Abstract:
A device holds at least one medical instrument in a fluid bath intended for maintaining the temperature of the instrument. The device includes a first portion disposed at one end of the bath, the first portion including at least one well adapted to hold the instrument relative to the bath. The device also includes a second portion connected to the first portion at the one end of the bath, whereby the first portion is maintained in a position to hold the instrument securely in the bath.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a device for holding medical instruments, including, for example a cradle that safely stores laparoscopes in a fluid bath during a surgical procedure. 
         [0002]    Laparoscopy is performed to examine the abdominal and pelvic organs to diagnose certain conditions and—depending on the condition—can be used to perform surgery. The use of laparoscopes in abdominal and pelvic surgery is popular because laparoscopes allow a surgeon to perform complex, minimally invasive surgical techniques while significantly reducing a patient&#39;s pain, discomfort, and recovery time resulting from large incisions made during typical open surgery. 
         [0003]    The fogging of laparoscopic lenses during surgery can lead to costly delays. Fluid bath systems to warm scopes and prevent lens fogging are known. A bath capable of maintaining hot water at a stable temperature (such as 120° F.) is an effective technique for maintaining warm laparoscope lenses and preventing lens fogging during laparoscopy. In the past, laparoscopes placed in fluid baths often rested on the upper edges of the baths and were prone to tipping over or falling out of the bath, as the bulk of the weight of the laparoscope is disposed in its head portion, while the arm of the scope carries comparatively much less weight. Such incidents often lead to costly damage of the laparoscopes, which are expensive precision instruments. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a cradle that securely cradles medical instruments, such as robotic scopes, placed in a fluid warming system, thereby protecting the scopes from accidental tipping and falling. The cradle ensures that expensive robotic equipment remains safe and secure during surgery or other medical procedures. 
         [0005]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1   a  is a front elevational view of a scope cradle according to an exemplary embodiment. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1   b  is a side elevational view of the cradle of  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0008]      FIG. 1   c  is a top view of the cradle of  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0009]      FIG. 1   d  is a bottom view of the cradle of  FIG. 1   a.    
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cradle secured to a fluid bath. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of laparoscopes resting in a cradle. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an alternative embodiment of the cradle. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is another alternative embodiment of the cradle. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
         [0015]    A device comprising a cradle  1  (hereinafter “scope cradle” or “cradle”) for holding a laparoscope  40  is shown in  FIG. 1 . Although the term laparoscope is used, it will be understood that the cradle of the present invention can be used to hold other types of medical instruments, such as endoscopes and forceps. The illustrated scope cradle  1  includes a first or upright portion  10 , which is adjacent an end of a fluid bath  30 , and a second portion or block  20  disposed adjacent the upright portion  10  to support the upright portion. The upright portion  10  includes two larger, outer cradle portions or “wells”  11  and a smaller, central well  12 . The three wells  11 ,  12  provide the cradle with the ability to store and warm multiple scopes  40  in a single fluid bath. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the upright portion  10  is connected to the block  20 , with the resulting connection leaving the upright portion  10  and block  20  generally perpendicular to each other. The upright portion  10  may be connected to the block  20  through a number of ways. One form of connection is a mechanical connection using bolts or screws. Two bolt holes  13  in the upright portion  10  are shown in  FIG. 1   a.  As shown in  FIGS. 1   b  and  1   d,  a magnet  21  may be embedded within a lower surface of the block  20  using an adhesive or a snap-fit connection. In an exemplary embodiment, an adhesive known in the art for use on steel, aluminum, or thermoplastics such as Loctite® is used. Alternatively, the upright portion  10  and the block  20  may be formed integral with each other as a single piece. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the magnet  21  allows the block  20  (and the overall scope cradle  1 ), which may be formed of a non-magnetic material (such as aluminum), to be rigidly secured to the outer casing of the fluid bath  30 , which is typically formed of a magnetic material (such as sheet metal). In an exemplary embodiment, the magnet is made of neodymium, and may also include iron and boron. Such magnets have demonstrated superior performance at high temperatures. 
         [0018]    The upright portion  10  and the block  20  of the scope cradle  1  are generally formed of a metal, such as aluminum or stainless steel. However, the upright portion  10  and block  20  may be formed from other materials, including plastics, polycarbonates, or LEXAN®. The inner sides of the wells  11 ,  12  may optionally include a material lining so as to soften the surface on which the wells receive the scopes. The lining may be formed of cloth, a soft plastic, or a sponge-like material. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1  a, the two wells  11  have a concave shape and provide a platform  14  on which a head portion  41  of the scope  40  may rest while the body  42  of the scope  40  is disposed in the fluid bath  30 . In  FIG. 1   a,  the wells  11  generally have a “U” shape. However, other shapes are possible. The size and shape of the concavity of the wells  11  is variable, depending on the type of scope to be held by the scope cradle  1 . In an exemplary embodiment, the wells  11  are sized to hold 0° and 30° robotic laparoscopes  40 , while the well  12  is sized to hold a traditional 5 mm scope  40 . 
         [0020]    The upright walls  15  of the wells  11  form side guards that prevent scopes  40  from rolling laterally or tipping. As shown in  FIG. 1   a,  the opening  16  of the well  12  may include a portion  17  that flares outward near the top surface  18  of the upright portion  10  to allow scopes  40  to be more easily placed within the well  12 . Providing a wider opening at the top of the well  12  also permits the lower part of the well to be narrower so as to better stabilize the scope  40  within the well  12 . The openings of the wells  11  may also include flared portions. 
         [0021]    A scope cradle  1  is shown in combination with a fluid bath  30  in  FIG. 2 . The fluid bath  30  may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel, as is known in the art. The scope cradle  1  may be secured to the fluid bath  30  mechanically, magnetically, or may be formed integral with the fluid bath  30 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 , the scope cradle  1  is secured magnetically to the frame or case  32  of the fluid bath  30  via the magnet  21  embedded in the block  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the scope cradle  1  is positioned adjacent to one end of the fluid bath one so that the bodies  42 ,  43 ,  44  of the scopes can easily rest within the bath  30 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the fluid bath  30  may optionally include a sterile plastic sheet  31 , as is generally known in the art. The sheet  31  may be overlaid onto the fluid bath  30  and the wells  11 ,  12 , with the scopes  40  being placed on top of the plastic sheet  31  so as to not directly contact the fluid in the fluid bath  30 . 
         [0023]    An alternative embodiment of the scope cradle  100 , illustrated in  FIG. 4 , includes a smaller well  112  located adjacent one lateral end of the cradle  100  and two larger wells  111  located in the middle and adjacent the other lateral end, respectively. 
         [0024]    While  FIG. 2  shows a single scope cradle  1  at one longitudinal end of the bath  30 , a second scope cradle  100  as shown in  FIG. 5  may be disposed at the opposite longitudinal end, thereby increasing the number of scopes  40  to be heated in the bath  30  at a given time. The cradle  100  is similar in structure to the cradle  1  and includes a first or upright portion  110  and wells  111 . The cradle  100  further includes magnets  121  disposed beneath the wells  111  that may be used, for example, to attach the cradle  100  to a side wall of the bath  30 . In such a configuration, the upright portion  110  of the cradle  100  would face the upright portion  10  of the cradle  1 . Alternatively, the cradle  100  may be the only cradle positioned on the bath  30 .