APPARATUS FOR GASTRO-INTESTINAL RINSING AND CLEANING OF HUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS

Abstract: Apparatus for gastro-intestinal rinsing and cleaning of human beins and animals, comprising a water container (18) having cold and hot water connections (11, 12, 15) for the supply of temperated water to the container, and a nozzle (41) which is connected by transparent hoses (39, 40) with valve controlled conduits (20, 35) for the supply of water to the nozzle from the water container by gravity, and with a drain (25) for discharging flowing material from the nozzle to the drain. Detachable connection of the transparent hoses is provided by means of hose connections (22, 38) available externally of a housing otherwise enclosing the apparatus. The cold water connection (11) is connected via a cut-off valve (29) with the conduit (20) from the water container (18) to the nozzle (41) and via cut-off valve (33) and an adjustable choke member (31) with an injector (34) connected to the drain conduit (35) of the nozzle.

Description: APPARATUS FOR GASTRO-INTESTINAL RINSING AND CLEANING OF HUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS The invention relates to an apparatus for gastro-intestinal irrigation and cleansing of humans and animals comprising a water container having cold and hot water connections for the supply of temper¬ ated water to the container, and a nozzle which can be connected by hoses over valve controlled conduits to the water container for supply of water to the nozzle from the water container by gravity and to a drain for discharging flowing material from the nozzle to the drain. The apparatus is primarily intended for the enema process but can be used also for irrigating and cleansing the stomach. Apparatus of the kind referred to above for the enema process is disclosed in US-A-1 818 978 and US-A-2 313 805. The advantage provided by such apparatus is that the treatment takes place in a closed system, and as a consequence thereof the treatment will be consider¬ ably less trying physically as well as mentally for the person treated than the conventional enema and, moreover, that the treatment can be carried out faster and considerably more hygienically than the conventional enema with the patient lying the whole time on a couch. The purpose of the present invention is to improve further the apparatus so that the function thereof can be adapted to the condition of the person to be treated and the very strict hygienic require¬ ments applied nowadays can be satisfied, implying that medical apparatus should be kept free of bacteria. For the purpose mentioned the apparatus of the kind referred to above according to the invention has obtained the characterizing features of claim 1, whereby the drainage through the nozzle can be posi¬ tively carried out by suction the effect thereof being adjusted to the condition of the patient, and the apparatus can be cleaned and sterilized in a very simple and effective manner. For detailed description of the invention refer¬ ence is made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG 1 is a functional diagram of an enema appar¬ atus of the invention, FIG 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus, FIG 3 is a side view of the nozzle connected to the apparatus, FIG 4 is a plan view of the nozzle, FIG 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG 4, and FIG 6 is an end view of the rear end of the nozzle. The functional elements shown inside the rec¬ tangle indicated by dot-and-dash lines in FIG 1, are located inside a housing 10, FIG 2, which preferably is made of stainless sheet and is shaped such that it can be located in a corner of a room so as to require the smallest possible space. The apparatus is con¬ nected to a conduit 11 for cold water and a conduit 12 for hot water via check valves 13 and 14, respect¬ ively, and a mixer 15 with control means 16 is con¬ nected to said conduits. The outlet of the mixer is connected via a shut-off cock 17 to a water container 18 located in the upper portion of the apparatus. The water container has an outlet conduit 19 connected to a bottom thereof, to which a conduit 20 is connected, said conduit being connected via a shut-off valve 21 to a nipple 22 available at the outside of the hous¬ ing 10. An overflow 23 for the water container is connected to the conduit 19 which opens via a shut- off valve 24 in a drainage system 25. Upstream of the valve 21 a conduit 26 having a shut-off valve 27 is connected to the conduit 20, and said conduit 26 opens in the water container at a location above the uppermost water level in the water container defined by the overflow 23. Downstream of the valve 21 a conduit 28 having a shut-off valve 29 is connected to the conduit 20, and said conduit 29 extends from the cold water conduit 31 which is also connected by a conduit 30 having an adjustable choke member 31 the control means of which is indicated at 32, and a shut-off valve 33, to an injector (water type suction device) 34 having an outlet to the drainage system 25. The suction conduit 35 of the in¬ jector is connected via a shut-off valve 36 and a check valve 37 to a nipple 38 which is available at the outside of the housing 10 and is located adjacent the nipple 22. Transparent hoses 39 and 40 are detachably con¬ nected to the nipples 22 and 38, respectively, said hoses extending to a rectal nozzle 41. The rectal nozzle 41 is circular in the cross sections thereof and is anatomatically shaped in the longitudinal direction in order that the insertion into the rectum will be facilitated and optimum seal¬ ing against the intestinal wall and the rectal muscle and - when patients having undergone stomi-operation are treated - against the skin and the intestinal wall at the intestinal outlet will be obtained. The nozzle has a through internal passage 42 which in the forward portion 43 opens into a central- ly positioned supply opening 44 and in the sides of said portion opens into two (or more) discharge open¬ ings 45. In the rear portion 46 two connection tubes 47 and 48 are provided communicating with the passage 42, and the two hoses 39 and 40 are connected each to one of these connection tubes. The forward portion of the rectal nozzle is shaped so as to simplify and facilitate the applica¬ tion of the nozzle at and during the treatment. The forward, outside portion of the nozzle is smoothly curved so as to prevent damage of the intestine and the rectal muscle and to lower the level of pain when the nozzle is being inserted into the rectum and pre¬ vent reflectory contraction of the rectal muscle. The forward portion 43 of the nozzle has a larger dia¬ meter than the central portion 49 and, therefore, the openings 45 can be made relatively large so as to pass larger fractions of the intestinal content with¬ out the risk of stoppage. When the forward, larger portion has passed the rectal muscle which then en¬ circles the following narrower portion 49, this muscle will be less strained but prevents simulta¬ neously the nozzle from spontaneously slipping out of the intestine. If the nozzle is used for intestinal irrigation of stomi-operated patients the length of the thicker portion 43 provides an indication of how far the nozzle should be inserted into the intestinal opening. The rear portion 46 of the nozzle has a sub¬ stantially larger diameter than the central portion 49 and the forward portion 43. From the central por¬ tion the diameter • is increased by a smooth transition 50 to the largest diameter which approaches the double diameter of the central portion. The function of this enlargement is that the portion at the smooth transition from a small to a large diameter when said enlarged portion is pressed against the rectal open¬ ing will form a tight connection at said opening. This is of particular importance in treating elderly patients whose rectal functions often are weakened. Preferably, the rectal nozzle is made of a transparent plastics material and suitably is a one¬ way product. When the nozzle is produced the two fix¬ edly attached connection tubes 47 and 48 are formed as nipples for hose connection. Necessary control means for the cock and the shut-off valves as well as necessary check means are provided on the outside surface of the housing 10. Thus, there are provided an operating handle 127 for the air valve 27, an operating handle 133 for the valve 33 used for applying a negative pressure in the conduit 35, a knob 132 connected to the adjustment means 32 for adjusting the negative pressure in the conduit 35, an operating handle 121 for the valve 21 which can be marked "To patient", an operating handle 136 for the valve 36, which can be marked "From patient", an operating handle 117 for the water cock 17, a knob 116 for adjusting the control means 16 for the mixer for setting a suitable temperature of the water supplied from the mixer, an operating handle 124 for the valve 24 for emptying the water con¬ tainer, and an operating handle 129 for the valve 29. Additionally, there is provided on the apparatus a level meter 51 for indicating the water level in the water container and a digital thermometer 52 for in¬ dicating the temperature of the water in the water container. When enema is performed by using the apparatus described the procedure will be as follows: Starting from a condition wherein the water cock 17 and all valves are closed the negative pressure to be maintained in the conduit 35 initially is adjust¬ ed. The hose 40 (detached from the nozzle) is immers¬ ed into a bucket with water valves 33 and 36 then be¬ ing opened. By means of the injector 34 a negative pressure is developed in the hose 40 a water column being sucked up into said hose. The water column can be seen through the transparent hose, and at the knob 132 the water flow through the injector is adjusted such that the desired negative pressure will be ob¬ tained; the distance from the water column to the nipple 38 can be used as a measure of the negative pressure. For example it may be prescribed for the " use of the apparatus that this distance in the normal case should be about 10 cm. The water container 18 is filled with body tem¬ perated water by opening the cock 17 with the knob 116 adjusted to the suitable temperature which is read on the thermometer 52 the water container initially being flushed by the valve 24 being main¬ tained in the open position. When the rectal nozzle 41 has been inserted into the rectum of the patient with the two hoses 39 and 40 connected to the nozzle and the apparatus, the valve 27 in the air conduit 26 is opened and then the valve 21 is opened, water flowing by gravity from the water container through the conduits 19 and 20, the hose 39 and the nozzle 41 into the intestine of the patient. At the same time the water is airated via the conduit 26 the air being preheated by being taken from the water container 18 above the surface of the body hot water contained therein. The air contributes to an expansion of the intestine so that walls and intestinal cavities will be available for the liquid, which means that the cleansing effect will be optimated and that the treatment time as a consequence thereof can be re- duced in relation to that required at conventional enema. When 1/2 - 1 1 water has been supplied the valve 21 is closed and the valve 36 in the conduit 35 is opened, water and intestinal contents being evacu- ated through the nozzle 41, the hose 40 and the con¬ duit 35 to the drainage system 25 via the injector 34 under the influence of the negative pressure generat¬ ed in said injector. This procedure is repeated until the desired degree of cleansing has been obtained, which can easily be checked by observing the colour of the material which is evacuated through the trans¬ parent hose 40. Then, the valve 36 is closed and the nozzle 41 is removed from the patient. The water con¬ tainer 18 is emptied by opening the valve 24. The valves 27 and 33 are closed. In order to clean the apparatus the nipples 22 and 38 are short circuited by connecting a short hose connection indicated by dot-and-dash lines at 53 between the nipples. The valve 36 is opened as is the valve 29 cold water flushing through the conduits 20 and 35 via the hose 53 to the drainage system 25. When the valve 29 has been closed the valves 21 and 33 are open for evacuating the conduits and the hose. Then, all valves are closed, and the apparatus is ready to be used again. Regular disinfection of the apparatus should be effected, and this is done in the following manner. With the hose 53 connected to the nipples 22 and 38 and with the valve 21 open the water container 18 is filled with water by opening the cock 17 and ad¬ mixing a disinfection agent into the water in the container. When the mixture has been left for an hour or so the valves 24 and 36 are opened, the conduits 19, 20 and 35 being flushed with disinfection liquid. The procedure is repeated some times with water only from the water container 18 the cleaning program de¬ scribed above then being run through in order to pre¬ pare the apparatus for enema. The check valve 37 guarantees that cold water at water tap pressure cannot be supplied to the patient via the rectal nozzle 41 if the injector 34 should fail or stoppage should arise in the drainage system 25. In order that cold water at water tap pressure also cannot be supplied to the patient by opening the valve 29 when the nozzle 41 is connected to the patient, the operating handle 129 of the valve 29 should be located so that it is separated from other control handles regularly used in treating a patient by means of the apparatus, as is also disclosed in FIG 2, and the access thereof should be more diffi¬ cult than in case of other operating handles and, preferably, the handle should be marked with a par¬ ticular colour, for example painted in red colour. As will be seen the apparatus of the invention allows enema in a closed system in a simple and effective manner the apparatus being operated by simple manipulation, and that the apparatus in a simple manner can be adjusted for use and can be cleaned and disinfected in order to satisfy strict hygienic requirements at the level maintained nowa¬ days in the medical care. The cleansing procedure can be effected more rapidly and with a better result than when conventional enema is used. Summarizing, there are thus obtained by the invention practical, hygienical, time related and economic advantages, the situation of the patient at the same time being less degrading as compared with the conventional enema method.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for gastro-intestinal irrigation and cleansing of humans and animals comprising a water container (18) having cold and hot water con¬ nections (11, 12, 15) for the supply of temperated water to the container, and a nozzle (41) which can be connected by hoses (39, 40) over valve controlled conduits (20, 35) to the water container for supply of water to the nozzle from the water container by gravity and to a drain (25) for discharging flowing material from the nozzle to the drain, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the cold water connection (11) via a shut-off valve (29) is connected to the conduit (20) from the water container (18) to the nozzle (41) and via a shut-off valve (33) and adjustable choke means (31) is connected to an injector (34) connected to the drain conduit (35) of the nozzle, the nozzle hoses being transparent and being detachably connect¬ ed to the valve controlled conduits (20, 35) from the water container and to the drain, respectively, by means of hose couplings (22, 38) available externally on a housing (10) enclosing the rest of the apparatus. 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the drain conduit (35) of the nozzle is provided with a check valve (37) preventing flow to the nozzle (41) through the drain conduit. 3. Apparatus as in claim 1 or 2 wherein operat¬ ing means (129) for the shut-off valve in the cold water connection (11) to the supply conduit (20) of the nozzle (41) is separated from operating and control means for other functional elements of the apparatus, and preferably the access thereof is more difficult than that of said other elements. 4. Apparatus as in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the cold water connection (11) to the supply conduit (20) of the nozzle (41) is located downstream of the shut-off valve (21) for the connection between the water container (18) and the nozzle. 5. Apparatus as in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein a valve controlled conduit (26) for supply of gas, preferably air, to the water flow through the con¬ nection between the water container (18) and the nozzle (41) is connected with said connection up¬ stream of the shut-off valve (21) therein. 6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said conduit (26) opens into the water container (18) above a maximum water level therein defined by an overflow (23) .

Inventors: MINTHON LENNART, MINTHON, LENNART
Applicants: MINTHON LENNART, MINTHON, LENNART
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A61M3
IPC codes: A61M1, A61M3