GB2355694A

GB2355694A - Pen, for use in sterile environments, with a barrel and selectively releasable refill mounted in a holder unit

Info

Publication number: GB2355694A
Application number: GB9925252A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrea Tracy Hanham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-10-27
Filing date: 1999-10-27
Publication date: 2001-05-02
Also published as: GB9925252D0

Abstract

A pen 12 and holder 10 arrangement (fig 1) comprises a barrel 18, an insert refill 20 and a holder 10. The refill 20 is releasably held within the barrel 18 and together these are mounted by the tip 22 of the refill 20 in a recess 14 in the holder. It is possible to select between removing the barrel 18 and the refill 20 together from the holder 10; and removing the barrel 18 leaving the refill 20 in the holder 10. The means to selectively separate the barrel 18 and refill 20 can be in the form of: a lipped recess 32 (fig 3) which can engage with a complimentary groove in the nib 28 of the insert refill 20 by tilting the pen 12; a magnet; or, a manual mechanism (fig 4) such as a push rod 34 which pushes the refill 20 from the barrel 18. The arrangement is intended for use in sterile situations where cross contamination of bacteria; infectious or radioactive material; or dirt on the pen 12 must be prevented. An example is use by a dental nurse where the barrel 18 is replaced and autoclaved for each patient but the refill 20 can be used for more than one patient.

Description

2355694 TITLE Handwriting Sets

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to handwriting sets.

The handwriting set of the present invention was originally conceived for use by dental nurses, but it does have other applications, for example in the medical profession more generally, or in other environments where the spread of infectious material, bacteria, radioactive material, or mere dirt, is a problem.

The job of a dental nurse involves, amongst other things, assisting the dentist with procedures in the patient's mouth, handling fresh and used dental tools, and writing-up the patient's notes. In order to reduce the risk of cross-infection, it is, or is becoming, a requirement in many dental practices that the nurse wear disposable surgical gloves when there is any possibility that they may touch the patient's mouth or any tools or equipment which have been placed in the patient's mouth, and that they put on a fresh pair of gloves for each different patient. That is not a too onerous or expensive requirement. However, it is, or is becoming, also a requirement that the nurse take off their gloves when writing up the patient's notes, for fear that otherwise infectious material may be passed from their gloves to their pen when writing up a first patient's notes, from the pen to their next pair of gloves when writing up a second patient's notes and then from those gloves to the second patient. Bearing in mind that, typically, perhaps five different entries may be made by the nurse in a patient's notes, the nurse may therefore need to use six pairs of gloves per patient on average. It will therefore be appreciated that wearing and changing gloves can become onerous and time consuming, and that the cost of the gloves can become significant.

To deal with this problem, it would be possible change writing implements with each new patient. Ink pens, rather than pencils, are preferred for writing up dental notes, and ink pens are ruined if they are autoclaved. So, the pen would need to be thrown away after each patient. It will be appreciated that, with this solution to the problem, the cost of pens would become significant.

The present invention aims to deal with the above problems, i.e. to reduce the risk of cross-infection in a cost-effective way which is not onerous or time consuming.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a handwriting set comprising: a writing implement having a barrel by which the implement can be held during writing, and an insert (such as an ink pen insert) releasably held in the barrel and having a writing tip projecting from the barrel; a holder having a recess in which the tip of 5 the writing implement can be placed when the implement is not in use; and means operable selectably (a) to enable the barrel to be removed from the holder leaving the insert behind with the tip in the recess, and (b) to enable the barrel and insert to be removed complete ready for writing.

Accordingly, for each patient, the dental nurse can leave the writing implement in the holder when it is not needed, and when it is needed the nurse can remove the barrel and insert complete. With each new patient, the nurse can remove just the barrel and replace it with a fresh sterile barrel, without any need for the nurse to touch the insert. Accordingly, the risk of cross-infection is reduced.

The used barrels could be thrown away, this being less costly that disposing of a complete writing implement, but the barrels are preferably autoclavable so that they can be reused. Also, the holder is preferably autoclavable so that it can be sterilised from time to time.

In one embodiment, the selectably operable means is provided by complementary surface formations on the tip and in the recess. In another embodiment, the selectably operable means is magnetic. In a further embodiment, the selectably operable means comprises a element which is manually operable to eject the insert from the barrel.

The handwriting set may be such that the holder has a plurality of such recesses, and such that a plurality of such writing implements and selectably operable means are provided. The dental nurse can therefore set up the handwriting set at the beginning of, say, each morning or afternoon session with sterile barrels in place. A separate pen is then used for each patient, and upon the completion. of each patient's appointment, the barrel of the pen which has been used is removed and put to one side ready for autoclaving.

In a second aspect, the invention extends to an insert per se for such a handwriting set, the insert including at least part of the selectably operable means.

In a third aspect, the invention extends to a holder per se for such a handwriting set, the 30 holder including at least part of the selectably operable means.

In a fourth aspect, the invention extends to a barrel per se for such a handwriting set, the barrel including at least part of the selectably operable means.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a handwriting set forming a first embodiment of the invention; 5 Figure 2 is a sectioned side view through the handwriting set of Figure 1, on a larger scale; Figure 3 shows part of Figure 2 on a larger scale; and Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2, but showing a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures I to 3, the dental nurse's handwriting set of the first embodiment of the invention comprises a holder 10 for five pens 12. The holder 10 is a heavy block of autoclavable material which, in use, would be placed on a bench or perhaps be removably fixed to a wall. The holder 10 has an upper surface which is formed with a series of five recesses 14, and the mouth of each recess 14 is formed with a lip 16.

Each pen 12 is somewhat similar to a conventional ballpoint pen, having a barrel 18 and an insert 20 which has a tip 22 and a tubular ink reservoir 24. The tip 22 has a portion 26 which is a friction fit in the mouth of the barrel 18 and a portion 28 which projects from the end of the barrel 18. However, unlike a conventional ballpoint pen: - the barrel 18 has an integral, rather than separate, closure at the end opposite the tip; the barrel 18 does not have a breather hole part way along its length; the barrel 18 has a portion 30 of enlarged diameter adjacent the tip end to deter the dental nurse from placing their gloved fingers or thumb on the tip 22; the barrel 18 is autoclavable, i.e. it can withstand steam or air at a temperature of 130 to 140'C for several minutes without melting or distorting; the portion 26 of the tip 22 is a relatively "easy" friction fit in the mouth of the barrel 18; and the projecting portion 28 of the tip 22 is formed with an annular groove 32 which can engage with the lips 16 in the recesses 14.

The external diameter of the part of the projecting portion 28 beyond the groove 32 is slightly less that the internal diameter of the lips 16 in the recesses 14. It will therefore be appreciated that a pen 12 can be stood on the holder 10 by inserting the projecting portion 28 of the tip 22 of the pen into one of the recesses 14. When the pen 12 is to be used, it can be withdrawn vertically from the holder 10 due to the external diameter of the part of the projecting portion 28 of the tip 22 beyond the groove 32 being slightly less that the internal diameter of the lip 16. After use, the pen 12 can be inserted back in the recess 14. Once the session with the patient is complete, the nurse can lift the barrel 18 of the pen 12 which was used for that patient, but with the pen 12 canted over slightly from the vertical. In this case, the lip 16 engages in the groove 32 to prevent the insert 20 from being removed from the holder 10, and so the barrel 18 comes away from the insert 20. The barrel can then be put to one side ready for autoclaving. For the next patient, the nurse can use another pen 12 from the holder 10, or place a fresh, sterile barrel 18 onto the insert 20 which was previously used.

It will be appreciated that, for each patient, the nurse would normally use only one of the pens 12 and would normally touch only the barrel 18 of that pen, and furthermore that, at the end of the session with that patient, that barrel 18 can be removed, ready for autoclaving, without the nurse needing to touch any other part of the handwriting set. Accordingly, there is no need for the nurse to remove their gloves while using the pen 12 during the course of the session with the patient or when removing the barrel 18 ready for autoclaving.

It should be noted that many modifications or developments may be made to the first embodiment of the invention described above. For example, the holder may have a larger or smaller number of recesses 14, or just one recess 14, for a desired number of pens 12.

Also, instead of the arrangement of the lip 16 and groove 32 to enable a barrel 18 to be removed from the holder 10 selectably with or without its barrel 18, other ways of providing this function may be provided, for example a magnetic arrangement. Alternatively, an arrangement as shown in Figure 4 for the second embodiment of the invention be provided.

In Figure 4, the projecting portion 28 of the tip 22 and the recess 14 do not have any special features. However, at the opposite end of the barrel 18, a releasing element 34 is slidably fitted into the barrel 18 and projects therefrom. To use the pen 12 for writing, the nurse would simply pick up the pen from the holder 10. However, to remove the barrel 18 while leaving the insert 20 in the holder 10, the nurse would depress the releasing element 34 at the same time as picking up the barrel 18, so that the releasing element 34 pushes on the upper end of the ink reservoir 24 and ejects the insert 20 from the barrel 18, leaving the insert 20 in the holder 10.

It should be noted that the embodiments of the invention have been described above purely by way of example and that other many modifications and developments may be made thereto within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

A handwriting set comprising:

a writing implement (12) having a barrel (18) by which the implement can be held during writing, and an insert (20) releasably held in the barrel and having a writing tip (22) projecting from the barrel; a holder (10) having a recess (14) in which the tip of the writing implement can be placed when the implement is not in use; and means (16,32;34) operable selectably (a) to enable the barrel to be removed from the holder leaving the insert behind with the tip in the recess, and (b) to enable the barrel and tip to be removed complete ready for writing.
2. A handwriting set as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selectably operable means is provided by complementary surface formations (16,32) on the tip and in the recess.
3. A handwriting set as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selectably operable means is magnetic.
4. A handwriting set as claimed in claim 1, wherein the selectably operable means comprises a element (34) which is manually operable to eject the insert from the barrel.
5. A handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the barrel is autoclavable.
6. A handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the holder is autoclavable.
7. A handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the insert is an ink pen insert (20).
8. A handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claims, wherein the holder has a plurality of such recesses, and wherein a plurality of such writing implements and selectably operable means are provided.
9. A handwriting set, substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
10. An insert (20) for a handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, and including at least part (32) of the selectably operable means.
11. A holder (10) for a handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, and including at least part (16) of the selectably operable means.
12. A barrel (18) for a handwriting set as claimed in any preceding claim, and including at 10 least part (34) of the selectably operable means.