TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to surgical bowls.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Surgical bowls are used as receptacles in surgical theatres in many ways. For example, surgical bowls may be used to collect fluids, such as blood, or specimens, such as kidney stones, during surgery. Surgical bowls may hold antiseptic or washing fluids in preparation for surgery. A surgical bowl may be used to hold a skin graft taken from a donor site before being attached to the recipient site. Surgical bowls are furthermore used to transfer instruments between personnel, to minimise injury, and can be used as a receptacle for used instruments, such as scalpels, or bloodies sponges or swabs.

[0003] The following references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

[0004] Existing surgical bowls are provided in various sizes, depending on their intended use. The largest bowl may be 7 to 8 litres in capacity; the smallest may be about 400 ml.

[0005] Surgical bowls take one of two shapes: round or kidney-shaped. Such surgical bowls may be nested, smaller within larger, but a nested combination of round bowls, or of kidney bowls, do not represent an efficient shape for sterilisation, storage or use, especially when a varying combination of surgical bowls are required for different surgical procedures.

[0006] An object of the present invention, at least in preferred embodiments, is to provide a surgical bowls which can ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative thereto.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0007] Particular technical problems addressed by embodiments of the present invention relate to provision of a varying combination of surgical bowls in a form which is space efficient, and moreover permits advantageous use during surgery. These technical problems represent an unmet need in the art, inadequately addressed by existing solutions. [0008] The foregoing technical problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention, as outlined below.

[0009] The present invention in a first aspect provides a surgical bowl set including:

a first rectilinear bowl having an internal length II and an internal width lw; and a second rectilinear bowl having an external length 21 and an external width 2w; wherein external length 21 is close to but less than internal length II in order to permit the second bowl to fit lengthwise within the first bowl while allowing easy extraction of the second bowl from the first bowl; and

wherein external width 2w is about half or less of internal width lw.

[0010] The present invention in a second aspect provides a surgical bowl set including: a first rectilinear bowl having an internal length II and an internal width lw; and a third rectilinear bowl having an external length 31 and an external width 3w; wherein external length 31 is about half or less of internal length II; and

wherein external width 3w is half or less of internal width lw.

[0011] The first and second aspects of the invention may be combined, as illustrated in the drawings.

[0012] For the surgical bowl set of the invention, the first rectilinear bowl preferably has internal width lw being about 75 % of internal length II.

[0013] The second bowl is preferably oblong in shape, having external width 2w being about 33 to 34 % of external length 21.

[0014] The third bowl is preferably closer to square in shape, having external width 3w being about 80 to 100 % of external length 31.

[0015] Preferably, the dimensions of the first bowl and those of the second and third bowls are such that the first bowl can accommodate:

two second bowls, side by side, with enough difference in internal length II and external length 21 to enable each second bowl to be easily removed from the first bowl; one second bowl and one third bowl, side by side; or

one second bowl and two third bowls, the third bowls being received within internal length II and each being beside the second bowl.

[0016] Each bowl in a surgical bowl set may have a base and upstanding walls. Preferably, the walls taper outwardly towards the bowl opening. [0017] Each or some of the bowls in a surgical bowl set of the invention may have a flange around some or all of its opening.

[0018] Each or some of the bowls in a surgical bowl set of the invention may be of at least two differing heights.

[0019] When measuring external length, it is preferred to take into account any such flange. However, when measuring external width, any flange need not necessarily be taken into account. The reason is that second, third and subsequent bowls in a surgical bowl set of the invention may be provided in different heights, so that a flange of one bowl may overlap with the flange of another collocated bowl, without impeding fit of the bowls within the first bowl of the surgical bowl set.

[0020] Otherwise, external length and width measurements should be taken at the base or at the top.

[0021] Each of the second and third bowls may receive one or more nested further bowls. Preferably, such further bowls echo the shape of the bowl in which they nest, but on a smaller scale.

[0022] The surgical bowl set of the invention may also receive a jug or other rectilinear item, useful in surgical procedures.

[0023] Advantageous effects of embodiments of the present invention are manifold.

[0024] Surgical bowl sets provided in accordance with embodiments of the present invention can - more specifically - realise particular technical advantages not associated with existing surgical bowls, including an optimum number of bowls, stacked efficiently, to minimise space required during shipping, storage, and sterilisation, and during use.

[0025] These advantages are particularly compelling as different surgical bowl size combinations are required for different surgical procedures. An ability to provide surgical bowl sets which can retain minimal space advantages while providing for a range of different bowl size combinations is particularly advantageous in light of the existing state of the art.

[0026] Because the surgical bowl set of the invention has rectilinear bowls, and because of the size relationship between the first bowl and the second and/or third bowls, a bowl set of the invention can represent a most efficient use of space for shipping, storage, sterilisation and use. In addition, the length and width relationship between the respective bowls allows a wide range of combinations of bowls to be included in a single surgical bowl set, to suit individual requirements.

[0027] The surgical bowl set of the invention may be intended for single use or multiple uses. The material from which the bowl set of the invention is made may be chosen accordingly. For single use, the bowl set is preferably made from plastic or other suitable material. For multiple uses, the bowl set is preferably stainless steel or other material which can withstand multiple sterilisation cycles. Preferably, the surgical bowl set of the invention is shipped already sterilised.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] The invention in its two aspects may be better understood from the following non- limiting description of preferred embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a surgical bowl set according to the invention.

[0030] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

[0031] Figure 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a surgical bowl set according to the invention.

[0032] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 3.

[0033] Figure 5 shows plan and side elevations of embodiments of the first, second and fourth bowls; with examples of measurements.

[0034] Figure 6 shows plan and side view elevations of embodiments of third, fifth and sixth bowls and of a jug, all with examples of measurements, a schematic drawing of a networked architecture used to implemented the described platform.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0035] Preferred features of embodiments of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

[0036] It will also be appreciated that not all the drawings are on the same scale.

[0037] Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a surgical bowl set 10 suitable for use in a surgical procedure. In this embodiment, first rectilinear bowl 12 has an internal length II and an internal width lw at base 14. An example of internal length at base 14 is 271 mm or 308 mm at top 16, while an example of internal width lw at base 14 is 189 mm or, at top 16, 258 mm. First bowl 12 has a capacity of about 7 to 8 litres.

[0038] Second rectilinear bowl 18 is generally oblong in shape. According to Figure 5, an example of its external length 21, including flange 20, is 290 mm, while an example of its external width 2w is 103 mm. External length 21 is close to but less than internal length II in order to permit the second bowl 18 to fit lengthwise within the first bowl 12 while allowing easy extraction of the second bowl 18 from the first bowl 12. External width 2w is less than half of internal width lw. Second bowl 18 has a capacity of about 1 litre.

[0039] Also shown in Figure 1 are third bowl 22, fourth bowl 24, fifth bowl 26 and sixth bowl 28. These bowls have a capacity of about 1 litre, 750 ml, 485 ml and 430 ml, respectively.

[0040] Second bowl 18 has nested in it fourth and fifth bowls 24 and 26, the three bowls being of similar oblong shape.

[0041] According to Figure 6, an example of length 31 for third bowl 22 is 109 mm at base 14 or 152 mm at top 16. An example of width 3w is 84 mm at base 14 or 127 mm at top 16. External length 31 is about half or less of internal length II. External width 3w is half or less of internal width lw.

[0042] Sixth bowl 28 is located in bowl set 10 beside each of second bowl 18 and third bowl 22.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, third bowl 22 and sixth bowl 28 are higher than bowls 18, 24 and 26. The flanges 20 of bowls 22 and 28 can overlap with those of bowls 18, 24 and 26.

[0044] Turning now to the embodiment depicted in Figures 3 and 4, the same first bowl 12 hold bowls 18, 24 and 26 (in a nested configuration). Bowl 28 is nested in bowl 22. The resultant space is occupied by jug 30, which is of rectilinear shape to maximise space advantage (see also Figure 6).

[0045] In Figure 5 first bowl 12 is shown having a ruler 34 along its length on each of two sides. An example of the purpose of the ruler 34 is to assist in calculating the size of a donor graft which may have been placed in bowl 12, before attachment to the recipient site.

[0046] The general shape of jug 30 can be seen in Figure 6.

[0047] Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation.

[0048] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.