US 4,143,656 AGranted

Instrument and method for inserting an intrauterine contraceptive device

AssigneeOrtho Pharmaceutical Corporation

InventorGordon W. Holmes

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Abstract

An instrument for inserting an intrauterine contraceptive device of the kind having one or more outwardly extending arms or protrusions is described. The insertion instrument comprising an inserter tube and coacting rod maintains the arm or arms of the device in an extended configuration during storage but quickly and facilely folds the arms of the device into a protective housing or sheath for insertion into the uterus and releases the device by a withdrawal of the protective housing. A uterine sound which may be employed with the insertion instrument is also described.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An insertion instrument for inserting into the uterus an intrauterine device having a stem and at least one substantially horizontally extending flexible arm comprising

(a) an inserter tube adapted to protectively house said intrauterine device with the arm or arms folded adjacent to the stem in an axially aligned position, said tube having an insertion section of a flexible nature and an manipulative section of a non-flexible nature, said tube having (i) an externally mounted slidable stop means for engaging the cervical os, said stop means being located on the insertion section of the tube, said stop mean susceptible of adjustment to a predetermined position for insertion, (ii) a pair of diametrically opposed axially extending apertures located on the manipulative section of the tube posteriorly of the stop means, said apertures adapted to receive the intrauterine device so that the stem extends axially within the tube and the arm or arms extend through said apertures;
and
(iii) a handle at the posterior end of the tube, said handle being an integral part of the manipulative section and having a passageway therethrough, said passageway in communication with the lumen of the tube and further being bifurcated with the stems and terminating in a flange with a projecting edge;
and
(b) a coacting rod of malleable material with a retentive memory in telescopic relationship to the inserter tube and slidable therein, said rod having (i) a tubular receptacle section at the insertion end adapted to support the stem of the intrauterine device and (ii) a handle at the posterior end, said handle being bifurcated with stems extending in an anterior or forward direction and and having flanges with edges projecting oppositely to that in the handle of the inserter tube, said flanges further being spatially opposed and abuttable with the flanges of the inserter tube handle;
wherein the lumen in the manipulative section of the tube and the coacting rod have a non-circular cross-setional configuration;
wherein the stems of one of the bifurcated handles is compressible and when compressed is adapted to be received in the area between the stems of the other handle;
and
wherein said tube and said rod are adaptable to coacting in a manner so that (i) pulling rearwardly on the inserter tube handle until the flanges of the stems of the inserter tube and rod handles are abutting causes a folding of the arms of the intrauterine device and moves it to the insertion position with the contoured tip and the folded arms minimally projecting from the insertion end of the tube, (ii) compressing the compressible stem of one of the handles and drawing it within the area between the stems of the other handle releases the intrauterine device at the insertion end, and (iii) releasing the compression pressure on the stem causes the inwardly and outwardly projecting edges of the handle susceptible to interlocking for a unitary withdrawal of the tube and rod from the uterus.

6 more elements

A combination intrauterine device and instrument for inserting the same into the uterus comprising

(1) a flexible intrauterine device, said device having two transverse arms distally extending from a stem;
(2) an insertion instrument comprising
(a) an inserter tube adapted to protectively house said intrauterine device with the arms folded adjacent to the stem in an axially aligned position, said tube having an insertion section of a flexible nature and a manipulative section of a non-flexible nature, said tube having (i) an externally mounted slidable stop means for engaging the cervical os, said stop means being located on the insertion section of the tube, said stop means susceptible of adjustment to a pre-determined position for insertion, (ii) a pair of diametrically opposed axially extending apertures located on the manipulative section of the tube posteriorly of the stop means, said apertures adapted to receive the intrauterine device so that the stem extends axially within the tube and the arms extend through said apertures;
and (iii) a handle at the posterior end of the tube, said handle being an integral part of the manipulative section and having a passageway therethrough, said passageway in communication with the lumen of the tube and further being bifurcated with the stems extending in a posterior direction and terminating in a flange with an outwardly projecting edge;
and
(b) a coacting rod of malleable material of retentive memory in telescopic relationship to the inserter tube and slidable therein, said rod having (i) a tubular receptacle section at the insertion end and adapted to support the stem of the intrauterine device and (ii) a handle at the posterior end, said handle being bifurcated with stems extending in an anterior or forward direction and having flanges with inwardly projecting edges, said flanges being spatially opposed and abuttable with the flanges of the inserter tube handle, and said stems further bracketing a cut out area, said cut out area being adapted to receive the compressed stems of the inserter tube handle and being at least as deep as the distance occupied by the arm of the intrauterine device within the tube when in the insertion position;
wherein the lumen in the manipulative section of the tube and the coacting rod have a non-circular cross-sectional configuration;
and wherein said tube and said rod are adaptable to coacting in a manner that (i) pulling rearwardly on the inserter tube handle until the flanges of the stems of the inserter tube and rod handles are abutting causes a folding of the arms of the intrauterine device and moves it to the insertion position with the contoured tip and the folded arms minimally projecting from the insertion end of the tube, (ii) compressing the stem of the inserter tube handle and further pulling rearwardly until the stem reaches the bottom of the cut out portion of the rod handle releases the intrauterine device at the insertion end and (iii) releasing the compression pressure causes the outwardly projecting edge of the inserter tube handle and the inwardly projecting edge of the rod handle susceptible to interlocking for unitary withdrawal of the tube and rod from the uterus.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An insertion instrument for inserting into the uterus an intrauterine device having a stem and at least one substantially horizontally extending flexible arm comprising

(a) an inserter tube adapted to protectively house said intrauterine device with the arm or arms folded adjacent to the stem in an axially aligned position, said tube having an insertion section of a flexible nature and an manipulative section of a non-flexible nature, said tube having (i) an externally mounted slidable stop means for engaging the cervical os, said stop means being located on the insertion section of the tube, said stop mean susceptible of adjustment to a predetermined position for insertion, (ii) a pair of diametrically opposed axially extending apertures located on the manipulative section of the tube posteriorly of the stop means, said apertures adapted to receive the intrauterine device so that the stem extends axially within the tube and the arm or arms extend through said apertures;
and
(iii) a handle at the posterior end of the tube, said handle being an integral part of the manipulative section and having a passageway therethrough, said passageway in communication with the lumen of the tube and further being bifurcated with the stems and terminating in a flange with a projecting edge;
and
(b) a coacting rod of malleable material with a retentive memory in telescopic relationship to the inserter tube and slidable therein, said rod having (i) a tubular receptacle section at the insertion end adapted to support the stem of the intrauterine device and (ii) a handle at the posterior end, said handle being bifurcated with stems extending in an anterior or forward direction and and having flanges with edges projecting oppositely to that in the handle of the inserter tube, said flanges further being spatially opposed and abuttable with the flanges of the inserter tube handle;
wherein the lumen in the manipulative section of the tube and the coacting rod have a non-circular cross-setional configuration;
wherein the stems of one of the bifurcated handles is compressible and when compressed is adapted to be received in the area between the stems of the other handle;
and
wherein said tube and said rod are adaptable to coacting in a manner so that (i) pulling rearwardly on the inserter tube handle until the flanges of the stems of the inserter tube and rod handles are abutting causes a folding of the arms of the intrauterine device and moves it to the insertion position with the contoured tip and the folded arms minimally projecting from the insertion end of the tube, (ii) compressing the compressible stem of one of the handles and drawing it within the area between the stems of the other handle releases the intrauterine device at the insertion end, and (iii) releasing the compression pressure on the stem causes the inwardly and outwardly projecting edges of the handle susceptible to interlocking for a unitary withdrawal of the tube and rod from the uterus.

6 more elements