Insertion aid

Abstract

An insertion aid that can improve the ease of inserting a long medical object is provided. [Solution] An insertion aid 1 for inserting a long medical object into a medical device such as a connector with a hemostatic valve, comprising a main body 11 having a sliding surface 51 along which the long medical object slides, and an insertion tube 12 disposed at the tip of the main body 11 and inserted into the medical device, with a guide groove 73 formed in the sliding surface 51 to guide the long medical object toward the inner cavity of the tube main body 21 of the insertion tube 12.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insertion aid. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is an insertion aid that allows a long medical object (guide wire) to be inserted with one hand (see Patent Document 1). This insertion aid includes a sliding part with a protruding sliding contact part in the center, and a cylindrical guide wire support part formed on the tip side of the sliding part. In this auxiliary tool for elongated medical objects, the slide section and the elongated medical object are held between the thumb and index finger, and the thumb is moved to slide the elongated medical object relative to the slide section, thereby advancing the elongated medical object. By repeating this advancing operation, the insertion operation of the elongated medical object can be performed with one hand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-295821 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional insertion aids, the elongated medical object may shift in the width direction of the sliding section when the forward movement is performed, which makes it difficult to insert the elongated medical object.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an insertion aid that can improve the operability of inserting a long medical object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an insertion aid for inserting a long medical object into a medical device, comprising:It is formed in a plate shape with the thickness direction being the front-to-back direction, and the front side is a sliding surface on which the elongated medical object slides; The back side is a finger hook surface for placing your fingers. and an insertion tube portion disposed at the tip of the main body portion and inserted into the medical device, and a guide rail portion is formed on the sliding surface to guide the elongated medical object toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion. The guide rail portion is a guide groove recessed in the sliding surface and having a depth equal to or less than half the radius of the elongated medical object, and the height of the groove bottom of the guide groove in the front-rear direction is adjusted to the height of the rear inner surface of the lumen of the insertion tube portion in the front-rear direction. The present invention provides an insertion aid characterized by the above features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The insertion aid according to the present invention can improve the operability of inserting an elongated medical object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an insertion aid according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a medical elongated object placed therein. [Figure 2] 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a plan view showing an insertion aid. [Figure 3] 1A is a rear view, FIG. 1B is a left side view, and FIG. 1C is a right side view showing the insertion aid. [Figure 4] 2(b) shows the insertion aid, (a) is an end view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 2(b) showing the insertion aid, (b) is an end view taken along line B-B' in FIG. 2(b) showing the insertion aid, and (c) is an end view taken along line C-C' in FIG. 2(b) showing the insertion aid. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a front view, respectively, showing the placement of fingers on an insertion aid during an insertion operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An insertion aid according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This insertion aid is a medical insertion aid that aids in the insertion of an elongated medical object into a medical device and is configured to allow for one-handed insertion. In particular, this insertion aid has a main body shaped to facilitate one-handed insertion. The following description will be given with definitions of left and right, front and back, and up and down as shown in the drawings. In addition, in this embodiment, the sliding direction (feed direction) of the elongated medical object coincides with the left and right directions, with the leading end of the sliding direction of the elongated medical object on the left side and the base end of the sliding direction of the elongated medical object on the right side.

[0010] (Configuration of insertion aid) 1, the insertion aid 1 integrally comprises a plate-shaped main body 11 having a sliding surface 51 along which the elongated medical object 2 slides when operated with the thumb 6a, an insertion tube 12 disposed on the left side (tip side) of the main body 11 and inserted into the medical device 3, and a base support part 13 disposed on the right side (base side) of the main body 11 and supporting the elongated medical object 2. With the insertion tube 12 inserted into the medical device 3, the elongated medical object 2 is slid relative to the main body 11 by operation with the thumb 6a, thereby feeding the elongated medical object 2 toward the insertion tube 12, and thereby inserting the elongated medical object 2 into the medical device 3 from the tip opening of the insertion tube 12.

[0011] The elongated medical object 2 is a medical tube or a medical wire such as a guidewire, and in this embodiment, the elongated medical object 2 is assumed to be, for example, a catheter (particularly a microcatheter with an inner diameter of 1 mm or less) through which a guidewire has been inserted. On the other hand, the medical device 3 is a medical tube or a medical connector, and in this embodiment, the medical device 3 is assumed to be, for example, a connector with a hemostatic valve attached to the base end of a catheter.

[0012] 2 and 3, the insertion tube portion 12 has a cylindrical tube portion main body 21 with an inner cavity, a slit 22 formed on the front side of the tube portion main body 21, and a notch 23 formed by cutting out an arc-shaped portion at the right end of the tube portion main body 21. The outer peripheral surface and inner cavity of the tube portion main body 21 are formed to be larger on the base side than on the tip side, making it easy to introduce the elongated medical object 2 and to insert it into the medical device 3.

[0013] The slit 22 extends from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular body 21 to the inner cavity in the radial direction of the tubular body 21, and is formed over the entire axial length of the tubular body 21. When removing the insertion aid 1 from the elongated medical object 2 while the elongated medical object 2 is inserted into the medical device 3, the insertion aid 1 is moved rearward (toward the back of the paper in FIG. 1 ) so that the elongated medical object 2 is pushed out of the tubular body 21 through the slit 22, and the insertion tubular section 12 is removed from the elongated medical object 2. As shown in FIG. 4(a), both inner surfaces 22a, 22a of the slit 22 are shaped to widen (incline) outward in the vertical direction as they extend radially outward.

[0014] 2 and 3, the notch 23 is formed by cutting out an arc so as to follow the path of the thumb 6a when the elongated medical object 2 is slid by the thumb 6a. This makes it possible to prevent the thumb 6a from getting caught on the tubular main body 21 when the elongated medical object 2 is slid relative to the main body 11 by the operation of the thumb 6a.

[0015] The base support part 13 has an insertion groove 32 through which the elongated medical object 2 is inserted, and a first claw part 33 and a second claw part 34 that protrude from the inner edge of the insertion groove 32 in the groove width direction.

[0016] The insertion groove 32 is formed as a groove extending in the left-right direction with an opening on the front side, and the elongated medical object 2 is supported inside the insertion groove 32 by being introduced into the insertion groove 32. The insertion groove 32 supports the elongated medical object 2 at a base side (right side) of the main body 11, at a middle position in the up-down direction of the insertion aid 1.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4( b), the first claw portion 33 is formed to protrude downward from the inner edge of the upper side of the insertion groove 32. On the other hand, the second claw portion 34 is formed to protrude upward from the inner edge of the lower side of the insertion groove 32. By providing the claw portions 33, 34 on the inner edge of the insertion groove 32, it is possible to prevent the elongated medical object 2 from slipping out from the opening side of the insertion groove 32. In particular, the insertion aid 1 is intended to be used with the insertion groove 32 facing sideways, and there is a risk that the elongated medical object 2 in the insertion groove 32 will slide forward and become detached from the insertion groove 32. In response to this, by providing the claw portions 33, 34 on the inner edge of the insertion groove 32, the claw portions 33, 34 serve as a catch when the elongated medical object 2 slides forward, thereby preventing it from becoming detached from the insertion groove 32.

[0018] The rear surfaces 33a, 34a of the claws 33, 34 (surfaces on the groove bottom side of the insertion groove 32) are inclined downward toward the front side (opening side of the insertion groove 32) toward the tip side of the claws 33, 34. This allows the elongated medical object 2 to be easily removed from the insertion groove 32.

[0019] (Main body configuration) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the main body 11 is formed in the shape of a plate with the vertical direction as the width direction and the front-to-back direction as the thickness direction, and the front surface serves as a sliding surface 51 along which the long medical object 2 slides, and the rear surface (the surface opposite to the sliding surface 51) serves as a finger hook surface 52 on which the operator's fingers are hooked.

[0020] The finger hook surface 52 is divided into two halves, a first finger hook portion 61 for hooking the index finger 6b and a second finger hook portion 62 for hooking the middle finger 6c, so that the index finger 6b and the middle finger 6c can be hooked simultaneously, as shown in Fig. 5(a). That is, the left-right length of the first finger hook portion 61 is set taking into account the average thickness of the index finger 6b (approximately 14 mm), and the left-right length of the second finger hook portion 62 is set taking into account the average thickness of the middle finger 6c (approximately 15 mm). Therefore, the left-right length of the finger hook surface 52 is preferably 14 mm to 40 mm, and more preferably 19 mm to 35 mm.

[0021] 2 and 3, the sliding surface 51 is formed across the first finger hook portion 61 and the second finger hook portion 62 in the left-right direction (sliding direction). Specifically, the sliding surface 51 extends in the left-right direction from the left end of the first finger hook portion 61 to the right end of the second finger hook portion 62. In other words, the sliding surface 51 extends in the left-right direction (sliding direction) from the right end to the left end of the finger hook surface 52 on which the index finger 6b and middle finger 6c can be simultaneously hooked.

[0022] In addition, the sliding surface 51 is located in the center in the vertical direction and consists of a first sliding portion 71 along which the long medical object 2 slides, and second sliding portions 72, 72 located above and below the first sliding portion 71 along which the thumb 6a slides, and the first sliding portion 71 and the second sliding portions 72, 72 are formed across the first finger hook portion 61 and the second finger hook portion 62 in the left-right direction (sliding direction).

[0023] In this way, the finger hook surface 52 has the first finger hook portion 61 and the second finger hook portion 62, and the sliding surface 51 is formed across the first finger hook portion 61 and the second finger hook portion 62, so that the stroke of the operation of sliding the elongated medical object 2 by moving the thumb 6a from right to left can be lengthened, as shown in Fig. 5(a) . Furthermore, the sliding surface 51 has the first sliding portion 71 and the second sliding portion 72, so that the elongated medical object 2 can be slid by the first sliding portion 71 while being held between the thumb 6a and the index finger 6b and middle finger 6c by the second sliding portion 72.

[0024] The vertical width of the sliding surface 51 is preferably 10 mm or more. The horizontal length of the sliding surface 51 (first sliding portion 71 and second sliding portion 72) is preferably 14 mm or more and 40 mm or less, and more preferably 19 mm or more and 35 mm or less.

[0025] The first sliding portion 71 is provided with a shallow guide groove 73 extending in the left-right direction and guiding the elongated medical object 2 toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion 12. The guide groove 73 extends from the inside of the base support portion 13 (the groove bottom of the insertion groove 32) to the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion 12 (the tube portion main body 21 thereof), and is formed in the shape of an arc hole when viewed from the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 4(c). Furthermore, the inner surfaces 73a, 73a of the guide groove 73 are inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the groove bottom as they extend inward in the groove width direction, and the depth of the guide groove 73 in the front-rear direction is equal to or less than the radius of the elongated medical object 2.

[0026] When the elongated medical object 2 is pressed against the guide groove 73 with the thumb 6a in order to slide the elongated medical object 2, the elongated medical object 2 is guided by the inclination of the inner surfaces 73a, 73a of the guide groove 73 to move to the bottom of the guide groove 73, and then the inner surfaces 73a, 73a restrict the vertical movement of the elongated medical object 2. Because the position of the bottom of the guide groove 73 coincides with the position of the inner cavity of the tubular insertion portion 12 (the tubular portion main body 21 thereof), when the thumb 6a is used to slide the elongated medical object 2 in this state, the guide groove 73 guides the elongated medical object 2 into the inner cavity of the tubular insertion portion 12. The guide groove 73 is an example of a guide rail portion (guide portion). Furthermore, it is preferable that the depth of the guide groove 73 in the front-rear direction is equal to or less than half the radius of the elongated medical object 2. For example, if the radius of the elongated medical object 2 is 0.5 mm, it is preferable that the depth of the guide groove 73 in the front-rear direction is 0.1 mm and the width of the guide groove 73 in the up-down direction is 1 mm. It is also preferable that the height of the groove bottom of the guide groove 73 in the front-rear direction is matched to the height of the rear inner surface of the tubular main body 21 in the front-rear direction so that no step or steep slope is created between the groove bottom of the guide groove 73 and the rear inner surface of the tubular main body 21.

[0027] It is preferable to emboss the surface of the second sliding portion 72. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the material of the gloves worn by the worker from sticking to the surface of the second sliding portion 72.

[0028] Furthermore, a finger hook notch 53 for receiving the middle finger 6c is formed at the lower end (one end in the width direction) of the main body 11 by cutting from the center in the left-right direction to the left end. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5(b), it is assumed that the insertion aid 1 will be used in a position where the up-down direction follows the vertical direction, and the proximal joint (or middle joint) of the middle finger 6c is hooked on the second finger hook 62, while the distal joint of the middle finger 6c supports the main body 11 from below. At this time, the finger hook notch 53 allows the distal joint of the middle finger 6c to stably support the main body 11.

[0029] The wall surface (inner surface on the base side in the sliding direction) of the right end of the finger hook cutout 53 serves as a hook surface (hook portion) on which the middle finger 6c can hook in the left-right direction (sliding direction). As a result, when the elongated medical object 2 is slid with the thumb 6a, the insertion aid 1, which tends to move to the left (toward the tip side in the sliding direction), can be held down by the middle finger 6c, thereby further improving the operability of the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2.

[0030] (Description of the insertion operation of a long medical object using an insertion aid) Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2 in the insertion aid 1 will be described. This insertion operation is assumed to be performed by an operator wearing gloves. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), in this insertion operation, the elongated medical object 2 is first introduced into the insertion groove 32 of the base support part 13 and positioned in the guide groove 73 of the main body part 11. Then, the proximal (or middle) joints of the index finger 6b and the middle finger 6c are hooked on the first finger hook part 61, the second finger hook part 62, and the distal joints of the middle finger 6c, respectively, and the thumb 6a is pressed against the second sliding part 72 while the thumb 6a is pressed against the first sliding part 71. In this way, the operator holds the elongated medical object 2 on the guide groove 73 while clamping the main body part 11, and grasps the insertion aid 1 with one hand. After grasping the insertion aid 1, the insertion tube portion 12 is inserted into the medical device 3. At this time, if the medical device 3 is a connector with a hemostatic valve, the insertion tube portion 12 is used to push open the valve body of the hemostatic valve and insert it.

[0031] 5(a), the main body 11 is pinched between the thumb 6a, index finger 6b, and middle finger 6c, and the elongated medical object 2 is held on the guide groove 73. The thumb 6a is then moved from the base end (right end) of the sliding surface 51 to the tip end (left end) to slide the elongated medical object 2. This sliding of the elongated medical object 2 is then repeated to advance the elongated medical object 2 and insert it into the medical device 3. Once the elongated medical object 2 has been inserted into the medical device 3 to a certain extent, the insertion aid 1 may be held in the left hand that is holding the medical device 3, and the right hand may be used to hold the elongated medical object 2 directly. In this case, the insertion aid 1 and the elongated medical object 2 are pinched between the thumb and index finger of the left hand that is holding the medical device 3, and then the right hand is released from the insertion aid 1 to hold the elongated medical object 2.

[0032] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the guide groove 73 that guides the elongated medical object 2 toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion 12 is provided on the sliding surface 51, thereby making it possible to suppress lateral displacement (vertical displacement) of the elongated medical object 2 during the insertion operation. This improves the operability of the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the finger hook surface 52 is configured so that the index finger 6b and the middle finger 6c can be hooked at the same time, so that the insertion aid 1 can be stably held between the thumb 6a, the index finger 6b, and the middle finger 6c, and the insertion operation can be performed while stably holding the insertion aid 1. This improves the operability of the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2, particularly when the insertion aid 1 is used in a position where the up-down direction of the insertion aid 1 follows the vertical direction.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the sliding surface 51 is extended in the left-right direction (sliding direction), thereby making it possible to increase the contact area of ​​the elongated medical object 2 with the sliding surface 51. This makes it possible to suppress damage to the elongated medical object 2 (for example, crushing of the microcatheter) when the elongated medical object 2 is slid on the sliding surface 51.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2 is performed using the main body 11 along which the elongated medical object 2 slides. This allows the elongated medical object 2 to be advanced while holding the elongated medical object 2 and the insertion aid 1 with one hand. This allows the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2 to be performed with one hand. As a result, after the insertion aid 1 is inserted into the medical device 3, the insertion operation can be performed from that state. That is, in the conventional configuration, it was necessary to change the grip of the insertion aid 1 after inserting it into the medical device 3. Therefore, if the medical device 3 is a connector with a hemostatic valve and the elongated medical object 2 is a catheter, the elongated medical object 2 may be pushed back by blood pressure, making the insertion of the elongated medical object 2 difficult. In contrast, since the insertion operation of the elongated medical object 2 can be performed with one hand, there is no need to change the grip of the elongated medical object 2 after inserting the insertion aid 1 into the medical device 3. This prevents the elongated medical object 2 from being pushed back by blood pressure. Furthermore, when the long medical object 2 is to be held in a different position, after the insertion aid 1 has been inserted into the medical device 3, the medical device 3 and the main body 11 are positioned close to each other, so that the insertion aid 1 and the long medical object 2 can be held between the thumb 6a and index finger 6b of the left hand holding the medical device 3, thereby preventing the long medical object 2 from being pushed back when the long medical object 2 is held in a different position.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the guide rail portion that guides the elongated medical object 2 toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion 12 is configured by the guide groove 73 recessed in the sliding surface 51, thereby making it possible to reduce damage to the elongated medical object 2 compared to a configuration in which the elongated medical object 2 is guided by a protrusion or the like protruding from the sliding surface 51.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the inner side surfaces 73a, 73a of the guide groove 73 are inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the groove bottom, so that even if the elongated medical object 2 is misaligned with respect to the groove bottom of the guide groove 73, the inclination of the inner side surfaces 73a, 73a can guide the elongated medical object 2 to the groove bottom of the guide groove 73. This can reduce the effort required to align the elongated medical object 2.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, by making the depth of the guide groove 73 equal to or less than the radius of the elongated medical object 2, the thumb 6a can be used to press the elongated medical object 2 against the bottom of the guide groove 73, thereby enabling the operation of sliding the elongated medical object 2 to be performed appropriately.

[0039] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. The present invention can be implemented by modifying it as appropriate within the scope of its spirit.

[0040] For example, in the above embodiment, the guide groove 73 is configured to be formed in an arc shape when viewed from the left and right direction, but this is not limited to this. For example, the guide groove 73 may be formed in an inverted trapezoid shape or a rectangular shape when viewed from the left and right direction.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the guide rail portion that guides the elongated medical object 2 toward the lumen of the insertion tube portion 12 is configured by the guide groove 73 recessed in the sliding surface 51, but this is not limited to this. For example, the guide rail portion may be configured by a pair of upper and lower guide ribs protruding from the sliding surface 51. In such a case, it is preferable that the height of the pair of guide ribs in the front-to-rear direction is equal to or less than the radius of the elongated medical object 2.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the elongated medical object 2 is configured such that a catheter having a guide wire inserted therethrough is inserted into the medical device 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the elongated medical object 2 may be configured such that a guide wire is inserted into the medical device 3.

[0043] (Summary of the embodiment) Next, the technical concepts grasped from the above-described embodiments will be described using the reference numerals and the like in the embodiments. However, the reference numerals and the like in the following description do not limit the components in the claims to the members and the like specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0044] (1) An insertion aid (1) for inserting a long medical object (2) into a medical device (3), comprising: a main body (11) having a sliding surface (51) along which the long medical object (2) slides; and an insertion tube (12) disposed at the tip of the main body (11) and inserted into the medical device (3), wherein the sliding surface (51) is formed with a guide rail portion (73) for guiding the long medical object (2) toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion (12). <2> The insertion aid (1) described in <1>, characterized in that the guide rail portion (73) is a guide groove (73) recessed in the sliding surface (51). <3> An insertion aid (1) described in <2>, characterized in that the inner surface (73a) of the guide groove (73) is an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the bottom of the groove. <4> An insertion aid (1) described in <2> or <3>, characterized in that the depth of the guide groove (73) is equal to or less than the radius of the elongated medical object (2). <5> An insertion aid (1) described in any one of <1> to <4>, further comprising a base support portion (13) arranged at the base side of the main body portion (11) and supporting the medical elongated object (2) therein, wherein the guide rail portion (73) extends from the inside of the base support portion (13) to the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion (12). [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1: Insertion aid, 2: Long medical object, 3: Medical device, 11: Main body, 12: Insertion tube, 13: Base support, 73: Guide groove, 73a: Inner surface

Claims

1. An insertion aid for inserting a long medical object into a medical device, a main body formed in a plate shape with a thickness direction in the front-to-rear direction, the front surface of which serves as a sliding surface along which the elongated medical object slides, and the rear surface of which serves as a finger hook surface on which a finger is hooked; an insertion tube portion disposed at a front side of the main body portion and inserted into the medical device; a guide rail portion that guides the elongated medical object toward the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion is formed on the sliding surface; The guide rail portion is a guide groove recessed into the sliding surface and having a depth equal to or less than half the radius of the elongated medical object, and the anterior-posterior height of the groove bottom of the guide groove is set to match the anterior-posterior height of the rear inner surface of the lumen of the insertion tube portion.

2. 2. The insertion aid according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the guide groove is formed of a pair of inclined surfaces that slope downward toward the groove bottom.

3. An insertion aid as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the guide groove is arc-shaped with a radius of curvature larger than the radius of the medical elongated object.

4. a base support portion disposed on a base side of the main body portion and supporting the elongated medical object therein; The insertion aid according to claim 1 , wherein the guide rail portion extends from the inside of the base support portion to the inner cavity of the insertion tube portion.

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