pad. The cleaning pad shown in FIG. l is a hanger made of abrasive material such as sandpaper. These cleaning pads are made of hard abrasive materials. The cleaning process of instrument tips is performed by mechanical rubbing of tips on an abrasive surface without use of any fluids.

To clean tips of bipolar electrocautery instruments, a surgeon has to scratch the instrument tips across the top surface of an abrasive layer of the tip cleaning pad. When tips are cleaned to remove any stuck tissue by abrasive friction of the materials, the process of rubbing the tips on the cleaning pad can lead to bending of instrument arms and also frequently leads to misaligned opposition of tips which eventually renders them unfit for surgical use. Misaligned opposition of the tips of bipolar electrocautery instruments also hampers grasping of tissue material during surgeries, consequentially such damage requires replacement of the tips or the instrument itself. The cleaning pad shown in prior art FIG.l is unable to clean the outer surfaces of the instrument tips. To clean the outer surface of the bipolar electrocautery instrument tips, another type of pad is used as shown in prior art as shown in prior art FIG.2. Here, the abrasive pad is folded in the form of a bulky ridge. The tips of bipolar cautery instruments are rubbed against a bulky ridge. But this frictional process of tip cleaning also damages tips by misaligning the opposed tip ends. Instruments with misaligned tips reduce the surgeon’s efficiency in a surgery and are also a safety risk for the patient being operated upon.

Prior art FIG.3 shows yet another type of bipolar electrocautery tip cleaner that uses an abrasive surface on only one side. During a surgery, the use of bipolar electrocautery instrument will lead to coagulation for both the tips, hence a device as shown in prior art FIG.3 can only be used to clean one tip at a time and will need repeated rubbing to clean both ends. This method requires more time for cleaning. Further, the risk of tip damage remains even if one tip is cleaned at a time. Continuous cleaning by rubbing the tips on a cleaning device shown in FIG.3 will deform the tips and also lead to corrosion which will reduce the usable life of tips. The prior art device as shown in FIG.3 focuses on clearing of the inner side of a tip, but in surgeries with more frequent blood and tissue contact, the tips will be completely covered by coagulation tissues and cannot be cleaned completely.

All the tip cleaners for bipolar cautery described in prior art devices as shown in FIGS.1-3 and described above are based on exclusively mechanical cleaning of tips which will lead to wear and tear of delicate electrocautery tips and will also lead to misaligned tips. After use in a surgery, bipolar electrocautery tips of an instrument will have coagulated tissues covering all its surface area. Due to heat, the coagulum stuck to the bipolar electrocautery tips will be dry, and dry coagulum is difficult to remove completely once it gets dried and becomes hardened. Hence, there is a need for a device and method to clean tips of bipolar electrocautery instruments that does not lead to wear and tear and misalignment of tips in opposition to each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

One aspect of the invention provides a cleaning device for bipolar cautery device’s tips that includes a base having a central upstanding wall that extends upward relative to the upper surface of the base. The central upstanding wall includes at least first and second surface which includes an absorbent material like cotton cloth or similar.

The wall may include a central skeleton preferably of conducting material. Thickness of the is preferably kept less.

The side walls are kept on either side of the central wall with a gap in between. The gap can be adjusted to suit dimensions of tip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:

The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG.l shows a prior art cleaning pad type of bipolar electrocautery cleaning surface; FIG.2 shows a prior art bipolar electrocautery cleaning surface having a ridge shaped cleaning surface; FIG.3 shows a prior art cleaner having a single sided bipolar electrocautery cleaning surface;

FIG.4 shows an embodiment of the invention in a U-shaped configuration in a vertical cross-section view;

FIG.5 shows leaning of forceps of bipolar electrocautery device using an embodiment of the invention;

FIG.6 shows an embodiment of the invention in W-shaped configuration in a top view;

FIG.7 shows an embodiment of the invention with compressible side surfaces in a top- view orientation;

FIG.8 shows an embodiment of the invention with compressible side surfaces in a side-view orientation; and

FIG.9 shows an embodiment of the invention a spring mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:

According to this invention, there is provided a bipolar cautery forceps tip cleaning device.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in a double ‘U’ shaped (i.e., the graphic shape of the alphabet U) configuration in a vertical cross-section view. A unit 1 has at least two vertical sides 2 that are conjoint with a base 3 in a generally angular or perpendicular arrangement. A holder 4 is fixed to the base 3. The holder 4 as a middle part can be coated with an absorbent material that can absorb normal saline solution. The gap between inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b and holder 4 is wide enough only to allow the tips 5a and 5b (shown in FIG.5) of a bipolar bipolar electrocautery device 5 (See FIG.5) (can be in different forms, e.g., forceps or scissors) to be inserted. The tips 5a and 5b are inserted in a direction longitudinally parallel to the of the holder 4 starting from top portion of the holder 4 and inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b and can be plunged up to the base 3 after insertion in the unit 1.

Any coagulated or charred tissue material that is stuck on tips 5a and 5b of the bipolar electrocautery device 5 (not shown) can be removed by a process described next. The inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b and the holder 4 are wetted with normal saline solution to be pre-wetted before cleaning of the tips 5a and 5b. Therefeater, the tips 5a and 5b are inserted and positioned between the pre- wetted inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b and the holder 4. The bipolar electrocautery device 5 is activated as it is normally used during a surgical process by passing an electric current between the tips 5a and 5b. The electric current between tips 5a and 5b can be kept the same as for surgery or else can be increased to generate more heat. Usually, the same setting can be used during surgery and cleaning both. The saline solution absorbed by the coating on the pre- wetted holder 4 and the pre- wetted vertical surfaces 2a and 2b provides a conductive pathway for the electric current supplied to the tips 5a and 5b. The electric current supplied to the tips 5a and 5b loosens the tissue material that was stuck to the tips 5a and 5b during the surgical process. The loosened tissue material located on tips 5a and 5b is removed from the tips 5a and 5b due to the compression of the sides of the inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b when the tips are swiped between the holder 4’s surface and the vertical surfaces 2a and 2b while the vertical sides 2 are pressed by fingers or in any other way.

The inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b that are opposed to the holder 4 can also be coated with an absorbent material. Further, the surface portion of base 3 adjoining the holder 4 and inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b can be coated with an absorbent material. A bipolar electrocautery device 5 with tips can be cleaned by rubbing the inner surfaces of tips against the surfaces of inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b to clean the inner sides of the tips 5a and 5b, while simultaneously cleaning the outer surfaces of the tips 5a and 5b by their friction against the holder.

In an embodiment the absorbent material coated on the holder 4 and the inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b can be any material that can absorb a saline solution. For example, the absorbent material can be cotton, non-woven textiles, cloth or other materials whether natural or manmade.

FIG. 5 shows cleaning of forceps of a bipolar electrocautery device 5 using an embodiment of the invention. A bipolar electrocautery device 5, which can be configured as a scissor, forceps or other forms, having tip attachments has tips 5a and 5b that are in opposite alignment to each other. The tips 5a and 5b during the process of surgery will get coated with tissue material stuck to them due to the process of coagulation during the surgery. To clean tips 5a and 5b, they can be inserted in the gap between the holder 5 and the vertical inner surfaces 2a and 2b and rubbed on surfaces of holder 5 and vertical inner surfaces 2a and 2b to remove any tissue material stuck on the tips 5a and 5b.

FIG.6 shows an embodiment of the invention in an angular configuration. The vertical sides 2 are located at an angle of more than 90 degrees to the holder 4 to form a shape similar to the graphical shape of the alphabet ‘ W’ shaped configuration.

FIG.7 shows an embodiment of the invention with compressible side surfaces in a top-view orientation. The vertical sides 2 are made of compressible material that acts as cushions when a cautery instrument is being cleaned. For example, the compressible material can be made of cotton, foam, gauze and similar material that has absorbent qualities and is also compressible with human finger’s pressure. The compressible material of vertical sides 2 should be absorbent to absorb normal saline solution. The inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b are integral with the vertical side 2 as part of the compressible sides that are made of absorbent material. The two vertical sides are connected by central wall 6 of cotton cloth running in between two tips 5a and 5b of a bipolar electrocautery instrument like scissors or forceps. The central wall 6 can be made of thin material, e.g., cloth or thin section of a flexible material. The central wall 6 can include wires preferably be made of conducting material. The cushions of compressible surface that forms the vertical sides 2 will contain absorbent material to retain normal saline solution and can be covered by relatively rough cloth on the inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b.

The embodiment uses electrical, thermal and chemical energy for cleaning the tips 5 and only minimal mechanical energy of rubbing the bipolar cautery tips. This leads to more efficient cleaning with no deformation and life of the bipolar instrument is increased as the process avoid excessive wear and tear of mechanical cleaning of the tips 5. The two vertical sides 2 are held together and with a connector 7 (Not shown in FIG.7; shown in FIG.8.

FIG.7(a) shows the embodiment at rest position before cleaning where the vertical sides 2 are connected separated by the connecting central wall 6. The tips 5 of the bipolar electro-cautery instrument are inserted in between the inner vertical surfaces 2a and 2b and on opposite sides of the central wall 6. The central wall 6 and the inner vertical sides 2a and 2b are pre-wetted with normal saline solution before the tips 5 are to be cleaned. If required more normal saline solution can be poured to make the central wall 6 sufficiently wet. The vertical sides 2 will act as cushions being made from compressible material when the tips 5 are pressed in between and rubbed for cleaning the coagulated tissue material.

FIG.7(b) shows how the tips 5 are pressed to grasp the central wall 6. The bipolar cautery instrument is activated by switching it on which passes electric current to the tips 5. The creates heat between the tips 5. As the tips 5 with electric current on them and heat is generated between them, the coagulated tissue material covering the tips 5 is loosened and cleaning process of the tips 5 is underway.

FIGS 7(c) and 7(d) show the operation of an embodiment of the invention. Tips 5 of bipolar forceps/scissors are positioned on the either side of the central wall 6 and grip the central wall 6 without cutting it. The scissors or of forceps tips 5 can be moved in vertical or horizontal direction to remove coagulated tissue material. The coagulant that stuck to the tips 5 during surgery is thus loosened due to heat between the tips 5 and hence it is easily then removed from the tips 5. If required current of the cautery can be increased to generate more heat to further loosen the coagulated tissue material. Pressure can be applied on tips 5 by pressing the tips on the central wall 6 between the surfaces of the inner vertical side 2a and 2b. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be poured on the tips to aid in removal of the coagulated tissue materia stuck on the tips 5. The surgeon or their aides can quickly clean the tips of bipolar cautery tips 5 with normal saline solution that is readily available in surgical operation theatres.

FIG.8 shows an embodiment of the invention with compressible side surfaces in a side-view orientation. The connector 7 that is attached to the vertical sides 2 is bendable. The connector 7 can be made of a flexible material like metal wire, plastic wire, metal strip, plastic strip, or any other rigid material with flexibility to allow compressed of the vertical sides 2 with human finger pressure while holding the two vertical sides 2 in alignment opposed to each other. FIG. 8(a) shows the configuration before the vertical sides are pressed. FIG. 8(b) shows the vertical sides 2 being pressed to clean the tips 5.

FIG.9 shows an embodiment of the invention a spring mechanism. FIG. 9(a) shows an embodiment where the vertical sides two are connected to a spring 8 that is uncompressed at rest. FIG. 9(b).

While this detailed description has disclosed certain specific embodiments for illustrative purposes, various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, and it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cleaning device for surgical bipolar electrocautery device with spaced tips, the device comprising: a middle part having at least two middle sides disposed along a longitudinal axis, wherein said middle sides having frictional surfaces; and at least two enclosure sides having at least two inner surfaces each of which is located on opposite side of each of said middle sides, wherein said enclosure sides are connected to said middle part and parallelly disposed to said middle part along said longitudinal axis.

2. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said enclosure sides are flexibly connected to said middle part.

3. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said enclosure side is squeezably connected to said middle part.

4. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said middle part selected one from a group comprising: plate, wire or mesh.

5. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said middle part and said at least two inner surfaces covered with an absorbent material.

6. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said middle part is covered with an absorbent material selected from a group comprising: cloth, gauze, cotton, stretched cotton or fibers.

7. . The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said surgical spaced tips instrument is a bipolar electrocautery forceps.

8. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein said surgical spaced tips instrument is a bipolar electrocautery hook.

9. The cleaning device of Claim 1, wherein at least two enclosure sides and said a middle part spaced to only allow insertion and rubbing of spaced tips of said bipolar electrocautery device.

10. The cleaning device of Claim 9, wherein the minimum spacing between said middle part and each of at least two enclosure sides is 0.5mm.

11. The cleaning device of Claim 9, wherein the spacing between said middle part and each of at least two enclosure sides is a range of 0.5mm to 5mm.

12. A cleaning device for bipolar electrocautery device with spaced tips, the device comprising: a middle part having at least two middle sides disposed along a longitudinal axis, wherein said middle sides having frictional surfaces; at least two enclosure sides having at least two inner surfaces each of which is located on opposite side of each of said middle sides, wherein said enclosure sides are connected to said middle part and perpendicularly disposed to said middle part along said longitudinal axis; and a spring connected to said at least two enclosure sides.

13. The said cleaning device of claim 12, wherein said spring comprises a spirally formed wire.

14. The said cleaning device of claim 13, wherein said spring formed from a group comprising: metals, plastics, manmade fibres, polymers or natural fibres.

15. The said cleaning device of claim 12, wherein said spring comprises a bendable wire.

16. The said cleaning device of claim 15, wherein said spring formed from a group comprising: metals, plastics, manmade fibres, polymers, or natural fibres.

17. The said cleaning device of claim 12, wherein said surgical spaced tips instrument is a bipolar electrocautery scissor.

18. The said cleaning device of claim 1, wherein said enclosure sides are connected to said middle part using a connector.

19. The said cleaning device of claim 18 wherein said connector is bendable.

20. The said cleaning device of claim 18, wherein said connector is a spring.