Improvements in Surgical Instruments for use in Hernial Surgery.
Year: 1893

page_text: United States of America)
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 27th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Surgical Instruments for use in Hernial
Surgery.
I, ALEXANDER DALLAS of 65, West 86th Street, in the City, County, and State
of New York, United States of America, Physician and Surgeon, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new surgical instrument designed for use in hernial
surgery in performing an operation for the cure of rupture, by obliterating by
agglutination the inguinal or femoral canal, or an artificial canal, according to the
nature of the hernia.
The instrument consists of a head, adapted for entrance to the part to be treated,
formed in one with a handle of convenient length and having a broad abrasive or
incisive surface, preferably consisting of numerous short spurs, adapted to
"freshen" the walls of the canal. The head is provided with a shield or guard
which covers the abrasive surface while the instrument is being inserted in the
canal, the said shield being provided with a rod by means of which, after the
instrument is inserted, the shield may be partially withdrawn, to uncover
the abrasive surface. The spurs are provided on the two sides of the head, which
is preferably of somewhat flattened form, and on one edge thereof, and the opposite
edge has a longitudinal groove which constitutes a guard for receiving the spermatic
cord or the femoral vein and preventing injury thereto. The rod for adjusting the
shield may pass through the handle and be connected at its inner end to a cross-
piece on the shield adapted to move in a through aperture in the head, the opposite
end of the rod being bent at right-angles to project through a lateral opening in the
handle of the instrument.
Dad T 97sh 1902
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Surgical Instruments for use in Hernial
Surgery.
'I ALEXANDER DALLAS of 85 West 38 Street, in the City, County and State
of New York, United States of America, Physician and Surgeon, do 'hereby
dedlare 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:
The object of this invention is to produce an instrument for insertion in the
inguinal or femoral canals, and so constructed as to be capable of an abrasive or an
incisive.action on the internal ring and the canals, to the end that the same may be
closed or obliterated by agglutination.

page_text: Ine invention CODBISTS In the novel features nereinafter particularly described
and defined in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved instrument, showing a shield
forming part thereof in position to cover the abrasive or incisive surface of the
instrument.
Figure 2 is a similar view with the shield in position to expose the abrasive or
incisive surface.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the shield and its operating rod; and
Figure 5 is a transverse section in the lino 5-5 of Figure 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
My improved instrument in the particular embodiment thereof illustrated in the
drawings comprises a head a having an elongated handlo b, an abrasive or incisive
surface c for forming incisions or cuts in the internal ring and the inguinal or
femoral canals, and a shield d for covering the said surface while the instrument
is being insorted.
The henda is made somewhat flattened for its ready insertion, and along one side
edge thoroof is a grouve e, auch grooved edge being for the purpose of receiving
and protecting the spermatic cord or femoral vein when the instrument is being
manipulated.
The abrasive or incisive surface c in the form shown is in the form of numerous
pricks, or short needle pointed spurs, on one side edge and the opposito flat faces,
whereby numerous abrasions will be made. I do not, however, limit myself to this
particular surface, as any equivalent means for cutting, abrading or otherwise
freshening" the canal to cause agglutination may be employed and are included in
the term abrading or incisive surface.
In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the handle b
is mado hollow, as best shown in Figure 3, for receiving the operating rod of the
Ushaped shield d, the latter being joined to its rod by the bead or cross piece 9,
which in the movement of the shield longitudinally of the instrument moves in the
through slot h, of head a.
The operating rod ƒ may be arranged in any proper manner to facilitate its
longitudinal movement to move the shield; in the form shown it is bent at right
angles to project through a lateral opening in handle b, the projecting end j of the
rod thus forming a handle for manipulating the rod.
In the operation of curing rupture by obliterating the inguinal or the femoral
canal, an incision is made opposite or adjacent to the external ring of the inguinal
canal or over the saphenous opening of the femoral canal, sufficient for the head a
of the instrument to entor such external ring or opening, and the instrument is
entered in the canal until its head a projects into the abdominal cavity. While the
instrument is being inserted the shield d is maintained in position over the abrasive
or incisive surface, and the grooved side edge e is presented to the spermatic cord,
(or the femoral vein).
The instrument having been inserted, the rod ƒ is manipulated to withdraw the
shield d from the surface c. The instrument is now withdrawn bodily, and as the
cutting points engage the walls of the canal, they will abrade the same, "freshening"
their surfaces.
The operation having beon thus performed, a suitable compressive pad is placed
on the body over the canal and suitably bandaged, and maintained in position until
the canal is obliterated by agglutination, the instrument in this retrograde move-
ment being closely followed and the "freshened" surfaces immediately pressed
together to prevent unnecessary effusion of blood.
The provision of a grooved edge or equivalent guard for the spermatic cord or
femoral vein precludes any possible injury, and the shield for the abrasive or incisive
surface, facilitates the operation and prevents undue abrasion.

page_text: 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 surgical instrument for hernial operations, having a head adapted for
entrance into the inguinal or femoral canals, and provided with an abrasive or
inoisive surface for freshening the walls of the canal to effect obliteration by
agglutination of said walls, substantially as described.
2. A surgical instrument for horníal operations, having a head adapted for
entrance to the inguinal or femoral canals and made somewhat flattened, and
provided with an abrasive or incisive surface at the flat sides, substantially as
described.
3. A surgical instrument having a head provided with an abrasive or incisive
surface and a movable shield for such surface, substantially as described.
4. A surgical instrument having a head adapted for entrance in the inguinal or
femoral canals, and formed with an abrasive or incisive surface and with a guard
for protecting the spermatic cord or femoral voin, substantially as described.
5. A surgical instrument having a head adaptod for entrance in the inguinal or
femoral canals, and having a longitudinal groove therein for receiving the spermatic
cord or femoral vein, and”having also an abrasive or incisivo surface, substantially
as described.
6. A surgical instrument having a series of spurs thereon, a shield adapted to
cover said spurs, and an operating rod for the shield, said rod extending to the
outer or back end of the instrument, substantially as described.
7. A surgical instrument having a somewhat flattened head, provided with spurs,
a U-shaped shield adapted to cover said spurs, and an operating rod for the shield,
the said rod extending to the back or outer end of the instrument, substantially as
described.
8. A surgical instrument having a somewhat flattened head formed with a longi-
tudinal groove in one side edge, and provided with spurs on its opposite side edge
and on the flat surfaces, and a U-shaped shield adapted to cover said spurs and
having means for moving the shield, substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of Uctober 1895.
Dated this 27th day of Uctober 1895.
A. DALLAS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lano, London, Chartered Patent Agents.