US20030106178A1 - Device for cleaning a cautery tip of an electrosurgical unit - Google Patents
Device for cleaning a cautery tip of an electrosurgical unit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20030106178A1 US20030106178A1 US10/011,788 US1178801A US2003106178A1 US 20030106178 A1 US20030106178 A1 US 20030106178A1 US 1178801 A US1178801 A US 1178801A US 2003106178 A1 US2003106178 A1 US 2003106178A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- mesh
- cautery
- abrasive
- cleaning
- cautery tip
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
- A61B90/70—Cleaning devices specially adapted for surgical instruments
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Surgery (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Biomedical Technology (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Medical Informatics (AREA)
- Molecular Biology (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Surgical Instruments (AREA)
Abstract
The present invention provides a device for cleaning cautery tips of electrosurgical units. Briefly described, the device includes a central porous pad having top and bottom surfaces that are substantially parallel and a portion of plastic mesh disposed on the top surface.
Description
- The present invention relates to cleaning medical devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for cleaning cautery tips used with electrosurgical units.
- Electrosurgical units are commonly used in surgery for making and cauterizing incisions and wounds. These electrosurgical units typically have a flat blade or needle-shaped cautery tip, depending on the size of the incision or amount of cauterization that is required.
- During use of the electrosurgical unit, coagulated blood, small bits of flesh and other debris tend to build up on the cautery tip. As the coagulum builds up on the cautery tip, the effectiveness of the electrosurgical unit is degraded and the surgeon's view of both the cautery tip and the surrounding area are obscured. As such, it becomes necessary for the coagulum to be removed from the cautery tip. Typically, the surgeon achieves this by repeatedly wiping the cautery tip on a piece of sandpaper-like material, that is quite frequently attached to the patient's surgical drape.
- This method is somewhat satisfactory with tips comprised of steel or other metals. However, in an attempt to prevent the build up of coagulum during use, cautery tips have been introduced that include a protective non-stick coating, such as Teflon®. By so coating the cautery tips, the overall build up of coagulum is lessened and the need to clean the cautery tip is less frequently required. However, even with a non-stick coating, the cautery tip will eventually require cleaning. It has been found that the sandpaper-like material typically used to clean metal cautery tips destroys the protective coating, which markedly reduces the effectiveness of the cautery tip. Other types of cautery tips including protective plastic sheaths are also frequently used with electrosurgical units. The protective plastic sheaths extend from the base of the cautery tip toward its front end, and limit the extent to which the cautery tip is exposed allowing precise use of the tip without inadvertent injury to the surrounding tissue. The sandpaper-like material has also been known to damage these plastic protective sheaths when attempting to clean the cautery tips.
- Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
- The present invention provides a device for cleaning cautery tips of electrosurgical units. Briefly described, the device includes a central porous pad having top and bottom surfaces that are substantially parallel and may include a portion of plastic mesh and/or an abrasive material disposed on the top surface.
- These and other objects and advantages of the details of construction will become apparent upon reading the following description of the illustrative embodiment describing the principles of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings wherein like reference numerals have been used to refer to like parts throughout the several figures.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cautery tip cleaning device of the present invention.
- FIGS. 2A and 2B are top plan views of the cautery tip cleaning device as shown in FIG. 1, showing alternative configurations of the mesh surface.
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cautery tip cleaning device as shown in FIG. 1, taken along line3-3, being used to clean a cautery tip.
- FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cautery tip cleaning device shown in FIG. 1, shown without an abrasive surface.
- Referring now to FIG. 1, a
cautery tip cleaner 10 of the present invention is shown. Ideally, thecautery tip cleaner 10 comprises acentral pad 12, an optionalabrasive surface 14, anadhesive surface 16, and amesh surface 18. - The
central pad 12 is preferably constructed from a compressible, resilient material, such as foam rubber, sponge, neoprene, etc. Using a compressible, resilient material improves the efficiency with which the cautery tip 20 (FIG. 3) is cleaned, as is described below. Thecentral pad 12 is adapted for mounting thecautery tip cleaner 10 to a surface within reach of the surgeon. As such, anadhesive means 16 is disposed on thebottom surface 15 of thecentral pad 12. Ideally, the adhesive means 16 allows thecautery tip cleaner 10 to be adhesively attached to both fabric surfaces (i.e., a surgical drape, patient's garment) and solid surfaces (i.e., surgical trays, operating table). Although any number of adhesive substances would be suitable for this purpose, a tape strip including a removable protective coating has been found to be convenient. The tape strip can be either single-sided or double-sided. Note, however, thecautery tip cleaner 10 need not include the adhesive means 16 since thecautery tip cleaner 10 can be attached to a fabric or other surface using a mechanical fastening device, such as a safety pin; hook and loop fastener; etc. - A preferred embodiment of the
cautery tip cleaner 10 includes anabrasive surface 14 attached to thetop surface 17 of thecentral pad 10. Theabrasive surface 14 may be attached by gluing, stitching, etc. Theabrasive surface 14 assists in removing coagulum and other debris from metal cautery tips. Amesh surface 18 is attached to theabrasive surface 14 to assist in cleaning all types of cautery tips, especially those that include a protective coating, such as Teflon®, to prevent the build up of coagulum, or which include plastic protective sheaths that prevent the cautery tip from inadvertently injuring the surrounding tissue. Themesh surface 18 is constructed of materials such as plastic (prolene, marlex, etc.), nylon, polymers, etc. These materials allow cautery tips to be cleaned without damaging the non-stick coatings or protective sheaths. In the preferred embodiment of thecautery tip cleaner 10, themesh surface 18 is attached to theabrasive surface 14 by gluing, although various other means are acceptable, such as stitching. In a preferred embodiment, themesh surface 18 has the appearance of expanded metal, including wide interstices for both scraping and trapping coagulum from the cautery tips. Theabrasive surface 14 is not required in all embodiments of the present invention. In those embodiments where anabrasive surface 14 is not included, themesh surface 18 is attached directly to thecentral pad 12 as shown in FIG. 4. - It may be desirable to have the
mesh surface 18 cover only a portion of theabrasive surface 14. This is particularly true when both metal and either Teflon® coated or protective sheath cautery tips are to be used concurrently during surgery. FIGS. 2A and 2B show embodiments of the present invention wherein themesh surface 18 covers a portion of the abrasive surface, representative examples being approximately ½ and ¼ of theabrasive surface 14, respectively. - As shown in FIG. 3, to clean a cautery tip20, the user simply applies light downward pressure to the cautery tip 20 as it is drawn across either the
mesh surface 18 or theabrasive surface 14. Because a resilient, compressible material is preferably used to construct thecentral pad 12, as pressure is applied to the cautery tip 20, both thecentral pad 12 and themesh surface 18 will conform slightly to the shape and curvature of the cautery tip 20. This provides more efficient cleaning of the cautery tip 20 as it is drawn across themesh surface 18. As the cautery tip 20 is drawn across themesh surface 18, coagulum and debris is scraped from the cautery tip 20 and becomes trapped in the wide interstices of themesh surface 18. Effective cleaning of the cautery tips 20 may also be achieved even when thecentral pad 12 is not constructed of a resilient, compressible material. Because thecautery tip cleaner 10 is constructed of relatively inexpensive materials, it is simply disposed of after its use during an operation. - It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present invention, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the invention without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims.
Claims (18)
1. A device for cleaning cautery tips of electrosurgical units, comprising:
a central porous pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, said top and bottom surfaces being substantially parallel; and
a portion of plastic mesh disposed on said top surface.
2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive means disposed on said bottom surface for attaching said device to a support surface.
3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a portion of abrasive material disposed on said top surface.
4. The device of claim 2 , wherein said adhesive means further comprises a double-sided tape.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said portion of plastic mesh covers said top surface.
6. The device of claim 3 , wherein said portion of plastic mesh covers a first half of said top surface and said portion of abrasive material covers a second half of said top surface.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein said top and bottom surfaces are rectangular.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said plastic mesh further comprises prolene.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein said plastic mesh further comprises marlex.
10. A device for cleaning cautery tips of electrosurgical units, comprising:
a central porous pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, said top and bottom surfaces being both substantially parallel;
an abrasive surface disposed on said top surface; and
a mesh surface fixedly disposed on said abrasive surface.
11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising an adhesive means disposed on said bottom surface for attaching said device to a support surface.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein said mesh surface is comprised of plastic.
13. The device of claim I 0, wherein said mesh surface covers said abrasive surface.
14. The device of claim 10 , wherein said mesh surface covers a portion of said abrasive surface.
15. The device of claim 10 , wherein said mesh surface is fixedly disposed on said abrasive surface by a adhesive.
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein said mesh surface is comprised of prolene.
17. The device of claim 10 , wherein said mesh surface is comprised of marlex.
18. The device of claim 11 , wherein said adhesive means includes an adhesive tape having a peel away surface to protect said adhesive tape.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/011,788 US20030106178A1 (en) | 2001-12-07 | 2001-12-07 | Device for cleaning a cautery tip of an electrosurgical unit |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/011,788 US20030106178A1 (en) | 2001-12-07 | 2001-12-07 | Device for cleaning a cautery tip of an electrosurgical unit |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20030106178A1 true US20030106178A1 (en) | 2003-06-12 |
Family
ID=21751966
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/011,788 Abandoned US20030106178A1 (en) | 2001-12-07 | 2001-12-07 | Device for cleaning a cautery tip of an electrosurgical unit |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20030106178A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040083568A1 (en) * | 2001-04-09 | 2004-05-06 | Nihon Microcoating Co., Ltd. | Device for cleaning tip and side surfaces of a probe |
US20040088810A1 (en) * | 2002-11-13 | 2004-05-13 | Julian Britt | Multi-purpose utensil cleaning device |
US20060042655A1 (en) * | 2004-08-31 | 2006-03-02 | Beatty Robert A | Tip cleaning device |
Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3629896A (en) * | 1970-03-23 | 1971-12-28 | Michael Sirnec | Combined washing, drying, scrubbing and scraping implement |
US3761991A (en) * | 1971-03-30 | 1973-10-02 | T Moss | Scrubbing or buffing device |
US4130683A (en) * | 1977-03-17 | 1978-12-19 | Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft | Sponge-like material having improved scrubbing and cleaning ability |
US4613446A (en) * | 1985-03-13 | 1986-09-23 | Pennzoil Company | Gelled detergent composition and cleaning pads containing same |
US5012376A (en) * | 1987-10-14 | 1991-04-30 | Pericomp Corporation | Tape head cleaner cartridge having a mesh cleaning layer |
US5016401A (en) * | 1988-09-21 | 1991-05-21 | Mangus Donald J | Cautery tip cleaner and holder |
US5199130A (en) * | 1988-06-17 | 1993-04-06 | Lazar Johanna D | Hydrophobic mop which retains its shape |
US5408718A (en) * | 1993-09-14 | 1995-04-25 | Sadovsky; Shmuel | Combination cleaning pad |
US5628083A (en) * | 1995-08-04 | 1997-05-13 | Hayes; Cecil | Back cleanser and balm applicator |
US5843256A (en) * | 1997-05-14 | 1998-12-01 | Han; In-Yong | Method of making cleaning pads |
US6601261B1 (en) * | 1996-09-23 | 2003-08-05 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Cleaning implement having high absorbent capacity |
-
2001
- 2001-12-07 US US10/011,788 patent/US20030106178A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3629896A (en) * | 1970-03-23 | 1971-12-28 | Michael Sirnec | Combined washing, drying, scrubbing and scraping implement |
US3761991A (en) * | 1971-03-30 | 1973-10-02 | T Moss | Scrubbing or buffing device |
US4130683A (en) * | 1977-03-17 | 1978-12-19 | Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft | Sponge-like material having improved scrubbing and cleaning ability |
US4613446A (en) * | 1985-03-13 | 1986-09-23 | Pennzoil Company | Gelled detergent composition and cleaning pads containing same |
US5012376A (en) * | 1987-10-14 | 1991-04-30 | Pericomp Corporation | Tape head cleaner cartridge having a mesh cleaning layer |
US5199130A (en) * | 1988-06-17 | 1993-04-06 | Lazar Johanna D | Hydrophobic mop which retains its shape |
US5016401A (en) * | 1988-09-21 | 1991-05-21 | Mangus Donald J | Cautery tip cleaner and holder |
US5408718A (en) * | 1993-09-14 | 1995-04-25 | Sadovsky; Shmuel | Combination cleaning pad |
US5628083A (en) * | 1995-08-04 | 1997-05-13 | Hayes; Cecil | Back cleanser and balm applicator |
US6601261B1 (en) * | 1996-09-23 | 2003-08-05 | The Procter & Gamble Company | Cleaning implement having high absorbent capacity |
US5843256A (en) * | 1997-05-14 | 1998-12-01 | Han; In-Yong | Method of making cleaning pads |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20040083568A1 (en) * | 2001-04-09 | 2004-05-06 | Nihon Microcoating Co., Ltd. | Device for cleaning tip and side surfaces of a probe |
US7254861B2 (en) * | 2001-04-09 | 2007-08-14 | Nihon Micro Coating Co., Ltd. | Device for cleaning tip and side surfaces of a probe |
US20040088810A1 (en) * | 2002-11-13 | 2004-05-13 | Julian Britt | Multi-purpose utensil cleaning device |
US20060042655A1 (en) * | 2004-08-31 | 2006-03-02 | Beatty Robert A | Tip cleaning device |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |