CA1290145C - Surgical sponge - Google Patents
Surgical spongeInfo
- Publication number
- CA1290145C CA1290145C CA000582892A CA582892A CA1290145C CA 1290145 C CA1290145 C CA 1290145C CA 000582892 A CA000582892 A CA 000582892A CA 582892 A CA582892 A CA 582892A CA 1290145 C CA1290145 C CA 1290145C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- sheet
- strands
- colour
- sponge
- elongated
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Landscapes
- Media Introduction/Drainage Providing Device (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
Apparatus for forming an item such as a surgical sponge which comprises a sheet of absorbent material. The sponge has an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated twisted strands. One of the strands has a colour which contrasts with the colour of the sheet, and the other of said strands has a colour which contrasts with the colour of blood.
Apparatus for forming an item such as a surgical sponge which comprises a sheet of absorbent material. The sponge has an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated twisted strands. One of the strands has a colour which contrasts with the colour of the sheet, and the other of said strands has a colour which contrasts with the colour of blood.
Description
` ~290145 BACKGROUND OF THE IN~ENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element such as an absorbe~t article, particularly a surgical sponge.
Surgical sponges are commonly used during surgical pro- -cedures to absorb body fluids of the patient both inside the incision and around the site of surgery. Sponges of this nature are usually made of an open-meshed absorbent fabric, such as woven cotton.
It is important, of course, that all of such sponges be .~ removed from the patient's body after surgery is complete and before the incision has been closed. Accordingly, it is a standard procedure for the surqical team to count carefully the sponges both before placement in the incision and after removal fro~l the ~ :
incision to reduce the possibility that a sponge may be left:in ~ ~ the patient. ~:~
: In spite of such safety measures, sponges have been :
occasionally lost, particularly when an unexpected emergency dis-rupted:the normal operative routine such as counting, which is ~20 subject to human error. When saturated by body flulds, such as ~:~ blood, the sponges become significantly reduced in size and assume a colour the same as some types of body tissue, thus making visual detection of the sponges extremely difficult. ~s a result, it has beerl required to provide the sponges with a fIexible insert whlch is opaque to X-rays. In case of a disputed or nontallying sponge count in the operating room, or in case of unexpected or unexplain-. ~ :
,: . , . , .... . - .
~l29C~L45 able post-operative discomfort on the part of the patient, a portable X-ray unit is brought to the patient and an X-ray exposure should reveal the presence or absence of a lost sponge.
~ negative plate should be reassurance to the surgeon that he and his operative team have not left a sponge in the patient.
Nevertheless, it is desirable that the patient be provided additional assurance a sponge does not remain in his hody, and that the number of instances an ~-ray is necessary be minimized, whether or not additional surgery would ultimately be required to remove a lost sponge.
The invention provides an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detec~able element from a pair of dif~erent coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising:
means for twisting said strands together into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
The present invention further provides an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for extruding said strands into the elongated element; and means for plaaing and bonding the element on said sheet.
Addikionally, the apparatus may include means for folding the sheet into a configuration with the element located on an lnner surfaee of an outer layer of the sheet.
' - ' ' ' :
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2a Convenlently the twisting means may comprise a rotating guide having a pair of clips biased together, the strands passing between the clips.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the ~ , :~ :
. . ~.. . :
. ' ~2~0~a~5 following description of the embodiments of this invention and from the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an apparatus to form the surgical sponge;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale illustrating a rotating guide wheel in the apparatus of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the surgical sponge;
and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a sury1cal sponge generally designated 10 c~omprlsing a~sheet 12 of an absor-bent material, e.g., a low-count open-mesh gauze or washed gauze fabric, such as woven cotton. The sheet 12 has a plurallt~y of folds defining a multiple ply configuration of the sponge 10.
The sponge 10 has an elongated vlsually detectaùle ~20 element 14 comprising a pair of twisted strands 16 and 18 which have diffèrent colours. One of the strands 16 has a colour which contrasts with the colour of the sheet 12, and the other of the strands 18 has a colour which oontrasts with the colour of blood for a purpose which Will be described below. In one form, the one strand 16 may have a colour such as blue or green, and the other strand 18 may have a colour such as white. The strands 16 , :
' . ,. ~,; . : . ' . , . `. , ~ ` ;
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", 3~Z9OlDtS
and 18 may be constructed from a blood repellant material such as polyvinylchloride. In a preferred form, the element 14 is heat-bonded to an inner surface of an outer layer 20 of the folded sheet 12 such that the element 14 is visible through the open-mesh sheet 12, thus reducing the possibility of scratching of delicate tissue by the element 14. In one form, the strands 16 and 18 may be impregnated with barium sulphate in order to make the strands 16 and 18 radiopaque. In an alternative form, the strands 16 and 18 are not radiopaque, and the sponge 10 may have a separate radio-paque element 22 located in the folded sheet 12, such as by impreg-nating the element 22 with barium sulphate.
An apparatus 23 for forming the visually detectable element 14 on the sheet 12 is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. As shown, the apparatus 23 has a source 24 of the first strand 16, such as a bin, and a source 26 of the other strand 18, such as a .
bin. The strands 16 and 18 are removed from the~sources 24 and 26, respectively, and are passed through a central opening 28 in a rotating guide wheel 30. In an alternative form, the strands 16 and 18 may be extruded from extruders 17~and 19, respectively, and may be passed to the guide wheel 30. The guide wheel 30 may be dxiven by a suitable motor 32 and an intermediate rotatable wheel 34 which is driven by the motor 32.
With reference to Figure 2, the guide wheel 30 has a pair of spring clips 36 and 38 which are biased together. As shown, a~ter the strands 16 and l 8 pass through the opening 28, the strands l6 and l 8 are frictionally and slidably received between ::~
: `:
.:: . , : ~ . ::
:,, .
' ' ' ;': '' , : ' :~ ''' ' " :
lZ9014~ ~
the clips 36 and 38 which twist the strands 16 and 18 about each other into the element 14.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the sheet 12 is passed over a rotatable wheel 40, and then between a rotatable anvil wheel 42 and a rotatable bonding wheel 44 which pull the sheet 12 between the wheels 42 and 44. The anvil wheel 42 may be driven by a suitable device such as a motor 46. The bonding wheel 44 may be driven and heated by a suitable device such as a motor and heating device 48. Thus, the sheet 12 is moved between the wheels 42 and 44 in a direction as indicated by the arrow in the drawings. The twisted strands 16 and 18 are passed from the guide wheel 30, and are placed against the sheet 12. The twisted strands 16 and 18 comprlsing the element 14 are then passed through the wheels 42 and 44 where the wheel 44 heats the element 14, and bonds the element 14 to one surface of the sheet 12, after which the element 14 passes with the shee~t 12 from the wheels 42 and 44. Finally, the sheet 12 with the element 14 is cut and folded into the configuration of the surgical sponge 10 previously ~ described in connection with Figure 3.
In use, a number of the surgical sponges 10 are supplied to the personnel in an operating room for use during surgery. One o~ the persons on the operatlng team counts the sponges before placement in an incision, and also verifies that the element ~4 is correc-tly in place on the spGnges10. l~n this regard, the one strand 16 With the colour which contrasts w.ith the colour of the sheet 12 facilitates inspection of the existence oE the elements ' , ~
' :
: ; '' :
~ :
, ,: .. . . :
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.. .. .
. . ~ .. . .
. .
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14 on the sponges 10. After countlng of the sponges and inspec-tion of the elements 14, the sponges 10 are placed in an incision in a patient's body during surgery. After surgery has been com-pleted, the sponges 10 are removed from the incision, and the second strand 18 having a colour which contrasts with the colour of blood significantly enhances visibility of the sponges 10 in the incision in order to minimize the possibility that one of the sponges 10 may be left in the patient's body after surgery has been completed and the incision is closed.
Another embodiment is illustrated in Figure 4, in which like reference numerals designate like parts. In this embodiment r the element 14 has a first longitudinal paxt 50 of a colour which :
contrasts with the colour of the sponge, such as green or blue, and an integral second longitudinal part 52 of a colour which con~
trasts with the colour of blood, such as whlte. The parts 50~and ; 52 of the element 14 are coextruded from extruder 54. The element ;~
14 may be passed directly to the wheels 40 and 4~2 of Flgure 1, thus bypassing the guide wheel 30, or may be passed through guide wheel 30 to give a barber pole effect.
The foregoing~detailed description is glven for clear-ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
'~
:; :
.
.. ;
.; ' ' ' ' . ': ' '
The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element such as an absorbe~t article, particularly a surgical sponge.
Surgical sponges are commonly used during surgical pro- -cedures to absorb body fluids of the patient both inside the incision and around the site of surgery. Sponges of this nature are usually made of an open-meshed absorbent fabric, such as woven cotton.
It is important, of course, that all of such sponges be .~ removed from the patient's body after surgery is complete and before the incision has been closed. Accordingly, it is a standard procedure for the surqical team to count carefully the sponges both before placement in the incision and after removal fro~l the ~ :
incision to reduce the possibility that a sponge may be left:in ~ ~ the patient. ~:~
: In spite of such safety measures, sponges have been :
occasionally lost, particularly when an unexpected emergency dis-rupted:the normal operative routine such as counting, which is ~20 subject to human error. When saturated by body flulds, such as ~:~ blood, the sponges become significantly reduced in size and assume a colour the same as some types of body tissue, thus making visual detection of the sponges extremely difficult. ~s a result, it has beerl required to provide the sponges with a fIexible insert whlch is opaque to X-rays. In case of a disputed or nontallying sponge count in the operating room, or in case of unexpected or unexplain-. ~ :
,: . , . , .... . - .
~l29C~L45 able post-operative discomfort on the part of the patient, a portable X-ray unit is brought to the patient and an X-ray exposure should reveal the presence or absence of a lost sponge.
~ negative plate should be reassurance to the surgeon that he and his operative team have not left a sponge in the patient.
Nevertheless, it is desirable that the patient be provided additional assurance a sponge does not remain in his hody, and that the number of instances an ~-ray is necessary be minimized, whether or not additional surgery would ultimately be required to remove a lost sponge.
The invention provides an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detec~able element from a pair of dif~erent coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising:
means for twisting said strands together into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
The present invention further provides an apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for extruding said strands into the elongated element; and means for plaaing and bonding the element on said sheet.
Addikionally, the apparatus may include means for folding the sheet into a configuration with the element located on an lnner surfaee of an outer layer of the sheet.
' - ' ' ' :
, ~L2~0~4LS
2a Convenlently the twisting means may comprise a rotating guide having a pair of clips biased together, the strands passing between the clips.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the ~ , :~ :
. . ~.. . :
. ' ~2~0~a~5 following description of the embodiments of this invention and from the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an apparatus to form the surgical sponge;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale illustrating a rotating guide wheel in the apparatus of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the surgical sponge;
and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown a sury1cal sponge generally designated 10 c~omprlsing a~sheet 12 of an absor-bent material, e.g., a low-count open-mesh gauze or washed gauze fabric, such as woven cotton. The sheet 12 has a plurallt~y of folds defining a multiple ply configuration of the sponge 10.
The sponge 10 has an elongated vlsually detectaùle ~20 element 14 comprising a pair of twisted strands 16 and 18 which have diffèrent colours. One of the strands 16 has a colour which contrasts with the colour of the sheet 12, and the other of the strands 18 has a colour which oontrasts with the colour of blood for a purpose which Will be described below. In one form, the one strand 16 may have a colour such as blue or green, and the other strand 18 may have a colour such as white. The strands 16 , :
' . ,. ~,; . : . ' . , . `. , ~ ` ;
`~
", 3~Z9OlDtS
and 18 may be constructed from a blood repellant material such as polyvinylchloride. In a preferred form, the element 14 is heat-bonded to an inner surface of an outer layer 20 of the folded sheet 12 such that the element 14 is visible through the open-mesh sheet 12, thus reducing the possibility of scratching of delicate tissue by the element 14. In one form, the strands 16 and 18 may be impregnated with barium sulphate in order to make the strands 16 and 18 radiopaque. In an alternative form, the strands 16 and 18 are not radiopaque, and the sponge 10 may have a separate radio-paque element 22 located in the folded sheet 12, such as by impreg-nating the element 22 with barium sulphate.
An apparatus 23 for forming the visually detectable element 14 on the sheet 12 is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. As shown, the apparatus 23 has a source 24 of the first strand 16, such as a bin, and a source 26 of the other strand 18, such as a .
bin. The strands 16 and 18 are removed from the~sources 24 and 26, respectively, and are passed through a central opening 28 in a rotating guide wheel 30. In an alternative form, the strands 16 and 18 may be extruded from extruders 17~and 19, respectively, and may be passed to the guide wheel 30. The guide wheel 30 may be dxiven by a suitable motor 32 and an intermediate rotatable wheel 34 which is driven by the motor 32.
With reference to Figure 2, the guide wheel 30 has a pair of spring clips 36 and 38 which are biased together. As shown, a~ter the strands 16 and l 8 pass through the opening 28, the strands l6 and l 8 are frictionally and slidably received between ::~
: `:
.:: . , : ~ . ::
:,, .
' ' ' ;': '' , : ' :~ ''' ' " :
lZ9014~ ~
the clips 36 and 38 which twist the strands 16 and 18 about each other into the element 14.
With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the sheet 12 is passed over a rotatable wheel 40, and then between a rotatable anvil wheel 42 and a rotatable bonding wheel 44 which pull the sheet 12 between the wheels 42 and 44. The anvil wheel 42 may be driven by a suitable device such as a motor 46. The bonding wheel 44 may be driven and heated by a suitable device such as a motor and heating device 48. Thus, the sheet 12 is moved between the wheels 42 and 44 in a direction as indicated by the arrow in the drawings. The twisted strands 16 and 18 are passed from the guide wheel 30, and are placed against the sheet 12. The twisted strands 16 and 18 comprlsing the element 14 are then passed through the wheels 42 and 44 where the wheel 44 heats the element 14, and bonds the element 14 to one surface of the sheet 12, after which the element 14 passes with the shee~t 12 from the wheels 42 and 44. Finally, the sheet 12 with the element 14 is cut and folded into the configuration of the surgical sponge 10 previously ~ described in connection with Figure 3.
In use, a number of the surgical sponges 10 are supplied to the personnel in an operating room for use during surgery. One o~ the persons on the operatlng team counts the sponges before placement in an incision, and also verifies that the element ~4 is correc-tly in place on the spGnges10. l~n this regard, the one strand 16 With the colour which contrasts w.ith the colour of the sheet 12 facilitates inspection of the existence oE the elements ' , ~
' :
: ; '' :
~ :
, ,: .. . . :
:, - - .
.. .. .
. . ~ .. . .
. .
, '` .' ', ', ,' ' ":
14 on the sponges 10. After countlng of the sponges and inspec-tion of the elements 14, the sponges 10 are placed in an incision in a patient's body during surgery. After surgery has been com-pleted, the sponges 10 are removed from the incision, and the second strand 18 having a colour which contrasts with the colour of blood significantly enhances visibility of the sponges 10 in the incision in order to minimize the possibility that one of the sponges 10 may be left in the patient's body after surgery has been completed and the incision is closed.
Another embodiment is illustrated in Figure 4, in which like reference numerals designate like parts. In this embodiment r the element 14 has a first longitudinal paxt 50 of a colour which :
contrasts with the colour of the sponge, such as green or blue, and an integral second longitudinal part 52 of a colour which con~
trasts with the colour of blood, such as whlte. The parts 50~and ; 52 of the element 14 are coextruded from extruder 54. The element ;~
14 may be passed directly to the wheels 40 and 4~2 of Flgure 1, thus bypassing the guide wheel 30, or may be passed through guide wheel 30 to give a barber pole effect.
The foregoing~detailed description is glven for clear-ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.
'~
:; :
.
.. ;
.; ' ' ' ' . ': ' '
Claims
THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for twisting said strands together into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
2. An apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for extruding said strands into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 including means for folding the sheet into a configuration with the element located on an inner surface of an outer layer of the sheet.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the twisting means comprises a rotating guide having a pair of clips biased together, said strands passing between said clips.
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for twisting said strands together into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
2. An apparatus for forming an elongated visually detectable element from a pair of different coloured strands on a sheet of absorbent material, comprising: means for extruding said strands into the elongated element; and means for placing and bonding the element on said sheet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 including means for folding the sheet into a configuration with the element located on an inner surface of an outer layer of the sheet.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the twisting means comprises a rotating guide having a pair of clips biased together, said strands passing between said clips.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US37968382A | 1982-05-19 | 1982-05-19 | |
| US379,683 | 1982-05-19 | ||
| CA000428468A CA1249122A (en) | 1982-05-19 | 1983-05-18 | Surgical sponge |
Related Parent Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000428468A Division CA1249122A (en) | 1982-05-19 | 1983-05-18 | Surgical sponge |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1290145C true CA1290145C (en) | 1991-10-08 |
Family
ID=25670039
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000582892A Expired - Fee Related CA1290145C (en) | 1982-05-19 | 1988-11-10 | Surgical sponge |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1290145C (en) |
-
1988
- 1988-11-10 CA CA000582892A patent/CA1290145C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKLA | Lapsed |
