Illumination Assembly For Use With Vaginal Speculum Apparatus

Abstract

An illumination assembly for use with a vaginal speculum includes an assembly housing containing a light source, such as at least one LED or incandescent lamp. The illumination assembly, which can be battery powered or powered by means of a dedicated power supply, such as an AC power supply, is configured to be fitted within a receiving cavity of a handle portion of a vaginal speculum.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is based upon the following two (2) provisional patent applications, claiming priority based on 35 USC § 119(e): U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 667,505, filed Apr. 1, 2005, entitled: ILLUMINATED VAGINAL SPECULUM ASSEMBLY; and U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 735,576, filed Nov. 10, 2005, entitled: ILLUMINATED VAGINAL SPECULUM ASSEMBLY. The entire contents of each of the above-noted applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The application relates to the field of hand-held medical diagnostic instruments and in particular to an illumination assembly that is used in conjunction with a vaginal speculum.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Vaginal specula are commonly known apparatus presently used in the field of diagnostic medicine for purposes of examining the cervix of a female patient. A typical vaginal speculum includes an upper blade member and a lower blade member that are operated upon to open and ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]The illumination assembly can further include a speculum adapter attachable to the assembly body, wherein the adapter facilitates the engagement of the housing to the receiving cavity of the speculum. In one version, the speculum adapter incorporates an external envelope equivalent to that of one type of illumination assembly and an internal envelope adapted for receiving another type of illumination assembly. The speculum adapter enables simplicity in alignment relative to a receiving cavity of a speculum.

[0021]According to yet another aspect, means are provided in the battery powered version for selectively interconnecting the light source with a non-portable power supply in the event of low power circumstances, enabling greater flexibility and versatility with the herein described assembly.

[0027]A switch mechanism selectively energizes the at least one LED. According to one version, the switch mechanism includes a switch member having a portion formed on the exterior of the assembly housing. In one embodiment, the switch member can be biased in an Off position. The switch member can be locked by a user, thereby preventing automatic operation and further maintaining the assembly in an On position.

[0030]Preferably, the at least one LED is capable of both high output (e.g., 1 watt and a minimum of 20 lumens / watt) and long service life (e.g., at least 1000 hours), enabling efficient and prolonged use of the illumination assembly for medical applications.

[0040]The herein described illumination assembly permits greater flexibility in that corded illumination assemblies are not required. The illumination assembly provides better coupling to an attached speculum and the assembly can be used independently as an examination light without being tethered to a non-portable power supply. The assembly can be easily cleaned and maintained and is simple to operate.

Problems solved by technology

One problem with the herein-described light pipe is that a so-called “hot” spot is developed at the distal light emitting end.

This back reflection produces considerable amounts of glare, thereby impairing the effectiveness of an examination.

In addition, the configuration of the distal end of the current light pipe provides non-uniform light distribution at the target (e.g., the cervix).

Another problem is that the body of the light pipe extends into the lower field of view of the user (e.g., the physician), creating obstruction of the target.

In addition, shadowing of external illumination is caused by the distal light pipe end.

Excessive plastic material results in extra cost of manufacture.

The molding of the lower blade member is further affected in that a stress concentration is created at the distal end of the light pipe, based on its squared discontinuous end, resulting in weak location and potential breakage.

Moreover, there is difficulty in molding due to the abrupt change in cross section near the gate.

Yet another problem is that body fluids expelled from examination are often trapped by the distal end of the light pipe, producing a contamination issue as well as impairing the efficiency of examination given the effect on light transmission of a buildup of fluids against the light-emitting surface of the light pipe.

Yet another problem is that the industry has become content with the concept of utilizing a tethered illumination assembly.

Though effective and highly useful, there are occasions in which such assemblies make examination impractical to perform such as, for example, instances in which the patient is bed-ridden.

In these situations, the corded portion of the speculum apparatus can become an impediment to examining a patient.

In addition, the use of corded illumination assemblies requires a non-portable (e.g., AC) power supply to be present in the examination area, making field examinations difficult.

Still further, corded assemblies can become tangled or become a source of dirt or other contamination, requiring frequent cleaning between examinations.

Heretofore, the incorporation of such light sources in portable illumination systems for vaginal specula has been discouraged in the field due to inefficiencies in power conversion and illumination output.

Provision of these light sources, at least in certain instances is desirable, but presently unavailable for use in such apparatus.

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