US363538A - Suegical - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

- W. PENNY.

SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

Patented May 24, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ WILLIAM PENNY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SEABURY & JOHNSON,

OF SAME PLACE.

SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 363,538, dated May 24, 1887.

Application filed November iii, 1885. Serial No. 183,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PENNY, a citizen of the United States, now residing at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Surgical Appliance, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for effecting the closure of wounds, ulcers, 8m.

The improvement particularly relates to means for this purpose, consisting of two narrow strips of adhesive material, each provided with a single hook or projection, and an elastic band connecting said strips of ad hesive material and arranged in such relation thereto as to exert a pull in the direction of said strips.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view illustrating a leg having a wound, an ulcer, and a varicose vein treated according to my improvement. Fig. 2 is a face view of an appliance embodying my improvement, but not attached to anything. Fig. 3 is a sectional edge view of this appliance.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates two pieces of material, which are rendered adhesive on one side, so that they can be fastened to flesh on opposite sides of a wound, ulcer, 850., close to the walls or edges. As shown, these pieeesA are provided with hooks or studs a, which may be secured by inserting them into the pieces or otherwise.

B designates a piece of elastic material, consisting of an india-rubber band connected with the pieces A by being slipped arou nd the hooks or studs a.

The elastic material will exert a constant elastic traction to draw the walls or edges of the wound, ulcer, &c., toward each other. It

will also produce a pressure upon any localized area over which it may be arranged-as, for instance, varicose veins, a tumor, 8:0. When used for the latter purpose, a pad will preferably be arranged under the elastic material.

The advantages due the use of my invention are that it coaptates the edges of fresh wounds better than sutures or stitches, or any device now in use. It does not produce irritation as they do. In chronic ulcersit reduces the extent of the surfaces which have to heal, while the shape and direction of the cicatrix can be varied as may be desired. A saving of time and material in the dressing of wounds and ulcers will result from its use.

I am aware that prior to my invention it was an old idea to employ, for effecting the closure of a wound or sore, two strips of adhesive material adapted to be secured to the flesh adjacent to the edges of a wound or sore and an elastic lacing or band engaging with hooks secured upon the strips of adhesive material. This contrivance, however, would not by my improvement. It is to be observed that the strips of adhesive material which I employ are narrow in the direction of the strain to which they will be subjected, and are provided each with a single hook or analogous device. The old contrivance, consisting of long strips of adhesive substance provided each with a number of hooks, had to be adapted specially to the wound or sore with which it was to be used, whereas my contrivance can be applied anywhereand in any position. It is very advantageous to have narrow strips of adhesive material, such as I use, provided each with a single hook or like device, and combined with a single elastic band for pulling the strips of adhesive material toward each other, because such contrivance as this of mine may be used in any position and with any kind of sore or wound. Indeed, a number of such contrivances as mine may be used in various positions' about a sore or wound, even at different angles to each other. Thus a tension may be produced from a variety of directions across a wound or sore. Where the wound or sore to be treated is irregular, this is of great importance. Again, it is often desirable to produce a greater tension at certain portions of the edges of a wound or sore than at others, and by using with such a wound or sore a number of contrivances like mine this result may be attained, because india-rubber bands of different strengths may be employed in combination with different pairs of narrow strips of adhesive material; or where only rubber bands of uniform length are attainable, certain pairs of 1' effect the same results as I am enabled to eiTect strips of adhesive material maybe more widely separated or placedat a greater distance apart than others.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to 5 secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with two narrow strips of adhesive material, each provided with a single hook or projection, of an elastic band connecting said strips of adhesive material, and arranged in such relation thereto as to exert a 10 pull in the direction of the length of the said strips, substantially as specified.

NM. PENNY. \Vitnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, DANIEL H. DRISOOLL.

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