US2221138A - Filiform guide - Google Patents

Description

NOV- 12, 1940 F. cQHENDRlcKscN 2,221,138

' FILIFORM GUIDE V Filed June 15, 1938 Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STABS PATENT oFFlcE 2 Claims;

The invention relates to the class of surgical instruments known as liform guides or bougies, used for the purpose of exploring and for treating strictures of all kinds.

The object of the invention is to provide an unbreakable, smooth, non-injurious instrument, slightly less flexible than the standard type so as to be more easily inserted into strictures.

Another object is to provide a iiliform guide having a tapered, metal core made up of sections of ne wires, the Wires in succeeding sections being reduced in number so as to give the desired taper to the nished article.

A further object is to provide such a core in which the central wire of the core is doubled and extends the full length of the guide to form a loop at the smaller end thereof, to retain the outer rubber coating in place and provide a very small rounded point which will not injure tissues.

A still further object is to provide a guide of the character described in which the wire core is first wrapped with silk or very thin rubber ribbon or the like, and then dipped into latex rubber so as to provide a complete coating of latex rubber.

Another object is to form the core of a mixture of spring or tempered wires and soft annealed wires, the spring wires tending to return the guide to straight form after being bent and also aiding in giving the feel to the user in probing with the guide, and the soft annealed wires permitting the guide to stay in any desired bent shape temporarily.

A still further object is to provide a threaded ferrule upon the larger end of the guide for connection to the end of a sound, although, if desired, the guide may be formed integrally upon the end of a sound so as to provide a sound or dilater having a liform guide as an integral part thereof.

'Ihe above objects together with others which Will be apparent from the drawing and following description or which may be later referred to may be attained by constructing the improved liform guide in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is an elevation of the improved guide;

Fig. 2, an elevation of the wire core;

Fig. 3, an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the guide; and

Fig. 4, a further enlarged transverse sectional view thereof.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved filiform guide to which the invention pertains is built upon a tapered wire core formed of a plurality of fine wires indicated generally at I0, some of the wires being spring wire and others being soft annealed wire so as to tend to return the guide to straight form after (Cl. 12S- 358) being bent while at the same time permitting the guide to stayin any shape into which it may be bent temporarily, and also aiding in giving the feel to the user in probing with the device.

For the purpose of giving the desired taper to the core, the wires may be reduced in number in successive sections of the core from the larger end toward the smaller end thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing.

The central wire of the core indicated at I I is doubled and extends the entire length of the guide having a loop I2 formed at the smaller end of the guide.

The wire core thus formed is then wrapped throughout its entire length with silk, thin rubber ribbon or the like as indicated at I3 afterv which the wrapped core is dipped into latex rubber to form a latexrubber coating over the entire device as indicated at I4, the latex coating upon the wire loop I2 at the small end of the guide to form a very small rounded tip or point I5 which will .not injure tissues when probing with the guide.

The Wires at the large end of the guide may be soldered or otherwise connected as indicated at IS within a ferrule I'I which may be internally screw-threaded as at I8 so as to be attached to the end of a sound or the like.

However, if desired, the liform guide as above described may be integrally attached to the end of a sound so as to provide a dilater or sound having a liform guide as an integral part thereof.

With this construction a guide is provided having the proper taper and beingsufciently small to enter any restricted area while the central wire extending to the tip of the guide and forming a loop provides a reinforcement which prevents the tip from being accidentally broken off.

I claim: y 1

l. A iliform guide comprising a tapered core formed of a central wire extending the entire length of the guide and successively shorter groups of wires surrounding the central Wire and successively decreasing in length by substantially the length of the shortest group of wires, a thin flexible strand spirally wound upon the wires and a flexible body covering the core.

2. A liform guide comprising atapered vcore formed of a central wire doubled upon itself and extending the entire length of the guide and forming a loop at the smaller end of the guide, and successively shorter groups of wires surrounding the central wire, said groups of wires successively decreasing in length by substantially the length of the shortest group of wires, and a flexible body covering the wire core and forming a rounded point over said loop.

FLOYD C. HENDRICKSON.

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