Supporting Cuff For Transfusions Or Perfusions

Abstract

Supporting cuff for transfusions or perfusions held in place on the patient's limb and supporting a removable block comprising three nozzles positioned at 90.degree. to one another in the same plane and controlled by a three-way cock, the nozzles corresponding respectively to two female inlets which receive the liquid from the bottles and one male outlet for distributing the liquid, the male receiving the mouthpiece of a catheter tube or of an intravenous nylon tube, the three-way cock permitting either to stop the injection or to distribute in successions the liquids from one of the bottles. The catheter tube or the intravenous nylon tube includes a loop or slack enabling the patient to move his limb.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a supporting cuff for transfusions or perfusions.

It is known that the procedure for intravenous transfusions or perfusions comprises introducing a needle or catheter in a vein. The needle is ordinarilly connected to a blood or biological serum bottle which distributes the liquid dropwise by gravity. The needle or the catheter are held in situ by means of a piece of a sticking-plaster or adhesive material, such as, tape or the like.

It is also known that the patient, as a result of pain, fever or ankylosis of the arm, for instance, is likely to stir and to thereby shift the end of the needle located in the vein, sometimes bringing on ejection of the needle and even hemorrhages. A recent transfusion technique provides passing a small nylon tube inside the needle, the tube then being pushed inside the vein permitting withdrawal of the needle.

In both cases the withdrawal of the needle or of the nylon tube, as a result of movements of the patient, are serious disadvantages which can only be prevented by a constant watch. These devices, moreover, only permit injecting the liquid from a single supply bottle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a fluid connecting device for use with transfusion operations, comprising a base structure adapted to be secured to a patient's limb and a valve member removably fitted on said base structure and having at least one inlet port adapted to be connected to a tube originating from a bottle containing a transfusion fluid and one outlet port being adapted to be connected to a catheter means to be lodged in a patient's limb, and said base structure being provided with spacing members projecting from said base structure towards the patient's limb.

It is another object of the invention to provide a fluid connecting device in which said base structure is made of resilient material and has recesses extending therethrough, and wherein said valve member having knob means adapted to be fitted by pressure in said recesses .

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fluid connecting device, and said valve member comprising two inlet ports and one outlet port, as well as a three-way cock member adapted to connect such outlet port alternatively to either of said inlet ports.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said valve member is connected by welding either with a tubing of said catheter means or with an intravenous nylon tube.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the following detailed description given and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric projection of a patient's forearm on which the cuff is fastened.

FIG. 2 shows an elevational sectional view of the base and of the block thereof, illustrating the removable fastening of the said block on the base.

FIG. 3 shows a plan view associated with FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows the respective positions of the three way cocks, of two blocks coupled in I to connect up with the bottle 1, in II to connect up with the bottle 2, and in III to connect up with the bottle 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a fluid connecting device which includes a valve member or block 5 having a cap 4 and a rotatable lever or handle M. Movement of the handle M, as will subsequently be shown, dictates which of the bottles, interconnected to the valve member, will be rendered operable. The valve member 5 is removably seated on a base 7. A plurality of studs or spacing members 8 rest on the patient's limb such that the vein under consideration passes therebetween. Bandages 9 secure the base 7 to the limb 9. The base 7 has formed in the bottom thereof recesses recesses The recesses receive the knobs 11 of the block 5. The knobs fit within the recesses solely by the application of pressure and are removable therefrom, likewise, by pressure. A tube 12 originating from the bottles (not shown) connect to the valve member 5 which in turn is connected to the catheter tube or nylon tube 13 with a loop 14. A sticking plaster or adhesive tape hold the catheter at the entry thereof in the arm 16. The valve member 5 includes female nozzles 17, 18 which receives the mouthpiece of the tubes 12 from the bottles and a male nozzle 19 for connecting of the valve member or block 5 to the catheter.

It will be noted that the base 7 firmly held on the arm 16 by the bandages 9, receives the tube 12 connecting it to the bottle, not shown, it being possible to mount the latter indifferently on either of female nozzles 17 or 18. The block 5 being secured by mere pressure, by means of its knobs 11, being blocked in the housings 10 of the base 7 will easily permit positioning or removing after each operation of the said relay-block 5.

In case it should be necessary to connect up a third bottle, another block, not shown, may be easily fitted by means of its male nozzle inside the female nozzle 18.

It will be readily appreciated that the invention has only been described and illustrated in a purely explanatory and non-limitative way and that some details thereof may be modified without changing the scope thereof. Thus for instance it is possible to omit the valve device by providing inside the female nozzles, a ball biased by a compression coil spring resting on a valve, the ball being released by the pressure of the end of the male mouth pieces originating from the bottles, suitably fitted to push back the ball and free it from its valve.

It is well understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiment and that many changes may be introduced therein without departing from the scope of the present patent application.

Claims

I claim:

1. A fluid connecting device for use with transfusion operations, comprising a base structure having top and bottom surfaces adapted to be secured to a patient's limb and a valve member removably fitted on the top surface of said base structure, said valve member having at least one inlet port adapted to be connected to a tube originating from a bottle containing a transfusion fluid and one outlet port being adapted to be connected to a catheter means to be lodged in a patient's limb, and said base structure being provided with at least two spaced apart spacing members projecting from the bottom of said base structure and adapted to engage the patient's limb.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said base structure is made of resilient material and has recesses extending therethrough, said valve member having knob means adapted to be fitted by pressure in said recesses.

3. A fluid connecting device according to claim 1 and including means for securing the base structure to a patient's limb and wherein the valve member includes two inlet ports, each adapted to be connected to a tube originating from a bottle containing a transfusion fluid and one outlet port being adapted to be connected to a catheter means to be lodged in a patient's limb and a three-way cock member adapted to connect the outlet port alternatively to either of said inlet ports.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which said valve member is connected to said catheter means.