WO1997046169A1

WO1997046169A1 - Protective sleeve for a laryngoscope handle

Info

Publication number: WO1997046169A1
Application number: PCT/AU1996/000398
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franjo Najdek; John Najdek
Original assignee: Process Improvements Pty. Limited
Priority date: 1996-05-31
Filing date: 1996-06-27
Publication date: 1997-12-11
Also published as: AU5470496A

Abstract

A protective sleeve (10) for a handle (23) of a laryngoscope consists of a flexible sheet of liquid impermeable material, such as a transparent polyvinylchloride tube (11) having an opening (13) at one end for insertion of the handle (23) therein, the effect of the flexible sheet being to enclose the handle (23). The sheet has access means, such as an orifice (15) in the tube (11), for enabling electrical connection of the handle (23) to a blade (28) for the laryngoscope. The sleeve (10) may be disposed of after each instance of use.

Description

PROTECTIVE SLEEVE FOR A LARYNGOSCOPE HANDLE TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a protective sleeve for the handle of a laryngoscope, and, in particular, to a disposable sleeve for protecting a laryngoscope handle when used for medical procedures.

BACKGROUND ART

A laryngoscope is an instrument used primarily by anaesthetists for the purpose of placement of an endotracheal tube via the mouth into the trachea of a patient with the intention of airway maintenance or lung ventilation. This procedure is called tracheal intubation.

A laryngoscope consists of three major components, these being a blade which is often detachable, a light source for illuminating the desired placement area, and a handle which contains batteries for the light source. In practice, tracheal intubation is achieved by insertion of the laryngoscope blade into the mouth so as to retract the patient's tongue to one side, followed by elevation of the laryngoscope blade by manipulation of the handle so as to visualise the required anatomical structures. This enables placement of the endotracheal tube into the trachea. After correct placement of this "breathing tube", the laryngoscope blade is removed from the mouth. A laryngoscope may also be used on other occasions for examination of the mouth and throat for various other reasons.

It is common that, during use, both the blade and handle of the laryngoscope will become exposed to and contaminated by oral or other secretions from the patient, such as mucous or blood which may harbour deleterious viruses, bacteria and the like.

After use of the laryngoscope for a particular patient, the conventional practice has been to detach the blade from the handle and sterilise both components prior to reuse so as to avoid cross-infecting another patient. As far as the blade is concerned, such sterilisation after each use poses no significant problem, as the blade is fabricated exclusively of metal and is suitably structurally adapted for either heat or chemical sterilisation. However, the handle, which is routinely autoclaved or chemically sterilised after each instance of use, is not as structurally suited to withstand the sterilising conditions, particularly after repeated sterilisations over a long term.

The handle includes a pair of rubber O-ring seals which may gradually degrade under repeated autoclaving. These O-ring seals provide a sea! between the external environment and the batteries contained within the handle and so any deterioration of these seals will compromise the operation of the batteries and associated contact terminals. Furthermore, the operation of a light globe and a switch assembly, which are also exposed on the handle, may be similarly compromised. It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective sleeve for a laryngoscope handle so as to avoid or at least substantially reduce contamination of the handle during use.

It is another object to eliminate or at least reduce the need for sterilisation of the handle after each instance of use and so prolong the operational life of each of the handle components.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a protective sleeve that is disposable after use, and may be recycled. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a protective sleeve for a handle of a laryngoscope, said sleeve comprising a flexible sheet of liquid impermeable material adapted to enclose the laryngoscope handle, and access means formed in the flexible sheet for enabling electrical connection of the handle to a blade for the laryngoscope.

Preferably, the flexible sheet comprises a tube having an opening at a first end thereof for insertion of the handle into the tube. The liquid impermeable material may comprise transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC).

In a preferred form, the access means of the tube comprises an orifice which is cut out of the material at a second end of the tube. Preferably, the flexible sheet includes a flexible tail portion adapted to enclose the base of the handle.

The tail portion may be integrally formed with the tube so that, with insertion of the handle into the tube, the tail portion may flexibly fold over the handle base so as to complete the enclosure of the handle. Preferably, the tail portion includes a strip of adhesive material that, when the tail portion is folded over the handle base, affixes the tail portion to the tube. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a top elevational view of a laryngoscope handle protective sleeve according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the protective sleeve of Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the first step in the manual insertion of a conventional laryngoscope handle into the protective sleeve of Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the final step in the insertion of the laryngoscope handle into the protective sleeve of Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the laryngoscope handle enclosed by the protective sleeve of Figs. 1 and 2, juxtaposed to a conventional laryngoscope blade just prior to connection of the blade to the handle, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the blade connecting portion of the sleeve enclosed handle connected to the blade. MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The protective sleeve 10 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a flexible sheet comprising flexible tube portion 1 1 integrally connected to a flexible tail portion 1 2. Both the tube portion 1 1 and tail portion 1 2 are made of polyvinylchloride (PVC) which is liquid impermeable and transparent. The sleeve 10 is formed by pressure melting together the opposed edges 1 9, 20 of two originally flat sheets of PVC to create a hollow interior therebetween (as shown in Fig. 2). There is an opening 1 3 at a first end of the tube portion 1 1 which is defined between an edge 14 of the tube portion 1 1 and the tail portion 1 2.

At the opposite end of the tube portion 1 1 , there is an opening or orifice 1 5 formed as a cut out from the inwardly tapering outer edges 1 6 and 1 7. The opening 1 5 is thereby defined by cut out edge 1 8. The tail portion 1 2 has affixed to its outer surface 21 a strip of adhesive material which is covered by a protective pealable tape 22. The adhesive material is adapted for adhering releasably to PVC.

Fig. 3 shows a conventional laryngoscope handle 23 being gripped by one hand and being inserted into the sleeve 10. The sleeve 10 is held in the palm of the other hand so that, by gently squeezing inwardly against the seams or edges 1 9, 20 there is formed the opening 1 3 and hollow sleeve interior to facilitate easy insertion of the handle 23.

The handle 23 should be held in position relative to the sleeve 10 such that the key way 24 is aligned with the innermost part 25 of the cut out edge 1 8 as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 shows the handle 23 being inserted into the sleeve 10 by action of the thumb passing through opening 1 3 and pressing against the handle base 25.

In order for the sleeve 1 0 to fully enclose the handle 23, the tail portion 1 2 is folded over the handle base 25 (as shown in Fig. 5) so that by peeling off the protective tape 22, the tail portion 1 2 may be pressed and affixed by contact of the adhesive material to the tube portion 1 1 of the sleeve 10. Other means of fully enclosing the handle may be utilised, such as by heat sealing or by a clipping mechanism. When fully enclosed by the sleeve 1 0, the connecting bar 26 of the handle 23 should be orientated with respect to the sleeve orifice 1 5 in the manner as shown in Fig. 5. This orientation allows the connecting head 27 of the conventional laryngoscope blade 28 to be readily introduced through the orifice 1 5 so that the groove 29 of the blade 28 can be received on the bar 26 by a snap fit mechanism. The blade 28 can now be pivoted relative to the bar 26 so that, by a second snap fit mechanism, the electrical terminals (only terminal 30 shown) in the handle 23 may be connected with the electrical terminals 34, 35 in the blade 28 and the light source activated. The orientation shown in Fig. 5 of the sleeve orifice 1 5 relative to the bar 26 located within the key way 24 is necessary so as not to impede the introduction of the connecting head 27 of the blade 28 into the key way 24 and the subsequent connection of all the electrical terminals.

As shown in Fig. 6, the blade 28 is connected to the handle 23 enclosed by the sleeve 10 through orifice 1 5. Portions of the tapered edges 1 6, 1 7 and cut out edge 1 8 are sandwiched between the connecting head 27 and the handle 23. For instance, the light source 31 is covered by the transparent sleeve as shown in Fig. 5, but this does not affect transmission of the light to the light transmitting optical fibre conduit 32 of the blade 28. The electrical terminals (30, 34, 35) however, are not separated by the sleeve as otherwise no current would flow to activate the light source upon snap fitting the connecting head 27 of blade 28 to the handle 23.

After use of the laryngoscope, the blade 28 is disconnected from the handle 23 for sterilisation of the blade 28. The sleeve 1 0 may then be removed from the handle 23 and safely disposed of, leaving a handle 23 that need not be sterilised immediately unless unforeseen or other circumstances of its use require otherwise.

Among the many advantages of the protective sleeve of the present invention are that it:- (i) is disposable and a single use item;

(ii) can be constructed from various types of flexible rubberised or plastic materials, that are impermeable to liquids which can harbour viruses and bacteria; (iii) protects the handle from contamination with mucous or blood or other biohazardous substances during the intubation process or during visual examination of relevant anatomy; (iv) assists with the prevention of cross-infection from one patient to another; (v) protects those dealing with and handling the laryngoscope handle after use;

(vi) avoids having to frequently heat sterilise or chemically sterilise the handle, so dramatically extending the life of the handle as well as reducing the overall post-operative labour content. Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

For instance, the protective sleeve of the invention may be modified so as to suit laryngoscope handles which do not include a light source (in which event the light source is located on the blade of the laryngoscope), and to suit differently sized laryngoscope handles. Also the flexible sheet of the protective sleeve of the present invention may comprise a wrap around jacket, wherein a tubular passageway with an opening at a first end thereof is formed when the jacket is wrapped around on itself, the said opening enabling insertion of the handle into the tubular passageway of the jacket when so wrapped around on itself. Furthermore, the protective sleeve of the invention may be manufactured from a variety of materials, such as rubber, silicon and plastic, and the protective sleeve may be sterilised after use in circumstances where it is beneficial or necessary to reuse and not dispose of the sleeve. The methods of sterilisation that can be followed include, but are not limited to, heat sterilisation, chemical sterilisation, radiation sterilisation and ethylene oxide gas sterilisation.

Claims

1 . A protective sleeve for a handle of a laryngoscope, said sleeve comprising a flexible sheet of liquid impermeable material adapted to enclose the laryngoscope handle, and access means formed in the flexible sheet for enabling electrical connection of the handle to a blade for the laryngoscope.

2. The protective sleeve of claim 1 wherein the flexible sheet comprises a tube having an opening at a first end thereof for insertion of the handle into the tube.

3. The protective sleeve of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the liquid impermeable material comprises transparent polyvinylchloride (PVC) .

4. The protective sleeve of claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the access means of the tube comprises an orifice which is cut out of the material at a second end of the tube.

5. The protective sleeve of claim 2 wherein the flexible tube includes a flexible tail portion adapted to enclose a base of the handle.

6. The protective sleeve of claim 5 wherein the tail portion is integrally formed with the tube so that, with insertion of the handle into the tube, the tail portion is flexibly folded over the base so as to complete the enclosure of the handle.

7. The protective sleeve of claim 6 wherein the tail portion includes a strip of adhesive material that, when the tail portion is folded over the base, affixes the tail portion to the tube.

8. A protective sleeve for a handle of a laryngoscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.