US3749312A

US3749312A - Drinking straw for double contrast radiography

Info

Publication number: US3749312A
Application number: US00247998A
Authority: US
Inventors: N Panzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-04-27
Filing date: 1972-04-27
Publication date: 1973-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-31

Abstract

The drinking straw has two tubes fixedly secured to each other so that one of the tubes, for gas, extends substantially further into the user''s mouth than the other of the tubes, for barium sulphate in aqueous suspension; enabling the patient simultaneously to take into his gastro-intestinal tract both barium and gas to permit double contrast radiography of said tract.

Description

Unlted States Patent 1191 [111 3,749,312

Panzer 1 July 31, 1973 [54] DRINKING STRAW FOR DOUBLE 2,557,411 6/1951 Butsch 239 33 CONTRAST RADIOGRAPHY 3,260,462 7/1966 Smaczny..... 239/33 3,463,361 8/1969 Cook et al. 239/33 [76] Inventor: Norman Panzer, 71 Blanchard Rd.,

South Orange 07079 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King [22] Filed; Apt 7 1972 Attorney-Robert Henderson [2]] Appl. No.: 247,998 57 ABSTRACT The drinking straw has two tubes fixedly secured to [52] US. Cl. 239/33 each other so that one of the tubes,.for gas, extends [51] Int. Cl. A47g 21/18, A61 j 15/00 substantially further into the users mouth than the [58] Field of Search 239/33, 31, 24 other of the tubes, for barium sulphate in aqueous suspension; enabling the patient simultaneously to take [56] References Cited into his gastro-intestinal tract both barium and gas to UNITED STATES PATENTS permit double contrast radiography of said tract.

5/1924 Hills 239/33 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures DRINKING STRAW FOR DOUBLE CONTRAST RADIOGRAPHY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that double contrast radiography may be employed advantageously to obtain a satisfactory picture showing a lesion in the gastro-intestinal track of a person.

Such double contrast, for radiographic purposes, has hitherto been achieved by introducing both a gas and barium sulphate in aqueous suspension (herein usually referred to as barium) into said tract. The gas and barium have different X-ray absorption characteristics than each other and than the human tissues being radiographed, giving rise to a relatively clear picture showing any lesions.

The gas may be generated in or introduced into the tract by the use of a Seidlitz powder or by ingesting a carbonated drink. However, these procedures may cause foaming and/or flocculations capable of obscuring a lesion in the resultant radiograph. Said procedures, also, are time consuming and relatively costly.

Straws having two tubes are known in the art relating to straws but, as far as this applicant is aware, none of them is adapted for introducing gas into one's gastrointestinal tract at about the same time but separately from and in advance of a liquid. Where the gas is mixed with liquid being taken in, as is the case with known straws, foaming takes place with the already indicated unsatisfactory radiographie results.

Relatively satisfactory results have hitherto been achieved by introducing a suitable gas such as carbon dioxide into the gastro-intestinal track through a tube which is projected through the nose, throat and esophagus, and thence into the stomach. While the radiographie results of this procedure are quite satisfactory, the mentioned use of a tube is a cause of considerable discomfort to a patient. It also requires professional medical service with some attendant medical costs.

THE PRESENT INVENTION OF A DRINKING STRAW IS A BOON TO RADIOGRAPHY The present invention arises from the applicants discovery that the use of a dual-tubular straw wherein gas precedes barium into the patients mouth results in the gas being taken into the gastro-intestinal track along with the barium without objectionable foaming. Thus, the two media, barium and a gas such as air, serve to enable the taking of a radiographic picture which will clearly show lesions present in said tract.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a dual-tube drinking straw according to this invention as related, in use, to a container of liquid which may be barium, and to the mouth of one taking in both the liquid and air.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drinking straw on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of certain modifications of the drinking straw.

FIG. 5 is a view, of the same general character as FIG. 1, illustrating, in longitudinal section, the manner in which the inner tube of FIG. 4 may be extended through the wall of the outer tube to ambient atmosphere.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION Referring to FIG. 1, a main tube 10 with an accordion-pleated portion 11 formed therein to provide flexibility has its intake end portion 12 immersed in a liquid supply 13 which may be barium, and its output end portion 14 held in a patients mouth for taking in the liquid in a well understood manner.

A supplemental tube 15, preferably bent as illustrated, has an air output portion 16 fixedly secured to the output end portion 14 of the main tube, preferably in parallelism to the latter portion and projecting substantially further than the latter into the patients mouth. The tube 15 has an air intake portion 17 in communication with the air output portion 16 and bent somewhat from the general line of extension of the portion 16.

The two

tubes

10 and 15 may be fixedly secured to each other by any suitable means, not specifically shown, such as, for examples, a tape binding holding the two together, limited fluxing of the two by heat, or by the use of a suitable adhesive.

The bend in the supplemental tube 15 and the length of the latters air intake portion 17, considered together with the flexibility of the main tube 10, should be such as to enable a patient to take in the barium and air not only when the patient is in an upright position but even when the patient may be in a prone position upon an X-ray table.

In the modification of FIG. 3, the main tube 10a is formed with a longitudinal depression 18 to fixedly, adherently and complementally receive the supplemental tube 15 therein.

In the modification of FIGS. 4 and 5, the supplemental tubes air output portion 16 extends within the main tube 10b and, by suitable means, is caused to adhere to the inner wall of the main tube as at 19. At the bend of the supplemental tube 15, the latter extends through a wall opening 20 in the main tube so that, as in the other embodiments, the supplemental tubes air intake portion 17 is in communication with ambient atmosphere. Asuitable seal (not shown) is provided where the supplemental tube extends throughthe wall opening 20 of the main tube.

The tubes of this straw may preferably be of suitable plastic material. Also, the projection of the air output end portion 16 of the supplemental tube 15 beyond the liquid outputend of the

main tube

10, or 10b, may be of the order of one-half inch to three-fourths inch. It has been found that the desired functioning of the subject straw may be realized by providing for the diameter of the supplemental tube to be from one-fifth to one-third the diameter of the main tube.

It will be realized that this invention provides inexpensive means which may be comfortably utilized in the procedure of double contrast radiography.

I claim:

l. A drinking straw for use in double contrast radiography, comprising a main tube for transporting X-ray absorptive liquid and a supplemental tube for transporting a gas; said tubes having input portions for communicating, respectively, with a source of such liquid and a source of gas, both of which sources are external of a patient, said tubes also having output portions adapted for insertion into and opening into the patient's mouth, said output portions being fixedly but non-intercommunicatively interconnected, with the open end of the output portion of the supplemental tube extending substantially beyond the open end of portion of the main tube being formed with acrosssectionally arcuate, longitudinal recess and said output portion of the supplemental tube being disposed in said recess.

5. A drinking straw according to claim 1, said output portion of the main tube being formed with a wall opening distal from the latter portions open end, said supplemental tube having its output portion disposed within the output portion of the main tube, its input portion disposed externally of the main tube, and an intermediate portion extending through said wall opening.

Claims

1. A drinking straw for use in double contrast radiography, comprising a main tube for transporting X-ray absorptive liquid and a supplemental tube for transporting a gas; said tubes having input portions for communicating, respectively, with a source of such liquid and a source of gas, both of which sources are external of a patient, said tubes also having output portions adapted for insertion into and opening into the patient''s mouth, said output portions being fixedly but non-intercommunicatively interconnected, with the open end of the output portion of the supplemental tube extending substantially beyond the open end of the output portion of the main tube so that, of fluid sucked in through the straw by the patient, gas from the supplemental tube will precede liquid from the main tube into said tract.

2. A drinking straw according to claim 1, said output portions of the two tubes being substantially parallel to each other, and said input portions extending angularly apart with the supplemental tube opening to ambient atmosphere.

3. A drinking straw according to claim 1, said output portions being circular in shape in cross-section.

4. A drinking straw according to claim 1, said output portion of the main tube being formed with a cross-sectionally arcuate, longitudinal recess and said output portion of the sUpplemental tube being disposed in said recess.

5. A drinking straw according to claim 1, said output portion of the main tube being formed with a wall opening distal from the latter portion''s open end, said supplemental tube having its output portion disposed within the output portion of the main tube, its input portion disposed externally of the main tube, and an intermediate portion extending through said wall opening.