Nasal pack applicator

A nasal pack inserter apparatus having a barrel member with a throughgoing lumen providing an inlet and an outlet for a plunger reciprocally mounted therein. The barrel member defines rib means projecting into the throughgoing lumen defining a track for the plunger which is configured to fit in the track when inserted into the lumen. The plunger member has a thumb piece on one end and a pusher tip on the other end to transport a nasal pack provided with a withdrawal thread through the lumen into a nasal cavity. The withdrawal thread of the nasal pack is positioned within a channel formed in the plunger body to prevent fouling of the same within the barrel lumen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of Invention 
The present invention generally relates to the treatment of nasal 
hemorrhages and more particularly to a nasal pack applicator which 
provides for the insertion of a preformed nasal pack into a nasal cavity. 
2. Background of the Invention 
Generally nasal hemorrhaging from surgery is treated by packing the nasal 
cavity with an absorbent material. A number of different types of 
absorbent materials have been used such as gauze, sponge and various 
cellulosic fibers. Nasal packs formed of a dry polyvinyl acetal sponge 
material, which expand when hydrated, have been marketed by Merocel Inc. 
for more than 10 years and are well known commercially in the medical 
community. 
There are a wide number of methods and apparatus used for inserting a nasal 
pack or tampon into a nasal or other cavity. 
U. S. Pat. No. 4,030,504 utilizes an expandable absorbent material nasal 
pack contoured to conform to the nasal cavity. This pack is inserted by 
hand into the nasal cavity of the patient. 
While some surgeons typically trim the expandable absorbent material to the 
appropriate size and manually insert the device into a patient's nasal as 
has been previously noted, a number of insertion devices have been on the 
market which utilize a plunger-type device to insert an absorbent pack 
into a patient. 
One such patent is U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,867 which shows the use of a 
cellulosic rectangular shaped tampon which is compressed to one form or 
cross section when dry and then subjected to fluids, at which time it 
expands to a second size. The tampon is placed in an applicator or barrel 
with the end of the plunger contacting the end of the tampon which is the 
same cross section throughout its length as that of the barrel. The tampon 
used in the device has a string attached to its distal end which can 
extend back through the interior of the plunger if the plunger is hollow 
or back past the exterior of the plunger if the plunger is solid. 
A substantially identical device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,559 which 
shows a nasal pack syringe having a barrel and a plunger made from plastic 
with the end of the plunger engaging the nasal pack being formed with a 
pair of prongs which extend laterally outward from the barrel shaft so 
that they are slightly wider than the shaft. The purpose of the prongs is 
to generate sufficient friction to prevent the plunger from falling out of 
the barrel but not so much friction that the sliding action of the nasal 
pack in the barrel is inhibited. 
Other related art in the nature of tampon inserting device is shown by U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,674,026. This patent is directed toward a device having a 
barrel and a plunger for transporting a tampon pack mounted in the barrel. 
The tampon has a withdrawal string which exits the rear of the barrel 
adjacent the outer wall of the plunger. Another tampon inserter having a 
barrel and a pusher which drives the tampon into a cavity is shown in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,291,696. See, also U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,971,378 which shows a fan 
shaped tampon housed in a barrel which is pushed into the cavity by a 
plunger member and 636,637 which discloses a gauze carrier having a barrel 
and plunger used to pack nasal cavities. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed toward a nasal pack inserter apparatus 
constructed with a barrel member having a throughgoing lumen providing 
inlet and outlet openings for a plunger mechanism which is inserted into 
the lumen. Such a construction is of course required for any tampon 
applicator. The interior surface of the barrel member defining the lumen 
also defines inwardly projecting ribs which form a track for the plunger 
member. The plunger member is constructed to be mounted in the track and 
is reciprocally moveable in relation thereto. The plunger member is formed 
with a linear body, a thumb grip mounted on one end of body and a pusher 
tip secured to the opposite end of the body. The linear body defines a 
plurality of guide members running longitudinally along the interior 
surface of body and a channel is formed in the body between the guide 
members. The longitudinal sides of the body are provided with an end guide 
member so that the plunger member is configured to slideably fit in the 
barrel rib track. The pusher tip located on the distal end of the body 
engages a nasal pack provided with a withdrawal thread and propels the 
nasal pack forward with the withdrawal thread of the nasal pack being 
positioned in the channel formed in the plunger member. 
It is an additional object of the invention to provide the barrel of the 
inserter with slits which open into the central lumen so that a 
lubricating cream may be applied to the barrel aiding in insertion of the 
nasal inserter into the nasal cavity thus allowing the lubricating cream 
to be deposited along the sides of the barrel and the nasal cavity as the 
barrel is inserted up into the nasal cavity. 
In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of 
the invention from which these and other of objectives, novel features and 
advantages will be readily apparent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 
through 12. The present invention is directed toward a nasal pack 
applicator apparatus 20 approximately 10 cm long constucted with a barrel 
30 and plunger 50. The barrel 30 is shown in FIGS. 1-6 and is formed with 
a "T" shaped handle 32 secured to a stepped rectangularly shaped tube 34 
having a rounded end 36. The rounded tip is bulbous and reduces 
traumatization of the tissue if inserted in the nasal cavity. The barrel 
30 is approximately 0.8 cm in width at its distal end. The handle and tube 
are formed of molded one piece integral plastic and both portions define a 
throughgoing lumen 38 which extends from the handle to the distal end of 
the tube 34. The handle 32 is flanged outward to form finger grip flanges 
33. The flanges and handle form a curved "C" shaped cross sectional end 
defining a recess 35 which holds the thumb grip 52 of the plunger's 
proximal end on top of the rear surface of the handle when the plunger has 
been fully inserted into the barrel lumen 38. The handle 32 also is 
provided with a series of external ribs 37 which run on the opposite sides 
of the handle to aid in gripping the handle. The inner surface 39 of the 
handle and inner tube surface defining lumen 38 also defines a number of 
opposed ribs 44 as best seen in FIG. 4 which guide and hold the plunger 
50. The tube 34 defines two throughgoing round bores 40 and 42 in its 
mid-section which allow visual confirmation of the location of the plunger 
and associated nasal plug 60 in lumen 38 and a series of opposing spaced 
slots 46 at its distal end which are staggered with respect to an opposite 
series of spaced slots on the other side of the tube. An antibiotic 
dispersion cream such as BACACITRACIN, GENTOMYCIN OR NEOMYCIN commonly 
available on the market is dispensed into the slots 46 for lubrication of 
the outer surface of the barrel tube and nasal pack when it passes through 
the slot area. This lubrication provides for protection of the tissues of 
the nasal cavity when the applicator is inserted into the nasal cavity and 
lubricates the nasal pack as it is transported through the barrel into the 
nasal cavity. In addition the antibiotic dispersion will have the desired 
antibiotic effect within the nasal cavity. 
The plunger 50 is constructed with a thumb grip 52 having a knurled, 
serrated or ribbed outer surface 54 as shown in FIG. 11 and a linear 
pusher bar body 56 having central ribs 58 and outer guide bars 60 which 
are slidably mounted in the lumen 38 in tracks 62 formed outside of the 
guide ribs adjacent the side walls of the barrel lumen. A string guide 
channel 59 is cut into or formed in the body of the plunger between 
central ribs 58 to receive the nasal pack pull string 82. As shown in FIG. 
12, the distal end of the pusher bar body 56 is formed with a pusher tip 
64 having an undulating frontal surface 65 with forward pack engaging 
portions 66 and a recessed portion 67. The pusher tip defines an internal 
void or chamber 69 behind the frontal surface 65. A channel 68 which is 
axially alligned with string channel 59 is formed in recessed portion 67. 
The present nasal pack 80 as shown in FIG. 13 is made of a polyvinyl acetal 
sponge material described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,728 issued Jul. 4, 1978. 
The nasal pack 80 used in the applicator is 9 cm (about 3.5 inches) in 
length, 0.58 cm (about 1/4 inch) in width and 0.29 cm (about 1/8 inch) in 
thickness. The pack is dry, packaged sterile and cut to size. 
The material used in the nasal pack is Merocel CF50 polyvinyl acetal sponge 
material, a commercially available material manufactured by the Merocel 
Corporation. This material has been used for nasal packs. The material is 
a homogeneous white, open-celled sponge with visible pores, instantaneous 
fluid wicking, absorptive capacity of up 25 times it weight in fluids, a 
retained fluid capacity of 16 times its own weight in fluids as measured 
by ASTM D-1117-80, and a pore size range (diameter) of 0.02 to 1.2 mm as 
determined by Scanning Electron Microscopy at 10.times. and 100.times. 
magnifications. The nasal pack 80 as seen in FIG. 14 has a generally 
rectangular configeration with rounded ends and is provided with a end 
pull string 82 attached to the end of the nasal pack. 
In operation the nasal pack 80 is loaded into the lumen 38 of the barrel 
over ribs 44; plunger 50 is pushed behind the nasal pack and is seated in 
the tracks 62 formed by the barrel ribs and sides of the lumen. The 
withdrawal string 82 of the nasal pack 80 is mounted inside the plunger 
body in channel 59. The tip 36 of the barrel is inserted to the entrance 
of or just inside the nasal cavity of the patient and the plunger end 56 
is moved toward the end of the barrel pushing the nasal pack forward until 
it is deposited into the nasal cavity. The barrel and plunger is then 
removed from the nasal cavity, leaving the nasal pack in the nasal cavity 
with the pull string extending outside of the nasal cavity. 
In the foregoing description, the invention has been described with 
reference to a particular preferred embodiment, although it is to be 
understood that specific details shown are merely illustrative, and the 
invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the true 
spirit and scope of the following claims: