Improvements in Catheters and similar Instruments.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
CUM LEIN DI MUIFICATION.
Improvements in Catheters and similar Instruments.
I, OSCAR DE PEZZER, of 8, Rue Saint-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:-
Catheters and similar instruments used in the examination and treatment of the
prostate and bladder have heretofore been made either flexible so as to follow and
adapt themselves to the form of the urethral canal or rigid and permanently curved
this curvature being of a large radius similar to that of the urethra or sudden and
smaller than that of the canal.
In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification, Figure 1
represents an instrument a of rigid material and of relatively large curvature and
Figure 2 shews a flexible catheter of sudden curvature. Figure 3 shews a core
or mandrel c having a sudden bend.
In many cases a sudden curvature or bend is required, but renders the introduction
of the instrument difficult, particularly in the case of Mercier's which is the most
important of all. To introduce this instrument it is necessary that its longer
portion instead of being parallel to the part of the canal within which it is placed
should be oblique at this point, the result being that the dilatation of the walls of
the urethra will be equal to the distance between parallels coinciding respectively
with the base and summit of the angle of curvature of the instrument, but it is not
until the bladder is entered that this curvature becomes useful.
My invention has for object to obviate the difficulties inherent to a permanent
curvature, and it consists essentially in jointing such instruments so that they
may be introduced in the straight form through the greater portion of the
length of the canal and be bent at will after being so introduced in order to pass
an obstacle.
It will be understood that the form of the joint may be varied considerably
without departing from the invention, but in order that the invention may be more
readily understood I have represented several examples of the mode of carrying it
into effect.
Figures 4 and 5 represent longitudinal views, at right angles to each other, of a
hollow mandrel constructed according to my invention. Figures 6 and 7 shew the
same inserted in a sheath of flexible india-rubber, the instrument being straight in
the former and bent in the latter figure. Figures 8 and 10 shew views of a modifi-
cation of the jointed mandrel. Figure 9 shews the flexible sheath or catheter in
which the said mandrel is to be inserted, and Figure 11 shows the instru-
ment complete in the straight form in full lines and in the bent form in
dotted lines.
In Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, d is a tube of soft metal or other material having the
necessary degree of flexibility either by reason of the nature of the material or in
consequence of its construction. For instance, a wire coiled upon itself in close
pirals might be used. To the end of tube d is jointed, by any suitable form of
knee joint, a short tube e to which is connected a wire provided with a loop or
handle g
The hollow mandrel thus constructed is introduced preferably in a
sheath of supple india rubber h, as shewn in Figures 6 and 7. When the tubes e
and d are in line, as in Figure 7, the instrument is straight and may be easily
introduced. On encountering the resistance due to an obstacle to be avoided, it is
only necessary to pull the wire f in order to flex the instrument, as shewn in
Figure 7.
It will be understood that the wire may be so applied as to transmit a thrust,
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page_text: instead of a pull, for the purpose of flexing the instrument. The flexure of the
instrument may be more or less sudden and the joint may be so constructed as to
give a double bend if required, the capability of flexing the instrument at will con-
stituting the essence of my invention apart from the particular mode of carrying it
into effect, the invention being applicable not only to the mandrel to be inserted
into flexible catheters and the like to render the same rigid but also to instruments
used for performing operations.
The instrument may have any desired degree of flexibility, if its stem be formed
by a spiral spring as above mentioned the part at which the joint is situated
needing only to be rigid in order that the extremity may be flexed when
required.
In the hollow mandrel shewn in Figures 8, 10, 11, the inner wire is dispensed
with, the mandrel consisting of a rod a terminated at one end by a head and
flattened for a portion of its length c towards the other extremity so as to render it
flexible at this part to which an initial curvature may be given and to which is
jointed the terminal piece d, as above described. The instrument is introduced in
the straight form and the flexure of this end piece, as shewn in dotted lines Figure 11,
takes place automatically when it encounters an obstacle. e is the sheath or
catheter of flexible rubber provided with the orifice and with a ring and
binding screw h. The sheath is rather shorter than the mandrel to which it is
applied so that it must be stretched longitudinally in order to entirely cover the
latter and be secured by the binding screw h. When the instrument has been
introduced it is only necessary to slacken the screw to withdraw the mandrel.
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
!
1. A catheter or similar instrument, jointed so as to be capable of being flexed at
will, substantially as specified.
2. In a catheter or similar instrument, a tubular mandrel jointed as described and
provided with a wire for flexing it, as described with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6,
and 7, of the drawings.
3. The herein-described jointed self-flexing mandrel for a catheter or similar
instrument as specified and illustrated in Figures 8 to 11.
4. The combination, with the jointed mandrel, of the flexible sheath stretched
longitudinally upon the mandrel, as specified with reference to Figures 8 to 11.
Dated this Brd day of March 1901.
TDA
TECC
O. DE PEZZER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.