New speculum for use in surgery of the nasal septum.

Abstract

THE INSTRUMENT was designed with two purposes in mind: (1) to combine in a single tool the function of different-sized nasal speculums for dilating the nares and retracting the septal mucosal flaps and (2) to obviate the cumbersomeness of the tools commonly used for these effects through simplification of design and construction. The speculums generally used in intranasal work are the Killian and Vienna model types. These are not only unwieldy, but in situ obstruct both the view and the working space of the operator. These disadvantages are removed when the instrument herein described is used. DESCRIPTION AND USE OF INSTRUMENT The instrument is made of one piece of flattened tubing in which there slides one piece of wire bent to the shape indicated. The nares dilator end has a width control through a sliding action which automatically limits the excursion of its wire blades through the intrinsic tension of its shafts. This also automatically renders the blades self retaining at variable widths. The rigid wire U can retract a single flap by being applied parallel to the flaps, or it can hold both flaps apart when rotated so as to come between them at right angle. This also allows for easy