US3460539A - Cautery tip - Google Patents

Description

J- E- ANHALT, SR

Aug; 12, 1969 CAUTERY TIP Filed March 10, 1967 JAM f5 5 4/1/5447; 6'2

, I NVENTOR.

Arraz/v zs 3,460,539 .CAUTERY TIP James E. Anhalt, Sr., 407 De la Fuente, Monterey Park, Calif. 91754 Filed Mar. 10, 1967, Ser. No. 622,264 Int. Cl. A61b 17/36 US. Cl. 128303.17 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally cone shaped apparatus of electrical nonconductive materialinto which .extends a plurality of metal rods, the inner ends of which are exposed where they form the surfaces of the cone member and the outer ends of which may be connected to or contacted by an United States Patent apparatus for supplying a sprak gap current for cauterizing the tissue adjacent the exposed inner end of the selected metallic member. The invention also constitutes a plug for insertion into the excised cone to control bleeding by pressure during its use.

This invention relates to a cautery tip and more particularly to a surgical instrument adapted for use in electrical cauterization of selected areas following the excision of a cone of tissue.

This invention relates to a surgical instrument of the type which delivers a current of measured intensity to an area to be treated and cauterizes the same. Devices of of this general nature are known, as are devices designed to deliver a current of required intensity and frequency through a metal tip to an area to be treated.

Particularly in surgery of the type employing conization wherein a cone of tissue is excised, there is usually a great deal of bleeding following excision. Attempts to cauterize and control such bleeding have been required to function in the presence of this profuse bleeding which dissipates the current and renders difiicult the application of the cauterizing current to the specific bleeding place.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a device of the type described which forms a mechanical plug which when pressed into the excised cone serves to control the bleeding by pressure, but which has exposed electrical contact areas which may be selectively energizing to cause the creation of an electrical spark for cauterizing selected areas. Thus, coagulation current can be applied to each of any of the separate electrodes with a minimum of tissue destruction while controlling the bleeding. As an added feature, when, upon removal of the device, if complete control of bleeding has not been achieved, blood will be observed upon the device itself and it is only necessary to reinsert the cone in the position originally taken and to apply the cauterizing current to the observed bleeding areas to selectively complete the cauterizing operation.

The device has proved exceptionally useful in cautery of the cervix uteri following excision of a cone of tissue from around the cervical os.

It is a feature of this invention that the device is a blunt ended conical shaped solid instrument formed of a nonconductive material into which extends a plurality of small gauge electric wires, the ends of which emerge and are exposed on the surface of the cone. The wires are disposed in circumferentially spaced series so that one ring of conductors will emerge adjacent the tip, another ring will emerge along the side of the cone spaced from the tip and the other rings will appear in other 1ongitudinally disposed distances from the tip to the end so that substantially the entire surface area of the cone is surrounded by rings of spaced electrodes which may be selectively energized. At the base of the cone the wires emerge and can be individually contacted by a current conducting element for selectively engaging any individual conducting wire for selective cauterization of a desired area. i

Itis another feature of this invention that the cones may be made in varying sizes from a base of one-fourth inch by one and three-fourths inches in length to a base of three-fourths inch or more by one and three-fourths inches in length. It is thus a feature of this invention that the proper sized instruments may be selected for the sized cone and placed therein to control bleeding by pressure, after which selected areas may he cauterized by touching the exposed end of each of the conductors with a fine cautery tip using a dessicating current. Such use will result in the application of a cauterizing current to a small area in which the bleeding problem is controlled by pressure so as to avoid the difiusion of the current normally encountered by diffused bleeding. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the annexed specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side siew of a device: embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top view partly in section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the device is illustrated as comprising essentially a conicallyshaped member 10 having a rounded nose end 11, preferably formed of hard rubber or other insulating material. Asuitable socket 12 may be molded into thebody 10 having a female thread to receive the end of ahandling rod 13. A plurality of thin wire conducting rods are embedded in theconical member 10 and as shown constitute preferably three series such as theseries 14 of circumferentially spaced rods, theseries 15 and theseries 16. It will be noted that theseries 14 is spaced radially the greatest distance from the center of the plug, theseries 15 is spaced intermedially and theseries 16 is spaced more closely to the center line. As shown each of theseries 14, 15 and 1-6 constitutes twelve separate conducting rods or wires equally spaced circumferentially. Each of therods 14 will terminate in an area such as theareas 24 on the nose of the cone wherein they form an exposed surface of the nose of the cone which can be brought into contact with the area to be cauterized. Similarly, each of the series of the wires orrods 15 terminates in anarea 25, likewise forming a portion of the exterior surface of the cone, but upon a surface thereof spaced intermediately as indicated, while finally each of the series ofrods 16 terminates in anarea 26 on the surface of the cone more immediately adjacent the base of the cone. While there have been illustrated three series ofwires 14, 15 and 16 terminating in three series ofterminals 24, 25 and 26 and where each of the series is shown as constituting twelve separate wires, it is obvious that the number in each series and the number of series may be varied. Each of therods 14, 15 or 16 terminates in an exposed tip 34, 35 or 36 (see FIG-URE 3 In use the above-indicated device is inserted into the area to be cauterized by thehandle 13 and as the shape of themember 10 is that of a rounded cone, it will form a plug, especially when inserted into a conization, which will seal against the exposed incized flesh and may be pressed against the same to restrict bleeding. Thereafter, a cautery tip from any of the Well-known devices for delivering the cauterizing current of the desired intensity and frequency may be applied to any of the selected ends 34, 35 or 36, thus causing cauterization in the area of a selectedsection 24, 25 or 26. Upon removal of the device the presence of excessive blood or unclotted blood will indicate not only that the device should be reinserted and the cauterizing repeated, but the exact point at which the cauterizing should be applied as well as the exact tip 34, 35 or 36 to which the cauterizing current should be applied. As a result thereof the current applied is limited to a small area which permits a more effective dessication Without the undue destruction of tissue and without the dissipation of current caused by excessive bleeding.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the cone may be made in varying sizes from a base of one-fourth inch by one and three-fourths inches in length to a base of three-fourths inch or more by one and three-fourths inches in length, the same will fit the cervical s or any situation in which tissue is normally removed by a cone section. As a result the proper sized cone of this invention will completely fill the section to be cauterized and apply pressure to the walls of the flesh and restrict bleeding, thus completely eliminating the excessive bleeding which has been one of the causes of the needless dissipation of the electric current in ca-uterizing techniques.

While there has been described What is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cauterizing device comprising abody member 2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said wires are arranged in circumferentially spaced areas in across section of said cone shaped body.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said wires are arranged in a plurality of series, each series spaced transversely of said cone from the other.

4. A device as set forth inclaim 2 in which said wires are arranged in a plurality of series, each series spaced transversely of said cone from the other.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said body memberis in the shape of a cone having a rounded nose.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said body member is from one-fourth inch to three-fourths inch in diameter and from one and one-fourth inches to one and three-fourths inch in length.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said device is provided with a handle affixed to the center of the base of said body.

8. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said wires comprise at least three series of circumferentially spaced wires, each series being transversely spaced from the others.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which each of said series includes twelve circumferentially spaced wires.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 164,184 6/1875 Kidder 128303.17 1,814,791 7/1931 Ende 128303.l7

FOREIGN PATENTS 679,887 8/1939 Germany.

L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner

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