US2544932A - Vaginal speculum - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1951 J MARCQ 2,544,932

VAGINAL SPECULQM Filed May '7, 1949 FIG.4.

INVENTOR JOHN L. MARCO ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VAGINAL SPECULUM John L. Marco, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Goodman-Kleiner 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation Application May 7, 1949, Serial No. 91,997 Y i This invention relates o a vaginal speculum.

One of the objects of the invention is a vaginal speculum having interchangeable depressors, so that the depressor, or pair of depressors of the proper size and of the required shape may be inserted in the instrument. Thiswould obviate the need of maintaining numerous specula ofdifferent sizesand of different shapes. An' allied object is to provide a vaginal speculum having interchangeable depressors which are very easily removed from, or inserted in, the instrument.

Another object of theinvention is to provide in a vaginal speculum of the interchangeable character described, wire depressors which will permit the maximum observation of the tissues. Another object of the invention is to provide a vaginal speculum which may be readily and thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, by reason of the removability of the depressors and especially, in

the case of the aforesaid wire depressors.

Still another object is' to provide a vaginal speculum of the type described in which there will be provision for a lateral opening so that speculum can be removed without disturbing or withdrawing an instrument which may be within the speculum. Asa restiltIobservation or X-ray focusing is facilitated'andmade easier and more efiective.

For the attainment of the foregoing and such other objects as may appear or be pointed out '3' Claims. (01. 123- 17) herein, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

-Fig. 1 is a frontview of the instrument.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view-thereof.

posite .to that of perspective view Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top view of an interchangeable solid type of depressor, and

Fig. '5 is a top view' of'an interchangeable wire depressor.

The improved vaginal speculum of this invention comprises three main members, namely, a lower body member (generally designated l0), an upper slidable memberlgenerally designated 20) Fig. 3 is a sideview, taken from the side opand a pivoted member (generally designated 30).

lower body member I!) and which embraces the shank 2| of the slidable member 20 but not .at the upper end. of extension 22. member 38 has a symmetrical bifurcated portion ;3 2 similar to the bifurcated portion l2? of the body member [0. As best seen in Fig. 1, the bi- ;furcatedportion 32 of s ide member 30 is arcu- ,;ateshaped and occupies the upper half of the in- Itightly, so that the shank ,2: thereof may move or slide within collar l9. Machine screw or stud I8 is firmly screwed into shank H and projects beyond it, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, to clear through an elongated slot 28 in the shank 2i of the slidable member '20. The upper slide member 20 may be secured, in adjusted position, to the body member I0 by tightening a hand-nut ll provided at the end of belt I8, extending beyond the collar [9, see Fig. 3.

The shank H of the lower body member ID is considerably longer than the shank 2i of the upper slide member 20, and is symmetrically bifurcated at its upper end, designated l2 (see esp. Fig. 1) to provide a pair of cars l2, l2 which terminate in sleeves l3, [3 of small bore. The shank or slide 2| of the upper slide member 20 has upward extension 2| extends laterally (and upthere is no symmetrically-disposed extension on the other side (the reason of this asymmetrical construction will be later explained).

The above-mentioned pivoted member so is pivoted at the upper end of extension 2|, as by means of a small screw 34 which is firmly screwed into the pivoted member 39 and clears in a hole Said pivoted strument, while the bifurcated portion l2 of v 7 The bifurcated upper portion 32 like the lower portion .I 2 terminates in a pair of sleeves 33, 33 of small bore.

1; The pair of sleeves l3,

amember i0 is adapted to receive the tip ends 3 of the depressors (more fully described later); the -pa ir of sleeves '33, 33 of the upper pivoted mem l3 of the lower body ber 30 is also adapted to receive the same tip ends 3 of the depressors. In Fig. 4 is shown a depressor A of the solid type, having a solid portion 4 which is slightly concaved or cupped, as better seen in Figs. 2-3. To the shield or solid portion 4 of solid depressor 4 are secured the aforesaid pair of insertable tips 3 (which may be made integrally with the body portion 4). In Fig. 2 is also shown a pair of wire depressors B, B (one thereof also being shown in Fig. 3). Such fenestration depressors are formed of a length of wire 5 right-hand side.

formed in U-shape, providing ends which serve as the insertable ends 3, 3. A somewhat different style of wire depressor C is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the end portion 6 is made closer together than the standard spacing between insertable ends 3, 3. The wire from which the depressor is made has a degree of resiliency and the depressor is so shaped and dimensioned that there will be an extent of natural spring or tendency to urge the ends 3, 3 slightly apart, greater than the pre-.- determined distance between bores l3, I3 and 33, 33. Hence the ends of the depressor are squeezed slightly for insertion, which imposes a functional pressure tending to hold the ends. firmly within the bores of the sleeves.

The improved instrument is further provided with adjustable means to limit the pivotal move ment of pivoted member 30 and also with a manual member to manipulate or open the pivoted member 30. For these purposes, the pivoted ,slide member 20 has an upwardly-directed extension 22 and that this was asymmetrical, being provided on one side only. Referring to Fig. 1, i

this upwardly-directed extension 22 is on the The above mentioned finger 32 is likewise on the right-hand side of the instrument.

The shanks ll, 2| of the two members I, 2'0,-

When so held in hand, the thumb is placed on the distal end of finger 32 of the pivotedmember 30, so that slight pressure thereon opens or Spreads the member 30 relative to the member [0. It is understood that in this manner the depressors may be inserted into the organ and spread apart to prepare the organ for inspection, medication, X-ray, etc. The pressure of the spread-open organ, bearing upon the pair of depressors, tends to close the instrument, i. e., to turn pivoted member 30 in the direction opposite to that caused by finger pressure on member 32. To limit the extent of such closing movement, so that the instrument will remain inopen position to the extent desired, a stop is provided. This is in the form of a threaded spindle 2'! having an eyelet 29. at one end by which it ispivotally mounted, as by a screw or rivet 26, to the upwardly-directed extension 22. As best seen in Fig. 3, threaded spindle 21 clears through a slightly elongated slot 31 in the aforesaid finger 32 of the pivoted member 30. A nut 25 on threaded spindle 21 serves as the adjustable stop to. prevent (leftward, as viewed in Fig. 3) movement of the pivoted member, as the organ tends to close the depressor jaws.

By reason of the features of interchangeability, the pair of depressors may both be of the wire type (as B, B in Fig. 2) or both may be of the solid type (as A, A in said Fig. 2) or one may be solid (such as upper A in Fig. 3) and the other may be wire or fenestrated (such as lower B in said Fig. 3)

Referring especially to Fig. 1 by reason of the aforesaid asymmetrical arrangement of the upward extension 22 and the downward finger 32 (both being on the left-hand side of the instrument), the other (right-hand, Fig. 1) is left entirely free so that the speculum can be removed without disturbing the instrument within it.

I claim:

1. In a vaginal speculum, in combination, a body member having a shank terminating at its upper end in an arcuate bifurcation presenting a pair of sleeves of small bore, a member having a shank slidably mounted on said shank of the body member and an upwardly-directed extension laterally projecting at a predetermined side of the shank, a member pivotally mounted at the upper end of said extension and having a downwardly-directed finger on the predetermined side and an arcuate bifurcation also presenting a pair of sleeves of small bore, the said arcuate bifurcation of the body member being disposed opposite, in lower relation, to said arcuate bifurcation of the pivoted member, and a pair of depressors each having a pair of equi-distanced ends interchangeably insertable in said two pairs of sleeves of the body member and of the pivoted member.

2. In a vaginal speculum, in combination, a body member having a shank terminating at its upper end in an arcuate bifurcat.on presenting a pair of sleeves of small bore, a member having a shank slidably mounted on said shank of the body member, a member pivotally mounted on said slide member and having an arcuate bifurcation also presenting a pair of sleeves of small bore, the said arcuate bifurcation of the body member being disposed opposite, inlower relation, to said arcuate bifurcation of the pivoted member, and a pair of depressors each having a pair of equi-distanced ends interchangeably insertable in said two pairs of sleeves of the body member and of the pivoted member.

3. A depressor for a vaginal speculum comprising a solid portion at the distal end thereof and. a pair of rods extending from the proximal end thereof, said rods being parallel to each other and spaced apart a predetermined distance corresponding to the speculum.

JOHN L. MARCO;

Cameron June 8, 1926 Smith Mar. 26, 1929 OTHER REFERENCES Catalog of George Tiemann & Co., New York, copyrighted 1899, page 441. (Copy in Div. 55.

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