US2040420A - Rectal dilator - Google Patents

Description

C. H. WOLFF ET AL Maly 12, 1936.

RECTAL D ILATOR Filed March 15, 1933 n 5v OO* Patented May 12, 1936 UNITED STATES RECTAL DILATOR Charles H. WolH and Hermann Weder, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March l5, 1933, Serial No. 660,800

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electricaly heated rectal dilators for the treatment of piles or hemorrhoids, constipation, prostatic troubles and other ailments which will respond to the treatment of dilating the rectum and the internal application of heat thereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel durable and advantageous means for supporting the heating element and the electrical conductors leading therefrom within the instrument. Another object is to provide a novel means for guarding and protecting the heating element when the part of the instrument which is constructed to make contact with the rectum and adjacent body parts is removed from the remaining parts of the instrument for sterilization. A further object is to provide a novel means for regulating the heat of the instrument by permitting air to enter and leave the interior thereof.

With the foregoing and related objects in view the invention resides in the elements and the combinations of them hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention,"

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved rectal dilator. Y

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the instrument.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, enlarged, of the insulating core, showing certain parts carried thereby.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the instrument, on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the dilator and heater, on line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates the handle and 3 the dilating member of the device.

The handle 2 is made hollow and cylindrical in form and it may be constructed of hard rubber or any other suitable material.

The dilating member 3 is made hollow and constructed of thin metal and it comprises a cylindrical body 6 having an outwardly extending, annular flange I near one end thereof and having the opposite end portion thereof terminating in a somewhat oval shaped enlargement 8 shaped to permit its easy insertion into the rectum. 'Ihe length of the cylindrical body 6 between the ange 'I and the enlargement 8 is such as to permit the insertion of the dilating member t a point where the enlargement 8 occupies a position inwardly of the inner and outer sphincter muscles, and in which the further insertion is prevented by the flange l. The end portion of the cylindrical body 6 adjacent to and beyond the ilange 'I is threaded and screwed into corresponding threads in the adjacent end portion of the handle 2 in a manner to permit the dilating member 3 easily to be applied to or removed from the handle. When the member 3 is applied to the handle 2', the ange 1 engages the adjacent end of the handle and serves as a stop to prevent further relative turning of the member and handle and to provide suicient friction between them to prevent accidental unscrewing of the parts when the device is in use. Y Y n Extending centrally within the handle 2 and the dilating member 3 is a core 9 which is formed of suitable electrical insulating material and which comprises a supporting tubular end portion I0, a free tubular end portion II and a reduced or flat intermediate portion I2 connecting the end portions I 8 and II.

The free tubular end portion I I is made smaller in diameter than the supporting tubular end portion I8, and the respective ends of the portion Ii are provided with annular expanded portions. or heads I3 and I4 having oppositely facing, annular shoulders I and I5a, respectively, thereon. Encirclng the tubular portion II and extending between the heads I3 and I4 thereon is an electrical heating coil I6 having terminals I'I and I8 leading from the respective endsy thereof. The terminal I'I extends from the coil I6 through an opening in the head I3 to a plate I9 which is secured to one side of the intermediate portion I2 of the insulating core 9 by a screw 20, the terminal being connected to the plate I9 by soldering or other suitable means. The terminal I8 extends from the coil I6 through an opening in the wall of the tubular portion II to the interior thereof and thence through the portion II and out through an opening in a wall thereof to a plate 2| which is secured to the side of the intermediate portion I2 opposite to the plate I9 by a screw 22, the terminal I8 being connected to the plate 2| by soldering or other means.

Connected to the plates I9 and 2l by means of the screws and 22 are the inner ends of electrical wires 23 and 24 which extend therefrom through openings in parts of the core 9 to the interior of the supporting tubular portion IIJ thereof and thence through the portion III to and out through an opening 25 in the free end of the handle 2. The outer portions of the wires 23 and 24 are adapted to be connected to an electrical plug for insertion into the socket of a source of electric current to supply the same to the heating coil I6 when the device is in use. 55

The heating coil I6 is surrounded by a tubular guard 26 which is held in place by and be-V tween the heads I3 and I4 and which is mounted on the shoulders I5 .and I5a and thereby held in spaced concentric relation with the tubular core portion IIand the coil I6 thereon. The guard 26 is provided with numerous perforations Vfor the passage of air into and from within the same and the distribution of heat from the coil I6 to all parts of the interior of the dilating member 3 for heating the same.

The supporting end portion II of the insulating core 9'is held firmly in place within the hollow handle 2 by a suitable sleeve 2'! which surrounds the same in firm frictional engagement therewith and with the inner wall of the handle 2; and the free end portion Il of the core I0 and the guard 26 carried thereby are supported Y by and extend from the supporting portion I0 into the dilating member 3 in spaced relation l to the inner wall thereof.

The dilating member 3 may be easilyl unscrewed from the handle 2 and with-drawn fromV the core I0 and parts carried thereby, for the purpose of sterilizing the member 3 or for other purposes, and when the member is removed from the handle, the guard 26 serves to protect the heatingV coil against accidental damage.

The'end portion of dilating member 3 which is screwed into the handle 2 is provided with openings 30 which `are adapted to be moved into and `out of registry with corresponding openings` 3I` in the surrounding wall of the handle 2 when the member 3 is turned therein. When Ythe flange 'I of the member 3 Vis screwed tight against the opposingY vend of the handle 2, the openings 30 are out of registry with the openings 3|, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, butY a slight reverse or unsc-rewing movement of the member 3 will bring the openings 30 into registry with the openings 3| for the purpose of permitting air to pass through the same into and from the interior of theV member 3 for a purpose present z ly` appearing. f Y

The length and diameter or gauge of the wire forming the heating coil I6 is such as to heat the dilating member 3 to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit when the device is connected to a 110 volts provided for household use. The heat of the member 3 may be varied to some extent by turning it relatively to the handle 2 to bring the openings 30 into partial or full registry with the openings 3I and thereby permit some of the heated air within the member to escape therefrom. By turning the member 3 to bring the Y openings 30 into full registry with the openings 3I the temperature of the member will be re- Y duced about ve degrees.

It will now be understood thatthe dilating member 3 may be inserted into the rectum and that the device may be connected to a suitable source of electric current for heating the member 3 for the purpose of dilating the rectum and heat treating the same and other parts of the patient in the region of the rectum.

We claim:

1. In a rectal dilator, a hollow handle, a hollow dilating member having an end portion thereof removably connected to an end portion of the handle, a core having an end portion supported within the handle and a free end portion extending from the handle and into the dilating member, said core being formed wholly of insulating material, an Velectrical heating coil sur rounding and supported by the free end portion ofY the core, and a tubular guard provi-ded with numerous perforations supported by the free end portion of the core and surrounding the coil in'V spaced relation thereto and to the dilating meme ber. Y

2. In a rectal dilater, a hollow handle, a hol-V low dilating [member having an end portion Y thereof removably connected to an end portionV of theV handle, a core having an end portion supported Within the handle and a free end portion extending from the handle and into the dilating member and having shouldered expanded portions at the respective ends'thereof, said core being formed wholly of insulating material, an electrical heating coil surrounding and supported by the free end portion of the core, and a tubular guar-d provided with numerous perforations extending between and` supported by the said shoulders and surrounding the coil in'spaced r'e-V lation thereto and to the dilating member.

CHARLES H. WOLFF. HERMANN WEDER, SR.

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