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Publication Number
US-7749162-B2
Publication Date
2010-07-06
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention relates to a vaginal speculum embodying an applicator for the uniform delivery of a standardized dose of a liquid diagnostic marker onto the woman's lower genital tract. The applicator can comprises of a marker container and a mechanism for transferring a desirable quantity of its content to an injection probe for dispensing the marker onto the tissue surface. The cross section of the injection probe is substantially smaller than the rear opening of the speculum, so that the monitoring of the optical effects provoked to the tissue by the marker and the insertion of treatment tools is not obstructed.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a vaginal speculum arrangement that includes a blade system for opening the vagina. The blade system has a first blade and a second blade positionable relative to each other in a plurality of non-zero angles along a longitudinal symmetry axis between a distal portion and a proximate portion of the blades, and the first blade and second blade are connected by a pivoting joint located at the rear of the blades.
The arrangement further includes an injection mechanism for dispensing a diagnostic marker onto a surface of examined tissue. The injection mechanism includes an injection probe with a longitudinal axis, a marker container, and an injector for enabling injection of the marker, and the non-zero angle between the longitudinal axis of the injection probe and the longitudinal symmetry axis of the blade system remains substantially constant for each of the plurality of angles between the first and second blades.
The invention constrains the injection probe geometry so that a cross section of the injection probe has dimensions substantially smaller than a cross section of a rear aperture of the blade system. This configuration enables substantially homogeneous application of the marker on a desired area of the examined tissue, irrespectively from an opening angle of the first and second blades, while the desired area is observable through the rear aperture of the blade system before, during, and after the injection of the marker.
Mechanical support is provided by a shaft that couples the blade system to the injection mechanism. The first shaft end is mechanically coupled with the blade system and the second shaft end is detachably coupled to the injection mechanism, with the first shaft end movably coupled with a blade-handle joint of the first blade and a pin of the blade-handle joint of the second blade moving within a groove formed along a longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claims cover 5 inventive features in a vaginal speculum arrangement with adjustable non-zero blade angles and a diagnostic marker injection mechanism.
Substantially constant probe-to-blade axis angle across non-zero blade angles
An injection mechanism with an injection probe whose non-zero angle between the injection probe longitudinal axis and the blade system longitudinal symmetry axis remains substantially constant for each of the plurality of angles between first and second blades.
Injection probe cross section smaller than rear aperture cross section
A cross section of the injection probe having dimensions substantially smaller than dimensions of a rear aperture cross section of the blade system.
Substantially homogeneous marker application with observation before, during, and after injection
The injection probe allows for substantially homogeneous application of the marker on a desired area of examined tissue, irrespectively from an opening angle of first and second blades, and allows for observation of the desired area through the rear aperture of the blade system before, during, and after injection.
Pivoting joint at the rear of non-zero angled blade system
A blade system with first and second blades positionable relative to each other in a plurality of non-zero angles along a longitudinal symmetry axis, where first and second blades are connected by a pivoting joint located at the rear of the blades.
Detachably coupled mechanical shaft with blade-handle joint and groove guiding
A mechanical support having a shaft with a first shaft end mechanically coupled with the blade system and a second shaft end detachably coupled to the injection mechanism, where the first shaft end is movably coupled with a blade-handle joint of the first blade and a pin of the blade-handle joint of the second blade moves within a groove formed along a longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Across the independent claims, the core inventive coverage is a two-blade vaginal speculum with a pivoting rear joint, combined with an injection mechanism that maintains a substantially constant angle between the injection probe longitudinal axis and the blade symmetry axis across varying non-zero blade opening angles. The injection probe has a cross section substantially smaller than the rear aperture to enable substantially homogeneous marker application while allowing observation of the desired area through the rear aperture before, during, and after injection, further supported by a detachably coupled mechanical shaft with blade-handle joint and groove motion constraints.
Stated Advantages
Allows for substantially homogeneous application of the marker on a desired area of examined tissue irrespectively from an opening angle of the first and second blades.
Allows for observation of the desired area through the rear aperture of the blade system before, during, and after the injection of the marker.
Maintains a substantially constant non-zero angle between the injection probe longitudinal axis and the blade system longitudinal symmetry axis for each of the plurality of non-zero angles between the first and second blades.
Documented Applications
Dispensing a diagnostic marker onto a surface of examined tissue in a vaginal speculum arrangement with observation of the desired area through the rear aperture before, during, and after injection.
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