Conveniently adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt tubing

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of ventriculoperitoneal shunt instruments, and particularly relates to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt tube convenient to adjust, which comprises a first pipeline, two second pipelines and two locking handles; the two second pipelines are movably arranged in the first pipeline from two ends of the first pipeline, and the outer walls of the first pipeline and the second pipelines are provided with scale lines; the outer wall of the first end of the first pipeline is inwardly contracted to form an inclined part, the inclined part can be close to the second pipeline under the action of external force, the inner wall of the locking handle is provided with an inner inclined surface with the same inclined angle as the outer inclined surface of the inclined part, and the application further comprises a clamping piece movably arranged on the shunt tube.

Description

[0001] Divisional application

[0002] The present application is a divisional application of Chinese Invention Patent Application No. 202410620395.9, filed on May 17, 2024, entitled “A Ventricular-Peritoneal Shunt Tube with Convenient Adjustment”. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of ventricular-peritoneal shunt instruments, and particularly relates to a ventricular-peritoneal shunt tube with convenient adjustment. BACKGROUND

[0004] Ventricular-peritoneal shunt requires the use of a tube to implant a drainage tube into a subcutaneous tunnel first. The tube includes a hard sleeve and a guide core inside the hard sleeve for connecting the drainage tube. After the subcutaneous tunnel is constructed by the hard sleeve, the drainage tube is connected to the guide core, and the drainage tube is placed into the subcutaneous tunnel during the process of pulling out the guide core from the hard sleeve for subsequent shunt operation.

[0005] For example, the utility model with publication number CN218739676U discloses a visual ventricular-peritoneal shunt tube, which includes an outer sleeve. The right end of the outer sleeve is connected with a head end adjusting part. A guide inner core channel is opened in the inner part of the outer sleeve, and a guide inner core is arranged in the guide inner core channel. The right end of the guide inner core is provided with a spring clip mechanism. The left end of the guide inner core is provided with a moving piece. A fixing mechanism is arranged on the moving piece. The fixing mechanism includes a rotating disc which is rotatably connected to the right end surface of the moving piece through a rotating bearing. A connecting rod is rotatably connected to the right end surface of the rotating disc and away from the position of the center of the circle through a bearing. A through hole is formed in the left end of the outer sleeve. The other end of the connecting rod penetrates through the through hole in the left end of the outer sleeve and is provided with a knob.

[0006] The above-mentioned scheme fixes the moving mechanism and the outer sleeve through the fixing mechanism, which can effectively prevent the position of the moving piece from moving during the creation of the subcutaneous tunnel. The position of the guide inner core is moved by the moving piece, which in turn causes the spring clip mechanism to cause secondary injury to the patient.

[0007] However, in the process of creating a subcutaneous tunnel (i.e., inserting the outer sleeve into the human body), the operator exerts force through the holding handle arranged at the end of the outer sleeve. The distance between the force point and the stress point is far, which is not convenient for exerting force, especially when the outer sleeve is initially inserted into the human body. At this time, the distance between the force point and the stress point is the length of the entire outer sleeve, which is extremely easy to cause deviation in the insertion direction of the outer sleeve, thereby causing damage to other parts of the human body. At the same time, since different human bodies have different heights, the length of the subcutaneous tunnel required to be constructed also has certain differences. However, the length of the outer sleeve in the above-mentioned scheme is fixed and cannot be adjusted, thereby failing to meet the length requirements of the outer sleeve for different human bodies.

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt tube which is convenient to operate and has better stability. SUMMARY

[0009] The present application aims to provide a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt tube which is convenient to adjust, so as to partially alleviate or solve the above problems and make the process of constructing a subcutaneous tunnel more convenient.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application specifically adopts the following technical solutions:

[0011] A ventriculo-peritoneal shunt tube which is convenient to adjust, comprising a first pipe, two second pipes and two locking handles;

[0012] The two second pipes are movably arranged in the first pipe from both ends of the first pipe, and the outer walls of the first pipe and the second pipes are provided with scale lines; the outer wall of the first pipe is provided with external threads, the inner wall of the locking handle is provided with internal threads matched with the external threads, the outer wall of both ends of the first pipe is respectively provided with a plurality of inwardly retractable inclined portions, the plurality of inclined portions can be moved towards the second pipes under the action of external force, and the inner wall of the locking handle is provided with an inner inclined surface having the same inclination angle as the outer inclined surface of the inclined portions;

[0013] When the locking handle is screwed into the first pipe, the inner inclined surface moves in close contact with the outer inclined surface and extrudes the inclined portions, so that the inclined portions are deformed, and the plurality of inclined portions collectively form a clamping structure for clamping the second pipes;

[0014] Further comprising a clamping piece movably arranged on the shunt tube, the clamping piece comprising a connecting portion and a clamping portion fixedly connected, one end of the connecting portion is sleeved on the shunt tube through a first through hole, the clamping portion is provided with a first groove matched with the shunt tube on the side close to the shunt tube, and the clamping portion is further provided with an elastic portion for resetting the clamping portion, the elastic portion is sleeved on the shunt tube through a second through hole;

[0015] When the clamping portion is unfolded to the maximum, the first through hole and the second through hole can pass through the locking handle; when the clamping portion is pressed inward, the clamping portion is close to the shunt tube, so that the groove wall of the first groove is clamped on the outer wall of the shunt tube.

[0016] As an improvement, a part of the inner wall of the first pipe is recessed in the direction of the outer wall to form a recessed portion, and the recessed portion is located between the inclined portion and the external threads.

[0017] As an improvement, the angle between the extension line of the outer bevel and the central axis of the first pipe is 5°-20°.

[0018] As an improvement, the length of the inner bevel is greater than the length of the outer bevel, so that when the locking handle is screwed into the first pipe, the inner bevel always fits with the outer bevel.

[0019] As an improvement, the outer diameter of the locking handle increases from small to large and then decreases from the first end to the second end.

[0020] As an improvement, a transition zone is provided at the first end of the second pipe, and the outer diameter of the transition zone gradually decreases from the second end to the first end of the second pipe.

[0021] As an improvement, a receiving cavity for installing the elastic part is opened inside the connecting part, the movable end of the elastic part can be movably sleeved on the diversion strip, and the connecting end of the elastic part is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the clamping part.

[0022] As an improvement, the front end of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip is provided with a bullet-shaped tip.

[0023] As an improvement, an anti-slip protrusion is provided on a side of the clamping portion away from the first groove.

[0024] As an improvement, a gap is left between the elastic portion and the connecting portion to provide deformation space for the elastic portion.

[0025] The principles and beneficial technical effects of the present invention are:

[0026] In the existing technology (patent document with publication number CN218739676U), the gripping handle is set at the end of the outer sleeve. When in use, force can only be applied through the gripping handle. The force point is far away from the end of the outer sleeve that enters the human body, which makes it inconvenient to apply force. At the same time, it is very likely to affect the insertion accuracy and thus affect the treatment effect.

[0027] In the present application, a clamping member is designed to be movable relative to the diverter bar. When in use, the position of the clamping member can be adjusted at any time according to the insertion depth of the diverter bar, which can ensure that the force point is always close to the human body, thereby ensuring the insertion effect. At the same time, the clamping member matches the connecting part, the clamping part and the elastic part. When in use, it is only necessary to press the clamping part so that the groove wall of the first groove fits with the outer wall of the diverter bar, so that the clamping member and the diverter bar can be relatively fixed. When moving the clamping member, it is only necessary to stop pressing, and the elastic part drives the clamping part to reset. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient. At the same time, by setting a segmented design of the pipeline, it is more convenient to adjust the position of the force point during insertion.

[0028] In addition, the first pipe and the second pipe are fixed by the locking handle, and in use, only the locking handle needs to be screwed into the first pipe through the thread, and in the process of screwing, the inner inclined surface of the locking handle extrudes the inclined part, so that the outer wall of the second pipe is tightly fitted with the inner wall of the inclined part, and the friction between the two is relatively fixed, the fixing effect is good, and the operation is convenient and fast; at the same time, since the locking handle is arranged outside the first pipe and does not directly contact the second pipe, the length of the second pipe extending into the first pipe can be adjusted at will, so that the overall length of the pipe is adjusted.

[0029] In summary, the application is designed as a multi-section detachable pipe, and the movable clamping piece is matched, so that the shunt strip structure is simple, the operation is convenient, and the effect is good. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description. In all the drawings, similar elements or parts are generally identified by similar reference signs. In the drawings, each element or part is not necessarily drawn according to the actual proportion. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0031] Figure 1a And Figure 1b are respectively the installation structure schematic diagram and the exploded view of the first pipe, the second pipe and the locking handle of an exemplary embodiment of the application;

[0032] Figure 2 And Figure 3 are respectively the split state and the cross-sectional view of the installation state of the first pipe, the second pipe and the locking handle of an exemplary embodiment of the application;

[0033] Figure 4a And Figure 4b are respectively the schematic diagram of the clamping piece in the clamping state and the active state of an exemplary embodiment of the application;

[0034] Figure 5 is the three-dimensional structure diagram of the clamping piece in an exemplary embodiment of the application;

[0035] Figure 6 is the overall structure schematic diagram of the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt strip in the prior art;

[0036] Figure 7a is the structure schematic diagram of the tip part of the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt strip of the application;

[0037] Figure 7bExploded view of the tip portion of the ventricular peritoneal shunt of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7c Sectional view of the tip portion of the ventricular peritoneal shunt of the present invention.

[0039] Reference signs in the figure: 1 - first conduit; 2 - second conduit; 3 - locking handle; 4 - external thread; 5 - internal thread; 6 - inclined portion; 7 - external bevel; 8 - internal bevel; 9 - connecting portion; 10 - elastic portion; 11 - clamping portion; 12 - rubber pad; 13 - recess; 14 - transition zone; 15 - housing cavity; 16 - grip handle; 17 - ventricular peritoneal shunt; 18 - bullet tip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the following will be combined with the accompanying drawings for the embodiments of the present application to make a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0041] Herein, using suffixes such as "module", "component", or "unit" for representing elements is only for the convenience of description of the present application, and has no specific meaning by itself. Therefore, "module", "component", or "unit" can be mixedly used. Herein, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "front", "back", "one end", "the other end", and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description of the present application and simplification of the description, and do not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] Herein, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mount", "provided with", "connected", and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, "connected" can be fixedly connected, or detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be mechanically connected, can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the communication inside two elements. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. Herein, "a plurality of" means two or more, that is, it includes two, three, four, five, and the like.

[0043] The embodiment is basically as shown in the accompanying drawings 1-7c:

[0044] As Figure 1a and Figure 1b shown, the present application provides a convenient adjustment of the ventricular peritoneal shunt, including the first pipeline 1, the second pipeline 2 and the locking handle 3 fixed two, wherein the inner diameter of the first pipeline 1 is greater than the outer diameter of the second pipeline 2, so that the second pipeline 2 can slide inside the first pipeline 1, so as to realize the adjustment of the overall length of the shunt; specifically, as Figure 2 , the outer wall of the first pipeline 1 is provided with external thread 4, the inner wall of the locking handle 3 is provided with internal thread 5 matched with the external thread 4, the outer wall of the first end of the first pipeline 1 is inwardly retracted to form a plurality of inclined portions 6, wherein the shape and size of each inclined portion 6 are consistent, there is a certain gap between adjacent inclined portions 6, the inclined portion 6 is not in contact with the second pipeline 2 under the condition of no force, when the inclined portion 6 is deformed under the force, each inclined portion 6 is close to the second pipeline 2 at the same time, and the gap between adjacent inclined portions 6 is reduced, all the inclined portions 6 form a clamping structure for clamping the second pipeline 2; the inner wall of the locking handle 3 is provided with an inner inclined surface 8 having the same inclination angle as the outer inclined surface 7 of the inclined portion 6, when the locking handle 3 is screwed into the first pipeline 1, the locking handle 3 moves along the extension direction of the external thread 4 relative to the first pipeline 1, the inner inclined surface 8 moves and extrudes the inclined portion 6 tightly, so that the inclined portion 6 clamps the second pipeline and the two are relatively fixed.

[0045] Specifically, according to the height of different human body conditions, the length of the shunt required is determined, then a part of the second pipeline 2 is inserted into the first pipeline 1, so that the overall length of the shunt reaches the target length, and finally the two are fixed by the locking handle 3 (as Figure 3 ).

[0046] Wherein, the number of turns of the external thread 4 and the internal thread 5 can be adjusted, and the length of the inner inclined surface 8 is adjusted synchronously, so that when the locking handle 3 is in the locked state, the inner inclined surface 8 can extrude the outer inclined surface 7, so as to ensure that the inner wall of the inclined portion 6 and the outer wall of the second pipeline 2 are always in close contact (for example, when the number of turns of the thread is two, the length of the inner inclined surface 8 can be set shorter, at this time only need to screw the locking handle 3 two turns to lock), of course, in general, the more the number of turns of the internal thread 5 and the external thread 4, the longer the length of the outer inclined surface 7, the relatively better the locking effect, but the operation is relatively complicated.

[0047] In some embodiments, the angle between the extension line of the outer inclined surface 7 and the center axis of the outer sleeve is 5° to 20° (preferably 10°)

[0048] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the first end of the second pipeline 2 (i.e. the end inserted into the first pipeline 1) gradually decreases from the second end of the second pipeline 2 to the first end to form a transition zone 14, so that the second pipeline 2 can be easily inserted into the first pipeline 1.

[0049] In some embodiments, to reduce the resistance of the inclined part 6 to the second pipe 2 when it is closed, and to reduce the resistance of the locking handle 3, the inner wall of a part of the first pipe 1 is recessed outward to form a recess 13 between the inclined part 6 and the outer thread 4.

[0050] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 is provided with a scale line, so as to facilitate the determination of the overall length of the shunt, and to make the length adjustment of the shunt more intuitive.

[0051] It should be noted that in the above scheme, the shunt is composed of the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2, and in general, the total length of the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 is sufficient to meet the length requirement of the shunt in the ventriculoperitoneal shunt; however, it can be understood that the number of pipes can be adjusted according to the target length of the shunt, for example, in the case where the length of the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 is not enough, another second pipe 2 can be inserted into the end of the first pipe 1 that is not inserted into the second pipe 2 by the same method, and fixed by the locking handle 3, thereby increasing the overall length of the shunt.

[0052] As Figure 5 , the shunt is also provided with a clamping member (similar to the existing technology, the holding handle 16, such as Figure 6 , which facilitates the operator to hold the shunt when inserting it into the patient's body), which includes a connecting part 9, a clamping part 11 and an elastic part 10 for resetting the clamping part 11, wherein one end of the connecting part 9 is provided with a first through hole, which is sleeved on the shunt through the first through hole, and the inside of the connecting part 9 is provided with a containing cavity 15 for containing the elastic part 10, the first end of the clamping part 11 is fixed (can be integrally formed) with the second end of the clamping member, the second end is a pressing end, which provides a pressing position for the operator, the first end of the clamping part 11 is provided with a first recess near the side of the shunt, the first recess is provided with a rubber pad 12 inside, which has a certain elasticity, thereby being suitable for more sizes of pipes (such as different sizes of the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2), the movable end of the elastic part 10 is provided with a second through hole, the elastic part 10 is sleeved on the shunt through the second through hole, the connecting end of the elastic part 10 is fixed on the clamping part 11 and located above the first recess (of course, the elastic part 10 can also be arranged at other positions, such as the side wall of the connecting part 9), and at the same time, a gap is left between the elastic part 10 and the connecting part 9, which provides a deformation space for the elastic part 10.

[0053] In specific use, as Figure 4a and Figure 4b, by pressing the pressing end of the clamping part 11, the first groove is attached to the first pipe 1 or the second pipe 2 (for pipes of different outer diameters, different forces can be applied to the clamping part to ensure that the inner wall of the first groove can be attached to pipes of different sizes), the friction between the two makes them relatively fixed, at this time the elastic part 10 is deformed under the extrusion, the movable end approaches the first end of the connecting part 9, and the connecting part 9 also approaches the pipe; loosen the clamping part 11 when moving the clamping part, the elastic part 10 resets, the movable end is away from the first end of the connecting part 9, and the clamping part 11 and the connecting part 9 are reset, in this state, the clamping part can be slid on the shunt strip to the target position.

[0054] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the locking handle 3 changes from small to large and then remains unchanged and finally changes again, and the two ends are respectively ramp-shaped towards the inside of the shunt strip, so as to ensure that the clamping part can smoothly pass through the locking handle 3 without jamming.

[0055] In some embodiments, the elastic part 10 is made of rubber material.

[0056] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the clamping part 11 is provided with anti-skid protrusions to prevent the operator from slipping during operation.

[0057] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the elastic part 10 is also provided with a second groove matched with the shunt strip, so that the contact area between the clamping part and the shunt strip is larger, thereby increasing the friction and ensuring the fixing effect.

[0058] In some embodiments, the clamping part is composed of two symmetrical clamping blocks, and each clamping block includes the above connecting part 9, clamping part 11 and elastic part 10; when fixing the clamping part to the shunt strip, the clamping part 11 of the two clamping blocks is pressed at the same time, so that the inner wall of the first groove is tightly attached to the outer wall of the first pipe 1 or the second pipe 2, thereby realizing the fixation; when the position of the clamping part needs to be adjusted, loosen the clamping part 11 on both sides of the shunt strip, so that the clamping part 11 is separated from the shunt strip, and the clamping part is slid to the specified position, which can complete the adjustment, and the operation is simple and convenient.

[0059] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate puncture, as shown in the accompanying drawings

[0060] In some embodiments, in order to facilitate puncture, as shown in the accompanying drawings Figure 7a-7cA bullet-shaped tip 18 is further provided at the front end of the above-mentioned ventriculoperitoneal shunt cleaning rod 17 (hereinafter referred to as the cleaning rod) (i.e., the end that is first inserted into the patient's body when used). Specifically, the front end of the cleaning rod 17 is provided with a second internal thread, and the tail end of the bullet-shaped tip 18 is provided with a second external thread that matches the second internal thread. Before puncture, the bullet-shaped tip 18 is installed on the front end of the cleaning rod 17 to facilitate the insertion of the cleaning rod 17 into the patient's body. After the front end of the cleaning rod 17 is removed, the bullet-shaped tip 18 is removed without affecting the normal use of the cleaning rod 17 (that is, a drainage tube can be directly set in the cleaning rod 17 for drainage; of course, a guide core or a guide wire can also be used to guide the drainage tube out of the cleaning rod).

[0061] In summary, the present application comprehensively provides a ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip with adjustable length and freely adjustable gripping position, which is more convenient and quick to use.

[0062] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

[0063] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention and the claims, all of which are protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A conveniently adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip, characterized by: comprising a first pipe, two second pipes and two locking handles; The two second pipes are movably arranged in the first pipe from both ends, and the outer walls of the first pipe and the second pipe are both provided with scale lines; the outer wall of the first pipe is provided with an external thread, and the inner wall of the locking handle is provided with an internal thread matching the external thread; the outer walls of both ends of the first pipe are respectively provided with multiple inclined portions that can be retracted inwardly, and the multiple inclined portions can be moved closer to the second pipe under the action of an external force; the inner wall of the locking handle is provided with an inner inclined surface having the same inclination angle as the outer inclined surface of the inclined portion; When the locking handle is screwed into the first pipe, the inner inclined surface moves against the outer inclined surface and squeezes the inclined portion, causing the inclined portion to deform. The plurality of inclined portions together form a clamping structure for clamping the second pipe. The clamping member is also provided on the shunt flow bar, wherein the clamping member includes a fixedly connected connecting portion and a clamping portion, one end of the connecting portion is sleeved on the shunt flow bar through a first through hole, a first groove is provided on the side of the clamping portion close to the shunt flow bar, and an elastic portion is provided on the clamping portion for resetting the clamping portion, and the elastic portion is sleeved on the shunt flow bar through a second through hole; When the clamping portion is expanded to the maximum extent, both the first through hole and the second through hole can pass through the locking handle; When the clamping portion is pressed inward, the clamping portion approaches the bypass bar, so that the groove wall of the first groove is clamped on the outer wall of the bypass bar.

2. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: A portion of the inner wall of the first pipe is recessed toward the outer wall to form a recessed portion, and the recessed portion is located between the inclined portion and the external thread.

3. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The included angle between the extension line of the outer slope and the central axis of the first pipe is 5°-20°.

4. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the inner bevel is greater than that of the outer bevel, so that when the locking handle is screwed into the first pipe, the inner bevel is always in contact with the outer bevel.

5. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer diameter of the locking handle increases from a small size to a large size and then decreases from a first end to a second end.

6. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: A transition zone is provided at the first end of the second pipe, and an outer diameter of the transition zone gradually decreases from the second end to the first end of the second pipe.

7. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion is provided with an accommodating cavity for installing the elastic portion. The movable end of the elastic portion can be movably sleeved on the branching strip, and the connecting end of the elastic portion is fixedly arranged on the inner wall of the clamping portion.

8. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip is provided with a bullet-shaped tip.

9. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: An anti-slip protrusion is provided on a side of the clamping portion away from the first groove.

10. The easily adjustable ventriculoperitoneal shunt strip according to claim 1, characterized in that: A gap is left between the elastic portion and the connecting portion to provide deformation space for the elastic portion.

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