Abstract:
A rolling swab applicator is disclosed which includes an elongated handle that can be grasped by a user. A rotatable applicator head is mounted to the handle member for rotation relative thereto. The applicator head includes a layer of absorbent material that may be pre-saturated with a disinfectant or irrigant to be applied to a wound or incision. Alternatively, a dry absorbent swab can be used for debris pickup and drying of a wound or application of ointments.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Summary of the Invention 
     The invention broadly relates to devices for applying disinfectants and similar pharmaceutical preparations to incisions, wounds and the like, and is specifically directed to a rolling swab applicator for the purpose of applying tinctures and ointments, or as a dry swab for use as a pickup, to aid healing and to treat infection. 
     Surgical incisions and other tissue wounds must be carefully treated to prevent infection. For example, after surgery surgical incisions must be dressed and redressed periodically to facilitate healing. An important part of wound dressing is applying a disinfectant such as iodine, hydrogen peroxide or sterile normal saline to prevent infection. This is typically accomplished with the use of a swab applicator which may either be dipped in the disinfectant before application, or which may be prepackaged with the solution saturating the swab. 
     Conventional swab applicators typically include a handle and an applicator portion connected to the handle that is absorbent and capable of holding a quantity of the disinfectant. The disinfectant is applied by direct engagement of the applicator with the incision or wound. 
     As prescribed, the applicator is wiped or dragged directly over the wound to apply the disinfectant. If the applicator head is circular, an alternative approach is to manually roll the applicator head over the wound. This avoids the transfer of the infection from one portion of the wound to the other. However, conventional swab heads are typically small in circumference, non-rotating and fixed to the handle of the device. A person can manually rotate the handle and cause the swab to rotate as well, but the dexterity required to match the surface speed of the head to that of the handle is difficult and cumbersome. 
     The invention is directed to a rolling swab applicator in which the applicator head is capable of being rotated relative to the handle. Three embodiments are disclosed. In each case, the simple controlled pressure of the swab on the wound allows the swab to travel with the length of the wound as the handle is moved laterally. Controlling the pressure on the swab head on the wound determines the amount of solution wetting the wound, from minimal to flooding the wound with solution as the swab rolls. 
     In the first embodiment, a handle includes an applicator support in the form of an axially projecting split hub. The applicator consists of a spool that can be inserted over the hub for rotation thereon. An absorbent material such as cotton or open cell urethane is wound around the outer periphery of the spool to receive the disinfectant. 
     The second embodiment includes an elongated handle that is formed with an elongated central bore. The applicator includes a small elongated rod that is inserted into the bore for rotation relative to the handle. The rod is preferably retained in the bore by one or more detents. One end of the rod projects beyond the handle and carries an applicator head that is circular in cross section and which has absorbent material placed thereon. 
     The third embodiment is similar to the second in that it includes an elongated hollow handle that receives a shaft with a plurality of axially spaced bearings enabling the shaft to rotate relative to the handle. The shaft is held in place within the handle by a plug member that is inserted into one end of the shaft and which bears against the handle end in a retaining fashion. The opposite end of the shaft projects beyond the handle and carries an applicator head. An absorbent material is wound around or otherwise affixed on the applicator head. 
     In all three of the preferred embodiments, the applicator head rotates relative to a stationary handle, enabling a user to grasp the handle and roll the applicator head over the incision or wound. The absorbent material may first be dipped into a disinfecting solution, or the disinfectant may be applied directly to the absorbent material. Alternatively, the absorbent material may be pre-saturated with disinfectant, sterile normal saline, or ointment. 
     The assembled rolling swab applicator may be provided in different sizes and individually packaged, enabling the user to choose the correct size of the applicator based on the size of the incision or wound. In either case, the absorbent material directly engages the wound in a pressing rather than a wiping manner, depositing or irrigating disinfectant or other solutions directly onto the wound. 
     Use of the inventive rolling swab applicator is simple, easy and fast, requiring only opening of the package of an applicator of the appropriate size and rolling the disinfectant onto the incision or wound. The applicator is then discarded. 
     The structure and features of the inventive rolling swab applicator will be more fully appreciated from the drawings and specification. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view and side elevation of a first preferred embodiment of a rolling swab applicator; 
     FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the rolling swab applicator of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the second preferred embodiment of the rolling swab applicator; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the rolling swab applicator of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the rolling swab applicator of FIG. 4 showing a detent arrangement; and 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the third embodiment of the rolling swab applicator. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With initial reference to FIGS. 1-3, a first embodiment of the inventive rolling swab applicator is represented generally by the numeral  11 . Applicator  11  includes a handle  12  and an applicator head  13 , both of which are preferably formed by plastic injection molding. 
     Handle  12  is elongated and of sufficient length as to enable it to be grasped by a user. It includes a longer portion  14  of uniform cross section and an enlarged portion  15  that is flared from the portion  14  and terminates in a support disk  16 . 
     Projecting axially forward from the support disk  16  is a split hub  17  consisting a pair of identical, axially projecting hub members  18 . Each of the hub members  18  has an arcuate cross section to receive the circular applicator head  13  as discussed below. Hub members  18  are relatively stiff but nevertheless sufficiently resilient as to pinched together to permit the placement of applicator head  13  thereover. The extreme end of each of the hub members  18  is enlarged to define a retaining member  19  which is formed with a ramped or tapered surface  20  to facilitate placement of the applicator  13  as discussed in further detail below. 
     The front face of support disk  16  is formed with an annular boss or ring  21  that serves as a bearing surface for the applicator head  13 . 
     Applicator head  13  takes the form of a solid spool  22  formed with an internal bore  23  the diameter of which is slightly greater than the external diameter of split hub  17 . As best shown in FIG. 1, the width or axial depth of spool  22  is slightly less than the overall length of split hub  17 ; i.e., the axial dimensions between bearing ring  16  and the retaining members  19 . As such, spool  22  may rotate on split hub  17  as well as relative to the bearing ring  21  on disk  16 . 
     It will be appreciated that spool  22  may be placed on the split hub  17  by pressing the circumferential edge of bore  23  against the two ramp surfaces  20 . This causes the split hub members  18  to be resiliently deflected inward to the point that spool  22  may slide over the retaining members  19  and onto the hub members  18 . After spool  22  reaches the position shown in FIG. 1, hub members  18  resiliently return to the position shown, and spool  22  is retained by the backside of the retaining members  19 . 
     With reference to FIG. 3, spool  22  has an outer circumferential surface  22  that is preferably circular but could be of other configuration provided it can be rolled over the incision or wound. The outer circumferential surface of spool  22  is preferably formed with a plurality of outwardly projecting small spikes  24  that are uniformly distributed thereover. A layer of absorbent material  25  is placed over the spikes  24  and retained thereby. Preferably, the absorbent material is a strip of cotton, a layer of open cell urethane or a suitable equivalent that is wound onto the outer circumferential surface of spool  22  with the spikes projecting into and retaining the cotton  25  as it wound. It is possible to secure the absorbent material  25  to spool  22  with the appropriate means, such as with an adhesive. 
     Materials other than cotton or open cell urethane may alternatively be used, provided they are capable of being sterile, relatively soft to avoid discomfort to the patient and sufficiently absorbent as to retain an appropriate disinfectant. As noted above, the disinfectant may be placed on the absorbent material at the time the rolling swab applicator is used, or the material may be pre-saturated with the disinfectant before packaging. 
     The second preferred embodiment of the rolling swab applicator is shown in FIGS. 4-6 and bears reference numeral  31 . Applicator  31  comprises an elongated handle  32  and an applicator head  33 . 
     The handle  32  is generally cylindrical, having an irregular surface that facilitates its grasping. As shown in FIG. 5, it is formed with an elongated bore  34  that extends through the entirety of the handle  32 . In the preferred embodiment, handle  32  is injected molded from plastic in identical halves, with the halves adhesively secured or bonded together along parting lines  35  (FIGS.  4  and  5 ). As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, one or more annular circumferential beads  36  are formed on the inner circumferential surface of handle  32  for the purpose disclosed below. 
     The applicator  33  consists of an elongated thin rod  37  the length of which is greater than the axial length of handle  32 . As shown on FIGS. 5 and 6, annular recesses  38  corresponding in number and size to the circumferential beads  36  are formed on the outer circumferential surface of rod  37  and axially spaced in the same manner as beads  36 . This enables the rod  37  to be inserted into the bore  34  into the position shown in FIG. 4, with the annular beads  36  projecting into the annular recesses  38  in detent fashion. The relative sizing of the members  36 ,  38  is such that the rod  37  may rotate freely relative to the handle  32 . 
     Applicator  33  further comprises an applicator head  39  that in the preferred embodiment is tear-shaped enabling it to access incisions and wounds in smaller areas. The applicator head  39  includes an outer absorbent material  41  of cotton, open cell urethane or the equivalent that can be wound onto the applicator  33  in the same manner as applicator  11 , or slipped onto and adhesively secured to the end of rod  37 . 
     Preferably, the absorbent material  41  of applicator head  39  is pre-saturated with a disinfectant, and the applicator  33  is encased in a sterile package  42 . As an example, package  42  may be a bubble pack, a shrink wrap card or a clam shell package of injected molded plastic. It is essential that the applicator  31  be in a sterile condition at the time of packaging and that the package  42  maintain this sterility until the time it is opened and the applicator  33  used. 
     The third preferred embodiment of the rolling swab applicator is shown in FIG.  7  and referred to generally by numeral  51 . Applicator  51  includes a handle  52  and an applicator head  53 . 
     Handle  52  comprises a cylindrical tube  54  having a relatively large internal bore  55  of uniform diameter. Tube  54  is preferably formed as a plastic extrusion. 
     Applicator head  53  includes an elongated shaft  56  of greater length than the tube  54  but having a diameter that is substantially less than the inside diameter of tube  54 . Disposed at spaced axial intervals on shaft  56  are three annular bearings  57  that are sized and configured to permit the shaft  56  to rotate relative to the tubular handle  54 . 
     As viewed in FIG. 7, the left end of shaft  56  projects beyond the handle  54  and supports three equiangularly spaced, radially projecting spokes  58 . Each of the spokes  58  is formed with a short leg  58   a  that is perpendicular to shaft  56  and abuts the end of handle  54 . The remaining portion of each of the spokes  58  then projects angularly outward to support a cylindrical spool  59 . Spool  59  has a width or axial dimension such that it overlies a portion of the handle  54 . 
     Disposed on the outer circumferential surface of spool  59  is an absorbent material  61  which may be affixed with an adhesive, or through the use of small projecting spikes as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3. 
     The opposite end of shaft  56  terminates at the end of tubular handle  54  and is formed with a blind bore  62  extending axially inward from its right-hand end. The bore  62  is slightly enlarged at its inner most or blind end as shown at  63 . 
     A retention plug  64  includes a circular head of disk-like configuration and an axially projecting pin  66  that has the same configuration as the bore  62  although slight smaller in dimension permitting it to be inserted into the bore  62 . When the extreme enlarged end of the pin  66  reaches the enlargement  63  of bore  62  it is retained in detent fashion. This has the effect not only of retaining the end of shaft  56  in the position shown in FIG. 7, but also drawing the abutting edges  58 a of spokes  58  against the left end of handle  54 . 
     All three of the applicators  11 ,  31  and  51  are preferably pre-saturated with a suitable disinfectant and encased in a sterile package as described in connection with applicator  31 . Further, the applicators  11 ,  31  and  51  are preferably manufactured in differing sizes, both with regard to the outer circumference of the applicator head as well as its width or axial length. In so doing, an applicator may be selected appropriate to the size of the incision or wound that is to be dressed, ensuring that the outer circumference of the applicator head is at least as large or greater than the length of the incision or wound to be dressed. This ensures the disinfectant or other solution will be placed over the entirety of the wound. 
     After selecting an applicator of appropriate size, the user simply opens the package, grasps the applicator handle, places the applicator head adjacent one end of the wound and rolls the applicator head over the entirety of the wound. The wound is thus covered with disinfectant or another appropriate solution that may work itself into all areas of the wound as the absorbent material of the applicator head is gently pressed into the wound. After application, the applicator is discarded. 
     It will be appreciated that the inventive rolling swab applicator can be quickly and easily used to place disinfectant or other solution over the wound. 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.