OTOLOGIC CATHETER DEVICE

Abstract: An otologic catheter device (10) for use by a surgeon in irrigating or removing fluid from the middle ear of a patient. The otologic catheter device comprises an elongate tubular member having a head (14) which is insertable in an incision in the patient's middle ear. Apertures (30) in the head allow fluid transfer between the interior of the patient's middle ear and an internal cavity within the tubular member. A source of fluid irrigation or suction are connectable in fluid communication with the internal cavity by an adapter (13) positioned at the end of the tubular member distal the head. An intermediate portion of the tubular member comprises a handle for gripping and manipulating the device. A head retention for retaining the head (14) in the incision and a relief bend (20) in the intermediate portion for faciliting manipulation of the catheter device.

Description: Otologic Catheter Device Background of the Invention The present invention relates generally to surgical devices and more particularly to an otologic catheter device used to irrigate or remove fluids from an interior portion of a patient's middle ear. A number of medical devices have been designed for the introduction or removal of fluid into and from a body cavity. Examples of such devices used for rectal or vaginal irrigation include Tuttle U.S. Patent No. 638,367; Molesworth U.S. Patent No. 170,182; Borsody U.S. Patent No. 1,098,220; Teshima U.S. Patent No. 1,444,714; Doehme U.S. Patent No. 1,958,811; Nemo U.S. Patent No. 2,591,371; and Fisher U.S. Patent No. 3,584,627. Other devices have been provided for the aspiration of blood during surgical operations. Heimlich U.S. Patent No. 3,324,855 is an example of such a device. However, until the present invention there has been no surgical device available for irriga¬ tion or fluid removal from a patient's middle ear. The ability to perform such an operation is extremely important because the incidence of infection can greatly be reduced with this procedure. An instrument used to perform such a function must be capable of and should have the additional features of being adapted for use with standard sources of suction and preferrably be adapted for use with a standard Frazier suction device. Summary of the Invention An otologic catheter device for use by a surgeon in irrigating or removing fluid from the middle ear of a patient. The otologic catheter device comprises an elongate tubular member having a head means- which is insertable in an incision in the patient's middle ear. Apertures in the head means allow fluid transfer between the interior of the patient's middle ear and an internal cavity within the tutular member. A source of fluid irrigation or suction means are connectable in fluid communication with the internal cavity by an adapter means positioned at the end of the tubular member distal the head means. An intermediate portion of the tubular member comprises a handle means for gripping and manipulating the device. A head retention means for retaining the head means in the incision and a relief bend in the intermediate portion for facil¬ itating manipulation of the catheter device. Brief Description of the Drawing An illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an otologic catheter device. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a head portion of the otologic catheter device of FIG. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed elevation view of a head portion of the otologic catheter device of FIGS. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a head portion of an alternate embodiment of an otologic catheter device. Fig. 5 is a detailed elevation view of a head portion of the alternate embodiment otologic catheter device of FIG. 4. Detailed Description of the Invention Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the otologic catheter device 10 of the present invention comprises an elongate tubular member 12 having an insertion end 11 and an apparatus connection end 13. The tubular member 12 comprises a head portion 14 positioned at the insertion end and an enlarged portion 18 positioned at the apparatus connection end 13 with an elongate intermediate portion 16 positioned between the head portion and the enlarged portion. In the preferred embodiment the longitudinal axes of the intermediate portion 16 and enlarged end portion 18 may intersect at an oblique angle at angled portion 20. A tubular cavity 22 defined by tubular member wall 32 having cylindrical interior and exterior surfaces 19, 17 extends from end to end of tubular member 12 termi¬ nating at an aperture 24 in the enlarged end portion 18 and terminating at a wall end surface 26 in head portion 14. The head portion 14 is insertable by a physician in an incision in a patient's middle ear (not shown). In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the head portion 14 may comprise a retention means for preventing the head portion 14 from inadvertently slipping from the incision once it is inserted. This retention means may comprise a generally button shaped portion 34 having a radially extending surface 36 extending outwardly from tubular wall cylindrical exterior surface 17. The radially extending surface 36 terminates at intersection with an axially extending surface 38 whereby a right angle collar portion 39 is formed. The collar portion 39 generally has a diameter approximately equal to the length of the incision which is slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical surface 17 at the point of intersection with radially extending surface 36. The button portion 34 in the preferred embodiment terminates in a generally conical surface 40 which intersects surface 38. The conical surface 40 facilitates insertion of the tubular member 12 into the incision. Fluid transfer means such as multiple apertures 30 in head portion 14 allow transfer of fluid from the tubular member inner cavity 22 and interior portions of the middle ear (not shown) . In one preferred embodiment the fluid transfer means comprises six equally spaced apertures 30 having axes lying in a common plane positioned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of inner cavity 22. The enlarged end portion 18 of the tubular member 12 is connectable in fluid communication with fluid transfer apparatus such as a Frazier device (not shown) through an adapter means which in the preferred embodiment comprises an enlarged adapter aperture 24 having a generally inwardly tapering circular cross-section. Thus it may be seen that the otological catheter device 10 provides for fluid or suction communication between a Frazier-type device or the like and the interior of a human middle ear and may be used to irrigate the interior of the middle ear through fluid transfer through the tubular cavity 22 and head apertures 30 and may similarly be used to withdraw fluid from the middle ear by applying a negative pressure with the Fraizer-type device at enlarged end 18. In one preferred embodiment, the otological catheter device 10 is constructed from a resilient material vjiw j. such as polyethylene or the like having the previously described resiliency. In the preferred embodiment, the thickness of the tubular member wall 32 varies from approximately 0.5 mm to approximately .15 millimeters from the apparatus connection end 13 to the insertion end 11. The maximum diameter of the enlarged end portion 18 at its terminal end may be approximately 5.0 millimeters with the enlarged end portion 18 taped to fit a standard syringe. The enlarged- end portion 18 may be of the length of approximately 1.2 millimeters from its terminal end to the point of angled inter¬ section with the intermediate portion 16. The length from the angled portion 20 to the termination point of the insertion end 11 may be approximately 50 milli¬ meters, with the tubular member 12 tapering from the angular portion 20 to the insertion end 11 and having an outer diameter of approximately 1 millimeter throughout the last 25 millimeters. The diameter of the inner cavity 22 in the head portion 14 may be approximately 0.7 millimeters. The button portion 34 may have an outer diameter of approximately 1.6 milli¬ meters. The axially extending cylindrical surface of the button portion may have an axially extending length of approximately 0.9 millimeters and the conical end portion 38 may have an altitude of approximately 0.53 millimeters. The apertures 30 may have a diameter of between approximately 0.05 and 0.15 millimeters and may be generally symmetrically positioned in the cylindri¬ cal portion of the button portion 34. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 in an alternate embodi¬ ment of the invention, the button portion 34 may be eliminated and replaced by a portion which is a straight line continuation of the outer surface 17. In this embodiment, a conical tip portion 38 may again be provided. In this embodiment, conical tip portion may have an altitude of approximately 0.25 millimeters with the apertures 30 provided at a distance of approxi¬ mately 0.5 millimeters from the terminal end of the device 10. It is contemplated that the inventive concepts herein described may be variously otherwise embodied and it is intended that the appended claims be con¬ strued to include alternative embodiments of the invention except insofar as limited by the prior art. pMPI

Claims: Claims : 1. An otologic catheter device for irrigating and removing fluid from the middle ear of a patient com¬ prising: a tubular member having a first end operably insertable into an incision in the middle ear of a patient; a second end operably connectable to a source of irrigating fluid or vacuum; an elongate intermediate portion connecting said first end with said second end; internal cavity means extending substantially from said first end to said second end of said tubular member for transferring fluid therethrough; head means positioned at said first end of said tubular member having at least one aperture therein for pro¬ viding fluid communication between said internal cavity means and the interior of the patients middle ear; and adapter means positioned on said second end of said tubular member for placing said tubular cavity in sealed fluid communication with said source of irrigat¬ ing fluid or vacuum. 2. The invention of Claim 1 wherein said tubular member comprises manually grippable handle means for holding and maneuvering said device. 3. The invention of Claim 2 wherein said handle means comprises said elongate intermediate portion of said tubular member wherein said intermediate portion comprises an elongate substantially linear section having a length between 30 millimeters and 80 milli¬ meters. 4. The invention of Claim 3 further comprising a relief bend section in said intermediate portion for orienting said source of irrigating fluid or vacuum at a convenient angle of attachment with respect to said elongate substantially linear section. 5. The invention of Claim 4 wherein said adapter means comprises an enlarged connection aperture in said second end of said tubular member in fluid communi¬ cation with said internal cavity means. 6. The invention of Claim 5 wherein said tubular member comprises a tubular cavity wall having a circu¬ lar cross-section with a circular outer periphery. 7. The invention of Claim 6 wherein said at least one aperture in said head means comprise six equally circumferentially spaced apertures having longitudinal axes lying substantially in a single plane. 8. The invention of Claim 7 wherein said head means comprises a conical portion at the terminal end thereof for facilitating insertion of said head means in an incision, and wherein said latter means comprises a retention means for retaining said head means in the incision in the patient's middle ear. 9. The invention of Claim 8 wherein said retention means comprises a collar portion having a radially outwardly extending surface intersecting an axially extending cylindrical surface. 10. The invention of Claim 9 wherein said otologic device comprises a single integrally formed tubular member constructed of polyethylene plastic wherein said apertures in said head means have a diameter between 0.05 millimeters and 0.15 millimeters and wherein the diameter of said internal cavity means varies from a minimum diameter of approximately 0.5 millimeters and a maximum diameter of approximately 0.15 millimeters and wherein said second end portion intersects said inter¬ mediate portion at an angle of between 120° and 160°. TOT, O PI

Inventors: BALKANY THOMAS JAY, BALKANY, THOMAS, JAY
Applicants: BALKANY THOMAS JAY, BALKANY, THOMAS, JAY
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61M1
IPC codes: A61F11