Patent US4917694A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4917694A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Surgical sponge
Assignee: Tyco International US Inc
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Filing: 1986-05-20
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Granted: 1990-04-17
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Expires: 2006-05-20
Abstract
Abstract A surgical sponge comprising, a sheet of absorbent material. The sponge has an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated twisted strands. One of the strands has a color which contrasts with the color of the sheet, and the other of said strands has a color which contrasts with the color of blood.
Inventors
- 👤 James L. Jessup
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 05:01
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/44; A61F13/36; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/39; A61B2090/3937; A61F13/15577; A61F2013/15821
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated strands twisted about each other, one of said strands having a color which contrasts with the color of said sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to the use of the sponge, and the other of said strands having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of the two strands being different from each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
111 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated strands twisted about each other, one of said strands having a color which contrasts with the color of said sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to the use of the sponge, and the other of said strands having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of the two strands being different from each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein said sheet comprises a multi-ply open mesh material, and in which said element is bonded to an inner surface of an outer layer of said sheet.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein said element comprises polyvinyl chloride.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein said element is impregnated with a radiopaque material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The sponge of claim 1 including an elongated radiopaque element in the sponge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein the colors of said strands are blue and white.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein the colors of said strands are green and white.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The sponge of claim 1 wherein said absorbent material comprises washed gauze.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sponge of claim 3 wherein the colors of said strands are blue and white.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The sponge of claim 3 wherein the colors of said strands are green and white.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
107 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising first and second longitudinally extending integral parts, said first part having a color which contrasts with the color of the sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to use of the sponge, and said second part having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of said first and second parts being different from each other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
107 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising first and second longitudinally extending integral parts, said first part having a color which contrasts with the color of the sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to use of the sponge, and said second part having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of said first and second parts being different from each other.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
10 words
The sponge of claim 11 wherein said element is twisted.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
106 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated strands, one of said strands having a color which contrasts with the color of said sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to the use of the sponge, and the other of said strands having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of said strands being different from each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
106 words
A surgical sponge, comprising: a sheet of absorbent material; and an elongated visually detectable element at a visible location on the sheet comprising a pair of elongated strands, one of said strands having a color which contrasts with the color of said sheet to facilitate visual inspection of the element prior to the use of the sponge, and the other of said strands having a color which in the presence of blood contrasts with the color of blood to significantly increase the visibility of the sponge in a patient's body when saturated by body fluids with the color of said strands being different from each other.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-16 | 1993-10-16 | 1994-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-16 | 1997-10-16 | 1998-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-16 | 2001-10-16 | 2002-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |