Expanding vein tube

Application

Claims.

The present invention relates to an undertaker’s instrument and more particularly to an expanding vein tube.

The vein tube of the present invention is used 5 in the process of draining blood from human bodies during embalming and it is entered in the axillary vein, in the axilla or. armpit, and follows a course from the axillary vein to the subclavian vein to the sterno-clavicular junction, 3,0 past the subclavian valve.

The purpose of the present invention is uo release the pressure at the junction of the internal jugular vein, thereby causing an outlet large enough for clots of coagulated blood and stringy 15 masses of fibrin to pass through the tube, thereby eliminating obstruction of the tube.

Other devices have been proposed for the same purpose but they are more or less complicated and involve a plurality of parts which, may be90 come lost, whereas the present invention is^of an extremely simple character consisting of a minimum of parts which are all attached so as to eliminate the loss of parts.

An object of the present invention is to provide 05 an expanding vein tube which is so designed that when moved to its contracted position piloi to removal from the vein, there is little or no likelihood of pinching the vein, which has been found to be ah objectionable characteristic in 30 other devices of this type.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be clearly apparent to one skilled in the art and will be more obvious as the description proceeds.

3.5 Referring to the accompanying drawing terming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention in its fully contracted position.

Pig. 2 is a perspective view showing the vein 40 tube in its expanded position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the vein tube in its contracted condition, the plunger being removed. ,- Fig S is an end view of the vein tube in its expanded condition, the plunger likewise being removed, and , . ,

Fig 7 is a transverse sectional view through the split portion of the tube while in its con-_n tracted condition. . .

Tn the drawing i indicates a vein tube which is split vertically throughout the greater portion of its length along diametrically opposed lines as at 2, 2, which provide semi-circular legs 3 and 4.

The tube is made of resilient material and the (Cl. 27—24) legs 3 and 4 are normally biased away from each other or into expanded position, as shown in Fig. 2, where it can be seen that the tube flares gradually outwardly toward the entering end. ®

The tube ί is provided with a drain pipe 5 carrying a nipple 6 at the end thereof for attachment to suitable drainage tubes.

Fitting within the tube I is a second tube split throughout its length along diametrically opposed 10 lines as indicated at 7, 7 to provide sections 8 Hud 9

The sections 8 and 9 are secured, to the legs 3 and 4, respectively, by spot-welding as indicated at ί 8 and I!, but it is to be understood, of course, 15 that the welding may be continuous or other suitable means may be employed for securing the sections to the legs.

By referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the sections 8 and 9 have, been rotated with ref- 20 erence to the legs 3 and 4 so that the line of split of the sections lies diagonally with reference to the vertical as indicated by the line a—b.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the leg 3 and the section 8 which is rigidly secured 25 thereto describe an arc slightly in excess of. 180°.

In like manner the leg 4 and the section 9. describe an arc of slightly more than .180°, the purpose of which will be hereinafter pointed out.

In order that the vein tube may be contracted 30 for insertion into the axillary vein, a cylindrical plunger 1.2 is slidably mounted in the tube and cooperates with the sections 8 and 9 to contract the legs 3 and 4 into substantially abutting relation against the bias normally imposed thereon. 35

The plunger 12 is provided with an operating rod ί 3 passing through a ferrule 14 threaded on the end . of the tube ί and at its outer end the rod <3 carries the operating handle 15.

It is to be noted that the sections 8 and 9 40 extend from the tip or entering end of the Vein tube rearward#to a point adjacent the drain pipe § and that the section 8 is provided with openings jg while the section 9 is provided with openings . il to facilitate drainage of blood into the tube.

From an inspection of Fig. 6 it can be seen that the section 8 overhangs the plunger i 2 and that the section 9 underhangs the same plunger so that as the plunger is moved from the position ₅₀shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3, the plunger engages the overhanging and underhanging lips of the sections 8 and 9 and moves the same toward a straight line in such a manner that the legs 3 and 4 which carry the respective ₅₅

2,201,749 sections are gradually brought together into contracted position as shown in Fig. 1.

It is obvious that without the sections 8 and 9 movement of the plunger 12 could have no effect 5 in moving the legs 3 and 4 towards each other, but due to the fact that each leg and the section carried thereby describe an arc of more than 180% reciprocating movement of the plunger 12 causes the plunger to bear against the overhanging por10 tion of the segment 8 and the underhanging portion of the segment 9 to thereby straighten the expanded legs as described.

In other words, as the legs 3 and 4 are normally biased away from each other, the attached 15 sections 8 and 9 are moved to similar positions so that opposed portions of the respective legs within the bore present camming surfaces normally converging toward the free end of the tube. The plunger 12 rides between the converging 20 faces and when moved toward the free ends of the tube separates these surfaces until they assume a parallel relationship and the legs are thereby drawn together.

The disposition of the sections 8 and 9 with 25 respect to the legs 3 and 4 provides means to prevent spreading of the legs in a direction transverse to the direction of bias when the tube is contracted for insertion into the veins.

Due to the fact that the legs 3 and 4 are nor30 mally biased to expanded position, it is likewise obvious that as the plunger is moved rearwardly the plunger is disengaged from the overhanging and underhanging portions of the sections 8 and 9, whereupon the legs 3 and 4 are free to assume 35 their normally expanded position away from each other.

An additional advantage of the provision of the split inner tube having the overhanging and underhanging portions of the sections 8 and 9 40 is that as the tube is contracted or closed prior to withdrawal from the vein, any tendency for the vein to sag between the legs is prevented by the overhanging portions of the sections 8 and 9, and as the tubes are drawn together, any of the ₄₅ vein that might lie between the legs is gradually forced from between the legs due to the curvature of the overhanging and underhanging lips so that there is little or no likelihood of pinching the same as the tube is contracted.

The tube I and the sections 8 and 9 are beveled as at 18 and 19, respectively, so as to facilitate entry of the tube into the vein, and the plunger is likewise provided with a rounded end as at 20 for the same purpose. Likewise the inner tube ₅₅ consisting of the sections 8 and 9 is beveled as at 21 to facilitate entry of the plunger 12 into the same.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the present invention is of very simple character but one ₆₀ which provides the necessary expansion of the veins due to the inherent resiliency of the material used, so that blood clots or similar materials will not clog the tube but will be permitted to enter through the expanded end and conducted 05 readily to the drain pipe 5.

It is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 6 that in its expanded condition there are substantially two drain conduits provided, one by the leg 3 and its associated section 8 and the sec70 ond drain conduit by means of the leg 4 and its associated section 9

While the present invention has been shown and described as expanding in a horizontal plane it is obvious that it can likewise be made to ex75 pand in a vertical direction if such is found desirable, in which case the drain pipe need merely be attached to the tube 1 at a point spaced angularly 90° from the point of attachment, as disclosed.

It will also be apparent that while the present 5 invention has been described as consisting of two tubes, one within the other, the same may be constructed in any suitable manner and of any suitable material so long as the operation as disclosed may be carried out. ₁₀