Apparatus and method for ethyl chloride topical anesthesia
US5941243A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 16, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 24, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61M15/009
- WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Apparatus for topical anesthesia by evaporative cooling with ethyl chloride (chloroethane) constitutes a container holding liquid ethyl chloride under pressure. A valve attached to the container hermetically seals the container in a first mode of operation. A second mode of operation of the valve is affected by finger pressure to emit a divergent fluid stream of ethyl chloride. The method of topical anesthesia using the apparatus constitutes positioning the surface area to be anesthetized at a distance from a divergent fluid stream of ethyl chloride such that a substantial portion of that area will subtend the divergent stream to provide faster and more uniform cooling than the non-divergent ethyl chloride stream of the prior art.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.