Improvements in Catheters or Flexible Drain Tubes for Surgical Purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left. 10th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Catheters or Flexible Drain Tubes for Surgical
Purposes.
I, OSCAR DE PEZZER of 8 Rue St. Florentin, Paris, France, Doctor of Medicine
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improvement in surgical instruments of the kind
known variously as catheters or drain tubes which are intended to be introduced
into the natural cavities of the body such as the bladder, the urethra, the ureters,
the kidneys, lungs, etc., or into accidental or surgically-made cavities, for the
purpose of evacuating liquid secretions which are not expelled in the normal
manner, and the invention has for its object to provide an instrument of the kind
which whilst possessing a high degree of flexibility will maintain itself permanently
in position in the cavity into which it may be introduced without any extranecus
means of attachment or fixation, whereas it has heretofore been necessary in
certain cases requiring a catheter to be permanently retained in the bladder for
instance, to employ either a rigid instrument or a flexible one secured in position
by a means of attachment which will prevent its expulsion by the natural con-
tractions of the organ in question.
To obviate this objection, my invention consists essentially in providing the
anterior extremity of the instrument with a flexible self-expanding bulbous or
other shaped enlargement which is capable of being extended longitudinally and
contracted in diameter by means of a mandrel inserted through the instrument, to
permit the easy introduction of the latter into the cavity of the body, and which
when so introduced will, on the withdrawal of the mandrel, re-expand and by
regaining its original form will retain the instrument in position.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein I have represented various examples of the improvement as
applied in different forms to instruments of different sizes or for different corporal
uses.
Figure 1 is an external view, and Figure 2. a longitudinal section, of a catheter.
with a spherical bulbous enlargement, and Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of the
same instrument in the form it is made to assume whilst being introduced into the
cavity.
Figures 5 and 6 shew in perspective elevation, and in longitudinal section, a
similar instrument with a flattened enlargement.
Figures 7 and 8 shew similar views of a modified form of flattened enlargement
which permits of this part of the instrument applying itself against the walls of
the neck of the bladder and of so occupying the minimum of space when this organ
is empty and contracted. This flattened form of enlargement may be hollow, as
shewn, or solid and in that case of less thickness.
Figures 9 and 10 shew a smaller form of instrument having an enlargement of
ovoid form and intended more particularly for the ureters.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
b
a is the flexible tubular stem of the instrument terminating in the hollow bulbous
or other shaped self-expanding flexible enlargement & generally made of the same
material as the tube which is preferably pure caoutchouc such as that known
commercially in France under the name of "feuille anglaise or "nacintosh."
This enlargement is pierced with one or more holes c communicating with the bore
of the stem a.
"
In order to introduce the instrument into the cavity of the body, a mandrel d
is pushed through the stem until the enlargement is so far elongated longitudinally

page_text: and contracted in diameter, that it forms temporarily a prolongation of the same
or less diameter as the stem a, as shewn in Figure 3 and 4, and whilst maintained
in this form it may be easily inserted through the urethra for example. When
the mandreld is subsequently withdrawn,, the enlargement regains its normal
bulbous form, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and so prevents the expulsion of the
instrument by the contractions of the bladder without the use any extraneous
homeans of fixation whilst permitting its easy withdrawal by pulling on..the outer
end of the instrument. The instrument, of the form shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7,
may be introduced for example after hypogastric or. perineal cutting; in the case
of a female it may be easily introduced by the-meatus by.folding it in a suitable
.clip.
:
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Catheters or Flexible Drain Tubes for, Surgical
Purposes.
I OSCAR DE PEZZER, of 8 Rue St. Florentin, Paris, France, Doctor of Medicine
do hereby declare the nature of this: invention..and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by. the
following statement:―
My, invention relates to an improvement in surgical instruments of the kind
known, variously as catheters or drain tubes, which are intended to be introduced
into the natural cavities of the body such as the bladder, the urethra, the ureters,
the kidneys, lungs, &c., or into accidental or surgically made cavities, for the
purpose of evacuating liquid secretions which are not." expelled in the normal
manner, and the invention has for its object to provide an instrument of the kind,
which whilst possessing a high degree of flexibility will maintain itself permanently
in position in the cavity into which it may be introduced without any extraneous
means of attachment or fixation, whereas it has heretofore been necessary in
certain cases requiring a catheter to be permanently retained in the bladder for
instance, to employ either a rigid instrument or a flexible one secured in position
by a means of attachment which will prevent its expulsion by the natural con-
tractions of the organ in question.
༦
To obviate this objection,. my invention consists essentially in providing the
anterior extremity of the instrument with a flexible self-expanding bulbous or
other, shaped enlargement which is capable of being extended longitudinally and
contracted in diameter by means of a inandrel inserted through the instrument, to
permit the easy introduction of the latter into the cavity of the body, and which
when, so, introduced will, on the withdrawal of the mandrel, re-expand and by
regaining its original form will retain the instrument in position.
Reference is to be.had to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specifica-
tion, wherein I have represented various. examples of the improvement as applied
in different forms to instruments of different sizes or for different corporal uses.
Figure 1 is an external view, and Figure 2 a longitudinal section, "of a catheter
with a spherical bulbous enlargement, and Figures 3 and 4 are similar views of
the same instrument in the form it is made to assume whilst being introduced into
the cavity.
Figures 5 and 6 shew in perspective elevation, -and-in longitudinal section, a
similar instrument with à flattened enlargement.
Figures 7 and 8 shew.similar views of a modified form of flattened enlargement
which permits of this part of the instrument-applying-itself against the walls of
the neck of the bladder and of so occupying the minimum of space-when' this

page_text: organ is empty and contracted. This flattened form of enlargement may be hollow,
as shewn, or solid and in that case of less thickness.
Figures 9 and 10 shew a smaller form of instrument having an enlargement of
ovoid form and intended more particularly for the ureters.
The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.
a is the flexible tubular stem of the instrument terminating in the hollow bulbous
or other shaped self-expanding flexible enlargement generally made of the same
material as the tube which is preferably pure caoutchouc such as that known
commercially in France under the name of "feuille anglaise" or "macintosh."
This enlargement is pierced with one or more holes c communicating with the bore
of the stem a.
In order to introduce the instrument into the cavity of the body, a mandrel d
is pushed through the stem until the enlargement is so far elongated longitudinally
and contracted in diameter, that it forms teinporarily a prolongation of the same
or less diameter as the stem a, as shewn in Figures 3 and 4, and whilst maintained
in this form it may be easily inserted through the urethra for example. When
the mandrel d is subsequently withdrawn, the enlargement & regains its normal
bulbous form, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2, and so prevents the expulsion of the
instrument by the contractions of the bladder without the use any extraneous
means of fixation whilst permitting its casy withdrawal by pulling on the outer end
of the instrument. The instrument of the form shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7,
may be introduced for example after hypogastric or perineal cutting; in the case
of a female it may be easily introduced by the meatus by folding it in a suitable
clip.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The herein described improvement in flexible catheters or drain tubes, consisting
in the combination, with the tubular stem of the instrument, of a bulbous enlarge-
ment of spherical, ovoid, conical. or flattened, form longitudinally extensible to
permit of its easy introduction and self-expanding so as to maintain the instrument
in position in a cavity of the body, substantially as specified.
O. DE PEZZER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.