U.S. patent application number 10/686060 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-25 for wearable medication vial holder, and vial for use therewith.
This patent application is currently assigned to Cambridge Marketing, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ballard, Carol Jeannette, Ballard, Jerome Douglas, Lerra, Christopher George.
Application Number | 20040059269 10/686060 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21710573 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040059269 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ballard, Jerome Douglas ; et
al. |
March 25, 2004 |
Wearable medication vial holder, and vial for use therewith
Abstract
A wearable vial holder for securing at least one vial of
medication on the person of a medical practitioner comprises a
body-engaging member structured and arranged to be secured to a
part of the body of a medical practitioner, and a vial gripper
affixed to the body-engaging member for releasably grasping and
holding at least one vial so that the practitioner has access to
the vial(s) for one-handed drawing of medication therefrom using a
syringe with a needle. The vial holder includes a
needle-puncture-resistant shield to protect the practitioner
against accidental needle sticks.
Inventors: |
Ballard, Jerome Douglas;
(Tega Cay, SC) ; Ballard, Carol Jeannette; (Tega
Cay, SC) ; Lerra, Christopher George; (Manchester,
NH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
101 SOUTH TRYON STREET, SUITE 4000
CHARLOTTE
NC
28280-4000
US
|
Assignee: |
Cambridge Marketing, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
21710573 |
Appl. No.: |
10/686060 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10686060 |
Oct 15, 2003 |
|
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10004391 |
Oct 25, 2001 |
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6663582 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
602/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 2005/1416 20130101;
A61J 1/16 20130101; A61J 1/2055 20150501; A61M 5/1782 20130101;
A61F 5/0104 20130101; A61J 1/2096 20130101; A61J 1/201
20150501 |
Class at
Publication: |
602/001 |
International
Class: |
A61F 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wearable vial holder for securing at least one vial of
medication on the person of a medical practitioner, the wearable
vial holder comprising: a body-engaging member structured and
arranged to be secured to a part of the body of a medical
practitioner; and a vial gripper affixed to the body-engaging
member for releasably grasping and holding at least one vial in a
position having a cap of the vial accessible so that the
practitioner has access to the at least one vial for one-handed
drawing of medication therefrom using a syringe with a needle.
2. The wearable vial holder of claim 1, wherein the body-engaging
member includes a needle-puncture-resistant shield for covering the
body of the medical practitioner to prevent accidental needle
sticks.
3. The wearable vial holder of claim 2, wherein the
needle-puncture-resistant shield comprises a flexible sheet and is
sandwiched between an inner layer and an outer layer of the
body-engaging member.
4. The wearable vial holder of claim 3, wherein the inner layer is
a breathable fabric.
5. The wearable vial holder of claim 1, wherein the body-engaging
member has an outer surface that defines a first component of a
two-component releasable fastening system, and wherein the vial
gripper includes a gripping member affixed to the body-engaging
member, the gripping member having a surface that defines a second
component of the two-component releasable fastening system such
that a vial is secured in the vial gripper by disposing the vial
between the gripping member and the body-engaging member and
releasably attaching the gripping member to the outer surface of
the body-engaging member by mutual engagement of the two components
of the fastening system.
6. The wearable vial holder of claim 5, in combination with a vial
having an attachment member affixed thereto, the attachment member
having a surface defining the second component of the two-component
releasable fastening system, whereby the vial is releasably
attached to the body-engaging member via the attachment member on
the vial and is further secured by the gripping member.
7. The wearable vial holder of claim 6, wherein the two-component
fastening system comprises a hook and loop system.
8. The wearable vial holder of claim 7, wherein the attachment
member and the gripping member comprise hook components of the hook
and loop system and the outer surface of the body-engaging member
comprises a loop component of the hook and loop system.
9. The wearable vial holder of claim 1, wherein the body-engaging
member is structured and arranged to be wrapped around and secured
to an arm of a medical practitioner.
10. The wearable vial holder of claim 9, wherein the body-engaging
member includes at least one elastic member.
11. The wearable vial holder of claim 10, wherein the body-engaging
member includes a shield portion forming a
needle-puncture-resistant shield that wraps at least partway about
the arm and is secured in place by the at least one elastic
member.
12. The wearable vial holder of claim 11, wherein the at least one
elastic member comprises a first elastic member having at least one
end releasably attachable to the shield portion in various
positions for adjusting a fit of the wearable vial holder about the
arm.
13. The wearable vial holder of claim 12, wherein the at least one
elastic member comprises a second elastic member having opposite
ends non-releasably affixed to the shield portion to form an
arm-encircling structure that holds the wearable vial holder in
place on the arm while the first elastic member is adjusted.
14. The wearable vial holder of claim 11, wherein the shield
portion and the at least one elastic member on outer surfaces
thereof have a first component of a releasable hook and loop
fastening system, and the vial gripper comprises a strap on one
surface of which is a second component of the hook and loop
fastening system for releasably affixing the strap in various
positions to at least one of the shield portion and the elastic
member.
15. A wearable vial holder for releasably securing at least one
vial of medication in a substantially fixed position with respect
to the body of a medical practitioner, the wearable vial holder
comprising: a body-engaging member structured and arranged to be
secured to a part of the body of a medical practitioner, the
body-engaging member including a shield portion that is
needle-puncture-resistant to protect the practitioner against
accidental needle sticks, a surface of the body-engaging member
having a first component of a releasable hook and loop fastening
system; and a vial gripping strap affixed to the shield portion for
releasably grasping and holding at least one vial on the shield
portion so that the practitioner has access to the at least one
vial for one-handed drawing of medication therefrom using a syringe
with a needle, a surface of the strap having a second component of
the hook and loop fastening system such that the strap is
releasably attachable to the shield portion in various positions to
accommodate various sizes and numbers of vials.
16. The wearable vial holder of claim 15, in combination with a
vial having an attachment member affixed thereto, the attachment
member comprising the second component of the hook and loop
fastening system, whereby the vial is releasably attached to the
body-engaging member via the attachment member on the vial and is
further secured by the gripping strap.
17. The wearable vial holder of claim 15, wherein the shield
portion comprises a multi-layered structure including at least a
shield layer of needle-puncture-resistant material and an outer
layer providing the first component of the hook and loop fastening
system.
18. The wearable vial holder of claim 17, wherein the shield
portion further comprises an inner layer of breathable material for
placement against the body of a medical practitioner.
19. A medication vial for use with a wearable vial holder, the
medication vial comprising: a bottle containing a quantity of
liquid medication for injection and having a cap puncturable by a
needle for drawing medication into a syringe; and an attachment
member affixed to an outer surface of the bottle, the attachment
member comprising one component of a two-component releasable
fastening system, whereby the medication vial is releasably
attachable to a wearable vial holder having the other component of
the releasable fastening system on a surface thereof.
20. The medication vial of claim 19, wherein the attachment member
comprises a piece of hook material of a hook and loop fastening
system.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to devices facilitating the
use of syringes and needles for injecting medication into a
patient, and more specifically relates to a device enabling a
single medical practitioner to hold a medication vial and draw
medication therefrom with a syringe and needle using only one
hand.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Medical procedures performed in doctor offices and hospitals
often require the injection of medication into a patient using a
syringe and needle. For instance, it is frequently necessary, or at
least desirable for the comfort of the patient, to inject a local
anesthetic such as lidocaine into a part of the patient's body. It
is standard procedure for a doctor or other medical practitioner to
put on sterile gloves before touching or working on the patient to
reduce the risk of introducing infectious microbes into the
patient's body. It is also standard procedure for instruments that
will be used upon the patient during a procedure, such as a needle
and syringe used for injecting medications, to be sterilized before
the procedure and to be laid out upon a sterile tray or the like.
Proper protocol in order to preserve the sterile field calls for
the doctor not to touch anything outside the sterile field once he
or she has donned the sterile gloves and prior to touching the
patient or any instrument that will be used on the patient.
[0003] The use of injectable medications complicates preservation
of the sterile field because the outer surfaces of medication vials
containing injectable medications are generally non-sterile. It is
against protocol, therefore, for the medical practitioner to touch
a medication vial with his or her gloved hands prior to working on
a patient. Consequently, medical practitioners are forced to engage
in all sorts of inefficient and/or potentially unsafe tactics
simply to draw medication from a medication vial with a needle and
syringe. The procedure cannot ordinarily be accomplished with one
hand because the vial must be inverted (cap side down) while
drawing medication into the syringe in order to prevent air from
being drawn into the syringe, and the vial must be restrained to
allow the needle to be pulled back out. One method that is commonly
used is for the practitioner to call for an assistant to hold the
medication vial while the practitioner inserts the needle into the
vial and draws medication therefrom. If an assistant is not
immediately available, the practitioner may be forced to wait until
an assistant is free to come and assist. Thus, valuable time can be
wasted, and meanwhile the patient may be in need of pain-relieving
or other medication. Furthermore, it is possible for the
practitioner to accidentally miss the vial and stick the assistant
with the needle, which not only renders the needle non-sterile so
that it must be discarded and replaced with a new sterile needle,
but is also undesirable for the assistant, needless to say.
[0004] Another procedure that some medical practitioners use is to
insert the needle into the vial while the vial is sitting upright
on a table or the like, pick the vial up using only the inserted
needle and syringe held in one hand, place the vial into the crook
of the other arm, and grasp the vial between the upper arm and
forearm. The practitioner then raises his or her arm to turn the
vial cap side down so that medication can be drawn into the
syringe, and then withdraws the needle from the vial. The
practitioner then must put the vial back down on a table or other
surface, using only his arm to maneuver the vial. If the vial is a
multi-dose vial that is to be used again for the same patient, the
vial must be set down on the table in an upright position so that
the same procedure can be repeated when the practitioner needs to
draw additional medication from the vial. It can be very difficult
to set a vial down in an upright position using only one's arm
holding the vial in the crook of the arm.
[0005] Thus, a need has long existed and continues to exist for a
device enabling a medical practitioner to hold and maneuver
medication vials and draw medication from the vials with a needle
and syringe without having to touch or hold the vials with the
hands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves
other advantages, by providing a wearable vial holder for securing
at least one vial of medication on the person of a medical
practitioner. The wearable vial holder comprises a body-engaging
member structured and arranged to be secured to a part of the body
of a medical practitioner, and a vial gripper affixed to the
body-engaging member for releasably grasping and holding at least
one vial so that the practitioner has access to the vial(s) for
one-handed drawing of medication therefrom using a syringe with a
needle.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
body-engaging member is configured to wrap securely about an arm of
a medical practitioner so that it can be positioned, for example,
on the forearm just below the elbow. However, the body-engaging
member alternatively can be positioned on other parts of the body.
The body-engaging member in preferred embodiments advantageously
incorporates one or more elastic elements facilitating a secure,
snug fit about the part of the body on which it is positioned, and
preferably is also adjustable in size to fit people of varying
sizes and proportions.
[0008] A preferred construction of the wearable vial holder employs
a two-component releasable fastening system, such as a hook and
loop (e.g., VELCRO.RTM.) system, providing releasable attachment
between the body-engaging member and the vial gripper. In a
preferred embodiment, the vial gripper comprises a strap or other
gripping member that has one component of the releasable fastening
system on a surface thereof, and the body-engaging member has the
other component of the fastening system on its surface.
Accordingly, the vial gripping member can be releasably attached to
the body-engaging member such that a vial is gripped therebetween.
The gripping member can be attached to the body-engaging member in
various positions thereon, so as to accommodate various sizes
and/or numbers of vials. If desired, one end of the gripping member
can be permanently attached to the body-engaging member, such as by
sewing or any other suitable technique.
[0009] The body-engaging member preferably incorporates a
needle-puncture-resistant shield for covering the part of the body
of the medical practitioner that is adjacent to a vial held in the
vial gripper. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the
body-engaging member is a multi-layer construction including at
least a shield layer and an outer layer whose outer surface has one
component of the two-component releasable fastening system. For
example, the outer surface of the outer layer can be formed by a
loop component of a hook and loop fastening system. The
body-engaging member can also include an inner layer that lies
against the body part of the practitioner and that is breathable
for comfort.
[0010] Preferably, a vial for use with the wearable vial holder has
an attachment member affixed to it. The attachment member on the
vial preferably comprises a component of the releasable
two-component fastening system, which works in cooperation with the
other component of the fastening system disposed on the outer
surface of the body-engaging member, in order to releasably affix
the vial to the body-engaging member. The attachment member on the
vial allows the vial to be secured in place on the body-engaging
member so that the practitioner's hand is then free to operate the
vial gripper, which preferably comprises a strap or the like having
the same component of the fastening system that is on the vial. In
exemplary embodiments of the invention, the vial has a patch of
hook material of a hook and loop fastening system attached to it,
the vial gripper also has hook material, and the body-engaging
member's outer surface has a loop component of the fastening
system. However, various arrangements of the fastening system
components can be used in accordance with the present invention,
and furthermore other types of fastening systems besides hook and
loop systems can alternatively be used. For instance, one or more
vials can be releasably affixed to the body-engaging member by
frictional grippers (e.g., resilient fingers that grip a vial
snapped into place between the fingers) provided on the
body-engaging member, or a movable clamp arrangement can be
provided on the body-engaging member for releasably clamping a
vial. Other vial-gripping devices are also possible within the
scope of the present invention.
[0011] In accordance with the invention, a medical practitioner
would don the wearable vial holder, and would install in the vial
holder the vial or vials he or she anticipated using in a
particular procedure. The practitioner would then put on sterile
gloves. From that point on, the practitioner is able to draw
medication from the vial(s) without having to pick up or touch the
vial(s). Thus, the invention eliminates the requirement of an
assistant to hold vials, along with the attendant risk of
accidentally sticking the assistant with a needle. The invention
thus facilitates a substantial savings in time (and, hence,
expense), since the practitioner does not have to wait until an
assistant becomes available in order to draw medication from a
vial, and enables existing staff to be used in a safer and
more-efficient manner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the
invention will become more apparent from the following description
of certain preferred embodiments thereof, when taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a medical practitioner
wearing a medication vial holder in accordance with the invention
and placing a vial into the holder;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the vial secured
in the holder and showing the medical practitioner inserting a
needle into the vial in preparation for drawing medication from the
vial into a syringe attached to the needle;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vial holder in
isolation;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in
FIG. 3; and
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing two vials secured in
the vial holder and showing a medical practitioner drawing
medication from one of the vials.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present invention now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be
construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather,
these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the
invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like
elements throughout.
[0019] With reference to the drawings, a wearable medication vial
holder 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
invention is illustrated. The vial holder 10 includes a
body-engaging member 12 for encircling an arm of a medical
practitioner. More particularly, the body-engaging member 12
includes a base 14 sized to only partially encircle an
average-sized arm just below the elbow, a first elastic member 16
having its opposite ends affixed to opposite edges of the base 14,
and a second elastic member 18 having one end affixed to one edge
of the base 14. The base 14 and first elastic member 16 together
form a band or sleeve for encircling the arm, and the elastic
member 16 can elastically stretch to accommodate various arm sizes
and remain snug about the arm. The second elastic member 18
provides further size adjustment capability and additional gripping
strength about the arm, as further described below.
[0020] The outward-facing or outer surface of the base 14 is formed
in whole or in part of a first component 20 of a two-component
releasable fastening system. A preferred fastening system comprises
any of the various hook and loop fastening systems available from
Velcro USA Inc. of Manchester, N.H. under the trademark
VELCRO.RTM., or the hook and loop fastening systems available from
Velcro USA Inc. that employ hook components sold under the
trademark ULTRA-MATE.RTM.. However, other types of releasable
fastening systems can be used instead. The first component 20
preferably comprises a loop component of the hook and loop
fastening system. A loop component generally comprises a fabric
formed to have a large number of thread loops exposed at its
surface for engaging hooks of the hook component of the system.
Preferably, substantially the entire outer surface of the base 14
of the vial holder is formed of the loop component 20.
Additionally, it is preferred to have loop material on the outer
surface of the first elastic member 16 as well, for reasons
explained below.
[0021] The second elastic member 18 at its free end has a region of
its inner surface covered by the second component of the releasable
fastening system. Thus, in the preferred embodiment comprising hook
and loop fasteners, the second elastic member 18 has a piece of
hook material 22 attached to the inner surface of the elastic
member at the free end thereof. Accordingly, the free end of the
elastic member 18 can be releasably attached to the outer surface
of the base 14 by engaging the hook material 22 on the member with
the loop material 20 on the base 14, as shown in FIG. 1. The hook
material 22 can extend as far along the length of the elastic
member 18 toward the fixed end thereof as needed to provide a
secure releasable attachment of the free end of the member to the
outer surface of the base 14. The snugness of the fit of the vial
holder 10 about one's arm can be adjusted by attaching the second
elastic member 18 in various locations on the outer surface of the
base 14 to make the relaxed circumference of the vial holder larger
or smaller; to this end, as noted above, it is advantageous to have
loop material 20 covering most or all of the outer surface of the
base 14. Additionally, it is advantageous but not essential to have
loop material 20 on the outer surface of the first elastic member
16 so that the second elastic member can be attached to it, if
desired.
[0022] To secure a vial 24 in the vial holder 10, preferably the
vial has a patch of hook material 26 affixed to it. Thus, the vial
24 can be releasably attached to the outer surface of the base 14
by engaging the hook patch 26 with the loop material 20 on the
outer surface of the base 14. However, the attachment force
provided by the hook patch 26 on the vial is insufficient to
withstand the types of forces exerted on the vial during use
without the vial becoming detached from the vial holder; rather,
the hook patch 26 is provided so that the vial can be fixed in
place on the base 14 to allow the practitioner to then operate a
vial gripping strap 28 for securing the vial in the vial holder.
The vial gripping strap 28 has one end affixed to the base 14 such
as by stitching or other substantially permanent attachment method.
The strap 28 has hook material 30 forming its inner surface such
that the strap is releasably attachable to the outer surface of the
base 14. To secure the vial 24, the strap 28 is drawn over the top
of the vial and attached to the base 14 so that the vial is clamped
between the strap 28 and the base 14, as shown in FIG. 2. The strap
28 can be formed of a material that has hooks on one side for
engaging the loop material on the base 14, and loops on the
opposite side. An end portion of the strap can be folded over and
stitched or otherwise secured, as shown in FIG. 4, so as to form a
tab portion on the end of the strap that will not adhere to the
loop material on the base 14. This facilitates getting a grasp on
the strap to detach it from the base 14.
[0023] Once the vial is secured in the vial holder, the medical
practitioner can put on sterile gloves and use one hand to insert a
needle into the vial as shown in FIG. 2, and draw medication from
the vial. The vial can easily be inverted by raising the arm having
the vial holder so that medication can be drawn without drawing air
into the syringe. The practitioner can then inject the patient and
carry on with other activities and procedures, while the vial 24 is
still held in the vial holder 10. If the patient requires a second
injection of medication from the same vial 24, the practitioner can
draw further medication from the vial when the vial is a multi-dose
vial.
[0024] In some cases, the practitioner may anticipate requiring
more than one type of injectable medication for a particular
patient or procedure. The vial holder 10 thus is preferably sized
and configured to hold more than one vial 24, 24', as shown in FIG.
5. Various sizes of vials can be held in the vial holder. In a
preferred embodiment of the invention, the vial holder is sized and
configured to hold vials containing from about 10 to 50 ml of
liquid medication, which are commonly available. However, the vial
holder can be sized and configured to hold larger vials, if
desired.
[0025] It is possible that when attempting to insert a needle into
a vial held in the vial holder 10, the practitioner may
accidentally miss the vial and stick the base 14 of the vial
holder. Accordingly, the base 14 preferably includes a
needle-puncture-resistant shield 32 to prevent a needle from
piercing entirely through the base 14 into the practitioner's arm.
The shield 32 may comprise, for example, a flexible sheet of
plastic or other material that is puncture-resistant but
sufficiently flexible to enable the vial holder to be wrapped about
an arm. In the preferred embodiment, the base 14 of the vial holder
comprises a multi-layer structure, including the shield 32, an
outer layer 34 whose outer surface has the loop material 20, and an
inner layer 36, as shown in FIG. 4. The outer layer 34 preferably
comprises a non-woven fabric of synthetic fibers having many thread
loops on its surface. The shield 32 is sandwiched between the outer
layer 34 and inner layer 36, and the outer and inner layers are
secured together such as by stitching along their perimeters. The
inner layer 36 preferably comprises a fabric that is breathable and
comfortable against the arm. For instance, the inner layer 36 can
comprise a tricot fabric or the like. The inner layer preferably
has sufficient thickness to provide padding between the arm and the
shield 32.
[0026] Based on the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the
invention enables a medical practitioner to draw medication from
one or more vials without having to touch the non-sterile outside
surfaces of the vial(s) with his or her gloved hands. In this
manner, the sterility of the practitioner's gloves is not
compromised, and no assistant is required for holding the vial as
is the current practice in many cases.
[0027] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention
pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the
foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it
is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the
specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other
embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the
appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they
are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for
purposes of limitation.
* * * * *