Patent Application
20070074762
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a seal, and more particularly, to an internal seal used in a medical device for stapling a patient's body to prevent or minimize fluid in a patient's body from getting into the mechanism of the medical device.
2. Background and Material Information
In medical devices used in a patient's body, it is desirable to prevent air, liquid, or other fluid in the body from entering far enough into the device to reach and possibly harm the mechanisms of the device.
Prevention or reduction of gas or fluid leakage into medical devices or mechanisms is often accomplished by the inclusion of a seal in the medical device. This seal is placed between the point at which the device touches the body and thus is open to fluid or air entry and the point at which the mechanisms of the device are located. The related art generally involves a rubber disc with an opening for parts of the device to move through. On either side of the rubber disc, a metal plate is attached. This type of seal creates multiple problems. As pressure from fluid varies across the seal, the rubber tends to bulge out beyond the metal plates at certain points and not at others thereby creating an uneven or vulnerable seal. The metal plates require attachment to the rubber disc using a fastening mechanism thus problems can arise if the fastening mechanism breaks or problems can arise due to the extra holes in the rubber seal needed for the fastening mechanism which present more possible areas of fluid or air leakage.
The present application provides an internal seal for preventing fluid from passing from a first end of a tubular instrument to a second end of the tubular instrument. The seal may have an edge portion configured to contact an inner surface of the instrument with at least one receiving aperture to receive an apparatus therethrough, the apparatus extending in a generally longitudinal axial direction in relation to the tubular instrument, and a generally V-shaped channel generally extending about a circumference of the receiving aperture. The channel may be configured such that pressure created by the fluid causes one wall of the channel to press against the apparatus thus creating a seal.
Both walls of each V-shaped channel may be obliquely angled in relation to the generally longitudinal direction. Additionally, the receiving aperture may be configured to allow the apparatus to move in the axial direction. Further, the seal may include an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM).
Another feature may be a generally V-shaped edge channel generally extending about the edge portion of the seal, so that pressure created by the fluid causes one wall of the edge channel to press against the inner surface of the instrument.
The invention further may feature a tapered lip generally extending about the edge portion of the seal so that pressure created by the fluid causes the tapered lip to press against the inner surface of the instrument.
The internal seal may also comprise a first lip portion channel generally extending toward the first end and about a circumference the receiving apertures, where the first tapered lip portion is configured such that pressure created by the fluid causes the first lip portion to press against the apparatus, the first lip portion also may be tapered or obliquely angled in relation to the generally longitudinal direction. Also, the receiving aperture may allow the apparatus to move in the axial direction.
Additionally, a second lip portion may generally extend toward the first end and about a circumference of and facing the first lip portion. Further, at least one of either the first lip portion or second lip portion may be tapered or obliquely angled in relation to the generally longitudinal direction and the two lip portions form a generally V-shaped channel.
The invention may also feature an edge lip, generally extending about the edge portion, where pressure created by the fluid causes the edge lip to press against the inner surface of the instrument, with the edge lip being tapered.
The present application also provides a medical instrument with a tubular portion having a first end, which may be inserted into a body cavity, and a second end, where an apparatus may be generally disposed within the tubular portion and extend in a generally longitudinal direction in relation to the tube in order to effect an operation relating to the body cavity. The medical device further may include an internal seal in the tubular portion, which prevents fluid from passing from the first end to second end of the device. The seal may include an edge portion that contacts an inner surface of the tubular portion, at least one receiving aperture in order to receive the apparatus therethrough, and a first lip portion channel generally extending toward the first end about the circumference of the receiving apertures such that pressure created by the fluid from the body cavity causes the first tapered lip portion to press against the apparatus.
The seal may also feature a second lip portion generally extending toward the first end about the circumference of and facing the first lip portion. Further, at least one of the first lip portion or the second lip portion may be tapered.
Other exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reviewing the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings, and the above description should not be considered to limit the scope of the present application.
The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several views of the drawings, wherein:
The particulars shown herein are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the present invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the present invention in more detail than is necessary for the fundamental understanding of the present invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the present invention may be embodied in practice.
Referring to the drawings wherein like characters represent like elements, FIGS. 1 to 7 show an internal seal 10, 110, 210 for preventing or minimizing fluid from passing from a first end of a device 22 to a second end of the device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The seal 10, 110, 210 is particularly useful in medical devices that are inserted into a body cavity for preventing fluid (e.g., gas, blood or other fluids) from the body cavity from traveling into the mechanical parts of the medical device 22, but may also be used in a variety of other devices or instruments where it is necessary to prevent fluid or air from traveling beyond a certain location. The seal 10, as shown in
As shown in
Alternatively, the outer and inner lip portions 16a, 16b may form different angles with respect to each other and/or only one lip portion 16a, 16b may be angled (while the other is substantially parallel to the axial direction X). Also, neither lip portion 16a, 16b may be angled. The channels are shown in a generally V shaped configuration, but as described herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that “V shaped” broadly includes channels extending in a V, U, J, three-sided square, any combination thereof, and the like.
Referring to
Another, second embodiment of the present invention is shown in
A third, further embodiment of the present invention is shown in
It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it should be understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
