Patent ID: 6506157
Filing Date: 2003-01-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A dual Doppler artery ligation and hemorrhoid treatment system for locating and ligating hemorroidal arteries and treating hemorrhoids in an accurate, safe, and convenient manner comprising, in combination:a suitcase with a foam interior lining and having a plurality of discrete areas for the receipt of components adapted for use in hemorrhoidal surgery; a probe having a transparent cylinder with a distal end and a proximal end, the probe also having a cone-shaped cap at the distal end and a short opaque cylindrical support with an enlarged diameter adjacent to the proximal end, a white light emitting diode having a generally circular shape mounted within the support, the support having an opaque backing plate proximally and an opening to the cylinder and cone distally, a red light emitting diode on the backing plate, the probe also having a frusto-conical connector between the cylinder and the support, the disposable cylinder having a circumferential opening of about 60 degrees, about 1 inch circumferentially and about Â¼ inch axially adjacent to the distal end of the aperture, a pair of ultrasonic transducers secured within the cylinder laterally spaced from each other between about &frac18; inch and Â¼ inch circumferentially on the proximal side of the opening for detecting hemorrhoid arterial flow in adjacent areas of a patient, a handle depending proximally at an obtuse angle from the support with an electrical connector extending through the handle for powering the LED's; a plurality of supplemental cylinders and a plurality of supplemental cones; an echo analyzer operatively coupled by supplemental wires to the probe, the supplemental wires extending through the handle, the analyzer adapted to emit signals and to detect and analyze received signals through a double Doppler effect as a function of the blood flow adjacent to the opening and to produce an audio output which varies as a function of the arterial blood flow of a hemorrhoid extending through the aperture, the analyzer also adapted to produce a flashing visual output through the light emitting diode which also varies as a function of the arterial blood flow of a hemorrhoid extending through the aperture; monaural earphones adapted to be worn by a surgeon, the earphones being operatively coupled to the analyzer whereby the surgeon may move the probe in response to the sound of a weakly detected signal to insure that the probe is properly positioned so that a hemorrhoid artery may be positioned beneath the aperture for being ligated thus treating the hemorrhoid; a transformer adapted to be coupled between a source of alternating current and the analyzer for the electrical powering of the analyzer, probe and light emitting diodes; a plurality of needle holders, each needle holder having a proximal end with a gripping region and a trigger adapted to be manipulated by a surgeon and a distal end for supporting a needle with sutures adapted to be passed through a hemorrhoid extending through the aperture in the cylinder for ligation and removal; a plurality of packets of specific sutures for hemorrhoidal artery ligation; and a plurality of knot pushers, each knot pusher being in the form of an elongated rod with a V-shaped recess at one end for advancing a knot in a suture passing through the hemorrhoid.