Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to anesthesia devices.
sefore the present invention, it has been a common pro-
cedure to apply an anesthetic drug to the trachea of a patient.
In the past, the proximal end of a cannula has been attached to
the tip of a syringe containing the anesthetic drug. The cannula
was then inserted into the patient's throat, and the syringe was
pumped to apply the anesthetic drug to the trachea through the
cannula. However, the cannula had a loose fitment with the syr-
inge tip, thus possibly permitting the cannula to break loosefrom the syringe during use of the device. As a result, the
cannula may become lost in the patient's throat.
_MMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal feature of the present invention is the
provision of an improved anesthesia device of simplified con-
struction.
The anesthesia device comprises, a syringe having a
barrel defining a chamber, a tip extending distally from the
barrel, and a plunger slidably received in the chamber, with a
distal portion of the plunger sealingly engaging against an
inner surface of the barrel. The device has a holding member
having a generally cylindrical wall with an inner diameter
slightly larger than the outer diameter of the syringe barrel,
with an open proximal end, and with a length substantially the
length of the barrel. The holding member has a recess in a dis-
tal portion of the holding member to receive the syringe tip.
The device has a cannula having a lumen, a proximal end attached
to a distal end of the holding member, with the holding member
recess in communication with the cannula lumen, and a plurality
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of openings in a distal portion of the cannula.
A feature of the present invention is that the holding
member wall defines a cavity to receive the syringe barrel.
Another feature of the invention is that the recess of
the holding member receives the syringe tip in sealing engage-
ment when the syringe is fully inserted into the holding member.
Yet another feature of the invention is that the syr-
inge may be pumped to eject an anesthetic drug from the syringe
through the cannula lumen into the patient.
Still another feature of the invention is that the
cannula is securely attached to the holding member to prevent
loss of the cannula during use of the device.
A further f~ature of the invention is that the cannula
may be of one-piece construction with the holding member to pre-
vent loss of the cannula during use of the device.
Further features will become more fully apparent in
the following description of the embodiments of this invention
and from the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an anes-
thesia device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the anes-
thesia device of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating
attachment of a syringe to a holding member of the device of
Fig~ l; and
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of another
embodiment of the holding member of the anesthesia device.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown an
anesthesia device generally designated 10 comprising a syringe
12, a holding member 14, and a cannula 16. The syringe 12 com-
prises a barrel 18 defining a chamber 20, and an elongated
plunger 22 slidably received in the chamber 20. The plunger 22
has a plug 24 of elastic material, such as rubber, attached to a
distal end 26 of the plunger 22, with the plug 24 sealingly
engaging against an inner surface of the barrel 18. As shown,
the syringe 12 has a hollow tip 28 extending distally frcm the
barrel 18 of the syringe 12. In use, the plunger 22 is pumped
to eject a liquid anesthetic drug from the chamber 20 through
the tip 28. The syringe 12 may be made of any suitable material,
such as glass or a suitable plastic.
The holding member 14 comprises an elongated generally
cylindrical wall 30 having an inner diameter slightly larger
than the outer diameter of the syringe barrel 18, with the wall
30 having a length substantially the length of the syringe bar-
rel 18. As shown, the wall 30 has an open proximal end 32, and
the wall 30 of the holding member 14 defines a cavity 34 to
receive the syringe barrel 18. The holding member 14 has a
tapered recess 36 in a distal portion 38 of the holding member
14, with the recess 36 receiving the syringe tip 28 in sealing
engagement when the syringe 12 is fully inserted into the cavity
34 of the holding member 14, as shown in Fig. 3. With reference
to Figs. 1 and 2, the holding member 14 has a pair of opposed
elongated openings 40 extending substantially the length of the
holding member wall 30, such that indicia on the syringe may be
viewed through the openings 40 when the syringe 12 is inserted
into the holding member 14. The holding member 14 also has a
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hollow nipple 42 extending from the distal portion 38 of the
holding member 14 for a purpose which will be described below.
The holding member 14 may be constructed from any suitable plas-
tic material, such as polyethylene.
The cannula 16 has a lumen 44, and has a proximal end
46 received on the holding member nipple 42. The proximal end
46 of the cannula 16 may be secured to the nipple 42 by suitable
means, such as by adhesive. The cannula 16 has a plurality of
apertures 48 in a distal portion 50 of the cannula 16, with the
apertures 48 communicating with the lumen 44 of the cannula 16.
The cannula 16 may be made of any suitable material, such as a
plastic material or a malleable metal material.
In use, the holding member 14, cannula 16, and syringe
12 are supplied to the user, with the syringe 12 preferably being
pre-filled with an anesthetic drug. The syringe 12 may have a
cap (not shown) which closes the tip 28 of the syringe 12 in
order to prevent loss of the anesthetic drug from the syringe 12.
The cap is removed from the syringe tip 28, and the syringe bar-
rel 18 is inserted into the cavity 34 of the holding member 14,
until the tip 28 of the syringe 12 is received in the recess 36
of the holding member 14. As previously discussed, the syringe
tip 28 is snugly received in the recess 36 of the holding member
14, such that the tip 28 makes sealing engagement with the
recess 36. Next, the cannula 16 is inserted into the throat of
the patient, and the syringe plunger 22 is pumped to eject the
anesthetic drug from the syringe chamber 20 into the lumen 44 of
the cannula 16 and through the apertures 48 of the cannula 16
into the trachea of the patient, after which the device 10 is
removed from the patient. Since the proximal end 46 of the
cannula 16 is securely attached to the nipple 42 of the holding
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member 14, the device 10 of the present invention prevents the
possible loss of the cannula 16 in the patient's throat during
use. Thus, the holding member 14 is held by the user during
pumping of the syringe 12 in order to prevent loss of the cannula
16 during use of the device 10.
Another embodiment of the present invention is illus-
trated in Fig. 4, in which like reference numerals designate
like parts. In this embodiment, the cannula 16 is of one-piece
construct.on with the holding member 14 in order to prevent loss
of the cannula 16 in the throat of the patient during use. In
this embodiment, the distal end portion 38 of the holding member
- 14 defines the recess 36 to receive the tip of the syringe in
sealing engagement when the syringe is inserted into the holding
member 14. The holding member 14 and cannula 16 of Fig. 4 may
be made of any s~itable plastic material, such as polyethylene.
In other respects, the device 10 of Fig. 4 operates in a manner
as previously described in connection with the anesthesia device
10 of Figs. 1-3.
The foregoing detailed description is given for clear-
ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations shouldbe understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to
those skilled in the art.
