U.S. patent number 3,674,011 [Application Number 05/105,921] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-04 for means for and method of transfering blood from a patient to multiple test tubes within a vacuum.
This patent grant is currently assigned to United Medical Laboratories Inc.. Invention is credited to Raymond S. Michel, Fred W. Podhora.
United States Patent |
3,674,011 |
Michel , et al. |
July 4, 1972 |
MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF TRANSFERING BLOOD FROM A PATIENT TO
MULTIPLE TEST TUBES WITHIN A VACUUM
Abstract
Apparatus for drawing and controlling blood flow from a single
venipuncture through a flexible catheter into a sealed vacuumized
container and simultaneous delivery to a number of test tubes
within the container. The catheter is in open communication at one
of its ends with a hypodermic needle and at its opposite end
through a first flow control valve with the interior of the test
tube container by means of a cap which directs blood flow equally
and simultaneously to the test tubes within the container.
Inventors: |
Michel; Raymond S. (Portland,
OR), Podhora; Fred W. (Portland, OR) |
Assignee: |
United Medical Laboratories
Inc. (Portland, OR)
|
Family
ID: |
22308525 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/105,921 |
Filed: |
January 12, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
600/575;
73/863.61; 604/152; 604/250; 73/864.52 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
5/150389 (20130101); A61B 5/150503 (20130101); A61M
1/02 (20130101); A61B 5/150251 (20130101); A61B
5/155 (20130101); A61B 5/150229 (20130101); A61J
1/05 (20130101); A61B 5/15003 (20130101); A61B
5/150221 (20130101); A61B 5/150267 (20130101); A61B
5/153 (20130101); A61J 1/12 (20130101); A61B
5/150992 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
5/155 (20060101); A61B 5/15 (20060101); A61M
1/02 (20060101); A61J 1/14 (20060101); A61b
005/00 (); A61m 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/2F,214R,214.2,276,278,DIG.5 ;73/421R,422R,425.6 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Claims
What we claim is:
1. Apparatus for drawing and controlling blood flow from a single
venipuncture to multiple test tubes within a vacuumized container,
comprising in combination, a base, vacuum supply means carried by
said base,
a flexible catheter extending along the base and in open
communication at one of its ends with said vacuum supply,
said catheter extending outwardly from said base and terminating in
a hypodermic needle,
a test tube container carried by said base and normally sealed by a
distributor cap,
a plurality of switch controlled valve members carried by said base
and selectively operable to close the catheter at intervals
lengthwise thereof,
a bypass comprising a tubular member in communication at one of its
ends with said catheter between two of said valve members and at
its opposite end with said distributor cap and through the cap with
the interior of said container and with test tubes contained within
the container.
2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vacuum supply
means comprises a motor driven vacuum pump mounted on said
base,
said valve members include electrically actuated plungers
superjacent said catheter within the base and controlled by switch
means in circuit with said electrically actuated plungers mounted
on the top surface of said base and in circuit with a source of
electric current.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said distributor cap has
concealed therein radially extending ducts in open communication at
their inner ends with a downwardly open inlet tube extending
upwardly from the center of the cap,
and wherein the outer ends of said radially extending ducts are in
open communication with downwardly extending delivery tubes adapted
for insertion into test tubes disposed within said test tube
container.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said test tube container
has a relatively thick bottom wall having upwardly opening test
tube supporting recesses therein.
5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said test tube container
has an internal false bottom in the form of a disc having upwardly
opening test tube supporting recesses therein, and
wherein said disc rests upon and is movable upwardly and downwardly
within the container by means of a cam secured to a shaft journaled
within a bearing contained within the container and operable from
the exterior thereof.
Description
This invention relates to improvements in instrumentalities of the
character above described for use by the medical profession in
drawing multiple blood samples simultaneously from a patient by a
single venipuncture for examining, testing and other analogous
purposes.
There exists a constant recurring clinical need for a simple, safe,
economic and positive means which may be used with requisite
finesse and dexterity while drawing multiple blood samples,
especially from difficult patients such as squirming infants,
restless adults, and oldsters with fragile, rolling veins.
Since a separate vacuum tube has heretofore been required for each
successive blood sample drawn from the same patient, tension and
other forces applied to the hypodermic needle or to the catheter
when held by one hand of the technician while withdrawing the
delivery needle from the test tube with the other hand, as in the
procedure of changing from one test tube to another, such forces
transmitted through the catheter to the venipuncture aggravates
patient responses above referred to and in some instances to the
extent of stopping blood flow prematurely.
To obviate these conditions, the objects of the present invention
are:
To provide a flexible catheter with a venipuncture needle in open
communication with one end thereof and the opposite end of the
catheter in communication with a distributor in the form of a
sealed disc or closure for a container for a plurality of test
tubes to be dealt with.
To provide a tubular member in open communication at one of its
ends with the catheter intermediate the ends thereof with the
opposite end of the tubular member in communication with a chamber
for generating and/or holding a vacuum derived from any suitable
source of supply.
To provide a first solenoid-actuated control valve associated with
the catheter between the free or venipuncture end thereof and the
point of connection between the catheter and the tubular
member.
To provide second and third solenoid-actuated control valves
operable within the length of said tubular member.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof and in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus made in accordance
with our invention with some fragments broken away for convenience
of illustration.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a test tube container.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of FIG. 2 with fragments broken
away and parts in section for convenience of illustration.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a vacuum pump and modified form of piston
actuating means therefor.
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified form of test
tube container, and
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a flexible catheter,
solenoid-actuated valves associated therewith and a wiring diagram
for the solenoids and for a pump motor.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like
reference numerals designate like parts and particularly FIGS. 1
and 4 thereof, numeral 1 indicates generally a base whose front
portion is of channel section as indicated at 2. One end of a
flexible catheter 3 extends into the channel 2 and by means of a
coupling 3A is removably secured to a tubular extension 4 which is
connected to one end of a pipe 5 whose opposite or top end is in
open connection as at 6 (FIG. 1) with the interior of a vacuum pump
cylinder 7. A piston 8 operable within the cylinder 7 has an
outwardly extending connecting rod 9 which terminates in a gear
rack 10 engaged at all times with a driving spur gear 11. Gear 11
and a companion gear 12 (FIG. 4) are secured as at 13-14 to a
common shaft 15 journaled in bearings 16-17 carried by brackets
18-19 secured as at 20-21 to a platform 22 secured in any suitable
manner to the top surface of the base 1.
Both gears 11-12, and hence the gear rack 10, are driven by spur
gear 24 enmeshed with the gear 12 and secured as at 25 to one end
of a shaft 26 journaled in one bearing 27 carried by a bracket 28
and in another bearing 29 carried by a bracket 30. A worm wheel 34
is secured, as at 35, to the shaft 26 and is driven by a worm gear
36 secured as at 37 to the power output shaft 38 of a high torque
reversible electric motor 39 secured in any suitable manner, such
as at 40, to the platform 22.
With reference to the modification shown in FIG. 5, I dispense with
the train of gears 12, 24, 36 and 34, and instead provide a direct
driving connection between a spur gear 45 and the gear rack 10 by
securing gear 45 to the motor output shaft 38 of the high torque
motor 39 which is also reversible. In this modification, I also
dispense with the platform 22 by bolting the motor 39 and pump
cylinder 7, as at 39A, direct to the base 1. Shims can be used if
necessary to elevate the motor 39 for proper engagement of its spur
gear 45 with the gear rack 10.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that operation of either
motor 39 will, through the medium of its respective spur gears 24
or 45 and gear rack 10, pull a vacuum within the pump cylinder
7.
As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the free end of the catheter 3 is
provided with a venipuncture needle 46 which after insertion in the
selected vein in the patient's arm, as shown, may be held in a
fixed position by surgical tape or the like as indicated at 47.
Within the channel 2 of the base 1, the opposite end of the
catheter 3 is in open communication through a T-fitting 48 with the
bottom end of a flexible tube 49 whose top end is fitted to and in
open communication with an inlet tube 50 (FIGS. 2-3) of a
distributor cap indicated generally at 52 for a test tube container
indicated generally at 54. The cap is made of two parts 55-56
bonded together in any suitable manner. The catheter 3 extends from
the T-fitting 48 through a removable coupling 3A and from there
into open communication with one end of the tubular extension 4
which is of slightly larger diameter than the catheter 3. The
opposite end of the extension 4 is in open communication with the
pipe 5 and hence the interior of the pump cylinder 7.
With further reference to the distributor cap 52 (FIG. 3) it will
be noted that the bottom of the top part 55 is in open
communication with a sump 57 in the bottom part 56 and with
radially extending ducts 58 which terminate in downwardly extending
delivery tubes 59 adapted to discharge pre-determined amounts of
blood into the test tubes 63. It will also be noted that the top
part 55 of cap 52 extends above the top of the container 54 for
convenience in removing the cap to gain access to test tubes 63.
The tubes are supported within upwardly opening cavities 65 formed
in the relatively thick bottom wall 65A of the container.
The interior of the container 54 is shouldered as at 61 to provide
a seat for the cap 52 and an annular seal 60.
In the modified form of tube container 54A (FIG. 6), the test tubes
63 are supported by means of similar cavities 66 formed in a
movable disc 67 resting upon and movable upwardly by a cam 68
secured to a shaft 69 journaled in a bearing 70 on the interior of
the chamber, extending outwardly therefrom and provided with a
finger grip 72.
With reference to FIG. 4 and the wiring diagram associated
therewith as illustrated in FIG. 7, we provide first, second, and
third solenoid-actuated control switches 80, 81 and 82
respectively, which are mounted upon the covered portions or lid of
the channel 2 with one of their sides connected to one side 84 of
electrical current by means of conductors 85, 86 and 87.
The opposite side of each switch 80, 81 and 82 is connected
respectively at 90, 91 and 92 to one side of companion solenoids
93, 94 and 95 whose opposite sides are connected respectively as at
96, 97 and 98 to the opposite side 84A of said current source.
One side of motor 39 (FIG. 7) is connected by a conductor 99 to one
side of a motor switch 100 whose opposite side is connected as at
101 to the side 84 of the current source.
The solenoids 93, 94, 95 are provided with armatures indicated at
104, 105 and 106, normally in a retracted position and out of
contact with the underlying catheter 3 as shown at 105 and 106 in
FIG. 7 by de-energization of their respective solenoids.
Energization of any selected solenoid, for example the one
indicated at 93, by closure of its respective switch 80 will
forcefully thrust its armature 104 downwardly onto the catheter 3
against the bottom wall 108 of the channel 2 and thus effectively
seal the catheter at that point against passage of vacuum or fluid
therethrough in either direction.
With the various components of the apparatus set primarily in an
operational position, for example as shown in FIG. 1, with the
first solenoid control valve 80 closed as in FIG. 7, and the second
and third solenoid actuated valves 81 and 82 respectively, open, it
will be apparent that operation of motor 39, upon closing motor
switch 100, the resultant vacuum generated by the piston 8 of pump
7 will travel through the tubular extension 4 of the catheter,
through the T-fitting 48, upwardly through tubular member 49
through the distributor cap 52 to the interior of the container 54
and the test tubes 63 supported within the container. Then making
the venipuncture and closing the second and third valves 81-82 and
opening the first valve 80 the vacuum in the catheter 3 will pull
the blood from the venipuncture through T-fitting 48, tubular
member 49, through distributor cap 52 to the interior of the
container 54 and the test tubes 63 disposed therein as illustrated
in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The amount of vacuum so utilized is
calculated to be sufficient to fill all the tubes simultaneously to
a level determined by the downward extent or depth or insertion of
the delivery tubes 59 into the test tubes 63.
At the conclusion of each blood drawing and distributing cycle the
hypodermic needle 46 is withdrawn and the catheter removed from the
patient's arm by removal of the surgical tapes 47. Following this
the coupling 3A is removed to separate the catheter 3 from the
extension 4 so that the catheter, T-fitting 48, tubular member 49,
distributor cap 52, and the hypodermic needle may be disposed of to
prevent further use on another patient.
When the distributor cap is removed from either form of test tube
container the test tubes may be conveniently removed by grasping
the top free end of the exposed tubes as in FIG. 3 or their
elevated ends as in FIG. 6.
* * * * *