U.S. patent number 3,900,026 [Application Number 05/498,254] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-19 for device for holding and protecting intravenous injection needles.
Invention is credited to William H. Wagner.
United States Patent |
3,900,026 |
Wagner |
August 19, 1975 |
Device for holding and protecting intravenous injection needles
Abstract
A guard for intravenous needles and their connections comprises
a transparent cap or cover, formed of fairly rigid but somewhat
conformable plastic material, having peripheral skin-contacting
flanges. The latter can be attached or secured to the patient's arm
or other body part to cover and protect the inserted needle. For
needles detachable from the supply line, the device includes means
secured to or integral with the cap or cover formed to surround or
embrace the connecting joint between line and needle. This
positively locks the joint against inadvertent separation and
consequent spilling of fluid. While thus protecting the needle and
its connection, the transparent cover permits visual inspection at
all times of the needle and the area being treated. The guard
device is made rigid enough, structurally, to give needed
protection over and around the needle but at least its base parts
will yield sufficiently to conform reasonably well to body parts or
surfaces of various contours. The flanges which contact the skin
may be self-adhesive or may be secured to the patient by
supplemental means such as tape. For use with "butterfly" type
needles, the cap comprises flaps or hook elements turned under to
engage the wings or side elements thus helping to lock the needle
securely in place.
Inventors: |
Wagner; William H. (Glendale,
AZ) |
Family
ID: |
27023598 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/498,254 |
Filed: |
August 19, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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417111 |
Nov 19, 1973 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
128/888; 604/174;
128/DIG.26; 604/263 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
25/02 (20130101); A61M 2025/0246 (20130101); Y10S
128/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
25/02 (20060101); A61M 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/132R,133,214R,214.2,215,221,348,DIG.26 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Truluck; Dalton L.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 417,111,
filed Nov. 19, 1973, now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for securely holding and protecting an intravenous
injection needle when said needle is inserted in a body part of a
patient, said device being substantially transparent to permit
visual inspection of said needle and its condition of insertion at
all times and comprising a moderately rigid cover or bubble cap
member of resilient plastic material adapted to overlie and cover a
said needle inserted at a proper angle into said body part, said
cover or cap member including integral needle locking means for
securing a separable tapered friction joint between said needle and
a conventional supply tube therefor, said locking means comprising
a neck or extension element of channel section integrally connected
to said cap or cover through a flexible hinge, the channel section
being shaped to snugly engage and hold both a flange or collar on
the needle and a flange or collar on the supply tube to prevent
relative movement and inadvertent separation of said needle from
the tube, said flexible hinge being formed to permit angular
movement of said neck or extension to accommodate said proper angle
of needle insertion into the body part, and flange elements on said
cover for resting on the surface of said body part.
Description
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Needles of various sorts are used for intravenous injections, as
for administering blood transfusions, giving sera or plasma to
patients, and/or for feeding liquid nutrients to patients who
cannot be fed by mouth, etc. For these purposes, the needles most
widely used are connected to their liquid supply lines by means of
separable frictional tapered parts. Such needles may be detached
and sterilized after each use. Other types are known such as the
"butterfly" type used for feeding or treating children, wherein the
needle is permanently attached to a short length of supply line by
a small molded body which bears side flaps or wings; these may be
adhesively attached to the patient's skin during the transfusion or
feeding operation.
Frictional joints of the type first mentioned sometimes become
detached so that blood or other liquid is lost; the patient may be
seriously affected when this happens, aside from the value of the
liquid lost. The "butterfly" needles do not ordinarily separate but
both types, and other types of needles not mentioned here are
subject to inadvertent displacement or withdrawal unless given
protection. For this purpose, some devices have been proposed in
the prior art for immobilizing the arm or other body part where the
injection is being given; various types of restraining devices have
been proposed. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,266,230 and
3,439,673. There are many others.
In some cases, of course, physical restraint may be necessary but
in most cases these devices produce discomfort that is not
necessary. It is desirable, obviously, to give the patient as much
freedom and as little discomfort as possible, consistent with
proper treatment. For this reason, many simpler devices such as
special bandages or other holding devices have been proposed to
keep the needle in place and/or to prevent its detachment from the
supply line. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,288,137 and
3,630,195. The first mentioned describes a two part device for
anchoring an intravenous needle, the parts being lockable together
by means of interengaging fibers. An upper part comprises a small
piece of wire screening which can be crimped around the needle
base, plus a pad element having downwardly extending interlocking
fibers to lock it to the base part. Such a device of course makes
it impossible to observe the needle and its connections. The other
patent shows a two-point tube-gripping element taped or strapped to
the patient's arm. In this case the needle itself is not held, at
least not held directly. A restless patient could easily cause the
needle to become dislodged from the arm, with possibly disastrous
results.
Various other arrangements and devices for similar and related
purposes are known, examples being given in U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,266,231, 2,449,882, 2,533,961, 2,670,735, and 3,439,673. Most of
these are subject to one or more of the objections pointed out
above. They may interfere too much with the patient, add to his
discomfort, or they may fail to hold the needle and/or its supply
tube securely.
An object of the present invention is to prevent, primarily,
dislodgement of the needle from the patient's arm or other body
part and to prevent separation of the needle from the supply tube.
Secondarily, an object is to make the condition of the needle and
its connections immediately and clearly visible to the nurse,
doctor, or other attendant and, preferably, to the patient himself.
Other objects are to make the device reliable, sturdy, reusable,
and economical. By its use supplemental bandaging may be eliminated
or at least greatly reduced while still giving adequate securing
and protection of the needle and its essential connections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form or embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, taken substantially
along the line 2 -- 2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is another vertical sectional view, taken substantially
along the line 3 -- 3 of FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of still another modification or
embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, on a somewhat larger scale,
taken substantially along the line 5 -- 5 of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, show a first modification of the invention
devised for holding and protecting a standard intravenous needle 20
which is inserted into an arm or similar body part of a patient.
Needle 20 is secured by means of a conventional tapered frictional
connection to a liquid supply line 40, as will be explained more
fully below. The protective device, shown as a whole at 13,
comprises a box-like cap or enclosure 15 molded or otherwise formed
of transparent plastic material, thin enough to be somewhat
flexible and conformable to the arm 11 or other body member but
strong and rigid enough to give adequate protection to the needle
and its connections, as will be more fully discussed below.
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the box or cap member 15 has a slightly
curved top 16 and more or less vertical side wall elements 16a,
16b, 16c and 16d formed integrally with the top 16. Each of these
side walls is turned out at its bottom to form a more or less flat
flange or support element which rests on the surface of the
patient's arm 11 or other body part. The flanges 28, 29, 30 and 31
are thin and reasonably flexible so they conform suitably to the
surface on which they rest.
To accommodate the needle 20 and its connection to the fluid supply
tube 40, one of the side walls 16b, at the right in FIGS. 1 and 2,
and its extension flange 29, is cut or notched at 32 to form a flap
or semi-tubular neck portion 17 which can be swung upwardly about a
thin flexible hinge-like portion 17b where it joins member 15. Neck
element 17 is molded or otherwise shaped to give it in
cross-section the shape of a channel or an inverted U; see FIG. 3.
It can thus be raised up to a suitable angle to accommodate the
needle 20 which is inserted at an angle into the patient's flesh;
the angle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be somewhat exaggerated to
show certain details of locking means more clearly. Member 17
incorporates these locking means as will be more fully described,
to prevent the needle being separated from the supply tube.
Tube 40 has a terminal connection or ferrule 22 of somewhat larger
diameter than the tube itself. Terminal 22 has a tapered outlet end
21 which fits neatly and is held by friction in the tapered female
socket of the shank 19 of needle 20. Such means, for connecting the
needle to its supply tube, are well known and widely used. Under
ordinary circumstances such a joint is liquid tight and reasonably
secure, but it can be pulled apart to remove the needle. It can be
pulled apart also by accidental or unintentional application of
external forces to the tube or to the needle itself. An
uncomfortable patient, moving about, can and often does cause the
connection to come loose and spill blood or other fluid. To prevent
this, the neck or shank element 17 is formed with two internal
circumferential grooves 26 and 27, so shaped and spaced apart the
right distance to receive and snugly hold respectively the annular
rim or flange 24 on the outer end of the needle shank and an
annular collar or flange 25 of similar shape and size,
conventionally formed around the middle part of terminal 22. When
the terminal is properly connected to the needle shank socket,
grooves 26 and 27 engage and securely hold by friction the elements
24 and 25, thus firmly locking the terminal and the needle against
relative movement. They cannot be pulled apart without first
lifting the part 17 off the connecting parts, that is, pulling it
up off the respective flanges or collars 24 and 25.
As pointed out above, the flange elements 28, 29, etc., are
flexible enough to conform quite well to most body surfaces to
which they are likely to be applied. They may bear a
pressure-sensitive adhesive on their lower surfaces, so that they
will adhere to the skin or such a holding means may be supplemented
or replaced by using adhesive tape strips to overlie the flanges,
as will be obvious. Preferably, such tape, if used, will be applied
in such a way that it will not obscure the view of the needle
through the transparent cover 13.
While the type of needle and connection shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is
probably the most widely used, there are other arrangements to
which the device of the present invention can be applied, with or
without modification, as will readily be apparent to those skilled
in the art. FIGS. 4 and 5 show an alternative arrangement adaptable
for use with a so-called "butterfly" type needle 50. Such a needle
has a permanent connection to a short length of fluid supply tubing
55. This connection consists of a molded body portion 52 which
bears on either side a flap or "wing" 53, 54. Normally, the wings
are coated on their under sides for adhesion to the skin of the
patient, to hold the inserted needle in place. Such devices are
widely used for giving intravenous injections to children. With
active patients, the butterfly sometimes is pulled loose from the
skin and the needle pulled out of its properly inserted position.
The device of FIGS. 4 and 5 is designed to prevent this
positively.
Thus the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 comprises a transparent cap or
bubble-type cover member 60, quite similar to the device of FIGS. 1
to 3, except that it has no part corresponding to element 17 of the
first embodiment. Separate needle and terminal parts and their
connections are not needed here. In other essential respects device
60 is like device 13, having marginal flanges 63, 64, 65 and 66
which may be attached to the skin by means of adhesive. However, an
alternative and preferable arrangement is as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5
where the flanges are all secured to a relatively large mounting
sheet of surgical adhesive plaster or tape 68. Sheet 68, in turn,
is secured to the patient's arm or other body part, thus holding
the whole assembly securely by adhesion. A central area 69 is cut
out of sheet 68 and the needle is inserted into the arm through
this opening, so it is always visible through the cap 62. To
accommodate the needle and butterfly a notch 70 is cut through the
wall of cap 62. To hold the butterfly firmly in place and thus to
prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the needle from the patient, this
same wall is formed with a pair of underturned flaps 72 and 74.
These underlie or hook under the side wings 53 and 54,
respectively, of the butterfly, so that the needle cannot be pulled
to the left, FIG. 5, without first releasing the member 60 or the
mounting sheet 68 from the patient's skin. The underturned flaps or
hook-like members 72 and 74 underlie only a minor part of the area
of the wings 53, 54 and the latter are still quite well attached by
their own adhesive to the skin.
In use, the needle is inserted in the patient's arm or other body
member; the feed line is drawn through the notch or opening 70 of
the protector device 60, and the latter is firmly secured to the
patient's skin through the adhesive member 68. In this way the
device does not interfere with the angle or place of inserting the
needle. The hooks or flaps 72, 74 are set under the butterfly wings
53 and 54 before the latter are pressed down onto the skin to
adhere and assist in holding the needle in proper position. With
this arrangement, the patient, usually a child with this sort of
needle, is not likely to disturb the setting of the needle or to
pull it out if he should inadvertently pull on the line 55 outside
the cap 62. In FIG. 5, the front edge of the rear hook or flap 74
is seen in elevation while the front wing 53 of the butterfly is
seen in section.
As in the first example, of FIGS. 1 to 3, the transparent cap or
cover 62 makes it easy to inspect the needle and its position
visually at any time.
As noted above, the cap 62 may be directly attached, through its
marginal flaps, to the skin of the patient in the same manner that
the devices of FIGS. 1 to 3 are attached, i.e., directly by
adhesive on the flaps or by tape (not shown) overlying the flanges
29, 30, etc. Obviously, if desired, the device 13 of FIG. 1 may
also be mounted on a sheet of surgical tape such as sheet 68 of
FIGS. 4 and 5, and mounted on the patient's body to protect and
cover the needle in the same manner as the latter modification. In
either embodiment, the needle is firmly supported and protected
against accidental or inadvertent pulling out or displacement from
the patient and is protected from contact with external objects by
the transparent cover or cap. Through the latter, the needle and
its connection to the supply tube as well as its insertion and
placement are clearly and continuously in view, not being obscured
by the usual wrappings or bandages. Normal movements of the patient
are not interfered with and his involuntary movements are not
likely to affect the needle and/or the proper intravenous
procedure.
As compared with devices of the prior art with which the present
inventor is familiar, in either of the forms illustrated and
described above, the device of this invention has the following
advantages: The needle is firmly secured against accidental or
careless displacement from the person's body and, in the case of
the first embodiment especially, from disconnection to the liquid
supply line. The needle, its connections, and its place and manner
of insertion into the patient's arm or other body part are freely
and fully visible at any time. The cap or cover member is light and
inexpensive while having adequate strength and rigidity to protect
the needle area. It is also flexible or resilient enough that it
can, as a whole, conform reasonably to almost any body surface
where an intravenous injection may be given. By assuring that the
needle will not be disturbed by movements of the patient, he is
given confidence that sharp pains will not be produced by relative
movement of the inserted needle.
As suggested above, the flanges around the cap or cover may be self
adhesive, or the device may be secured by tape overlying and
extending beyond these flanges, or an adhesively coated carrier
sheet, such as shown at 68, FIGS. 4 and 5, may be used to mount the
device on the patient's body. If desired, the flanges may be coated
with adhesive and supplemental strips of tape may be used, for
additional security; supplemental tapes may of course be used with
the device of FIGS. 4 and 5 if desired.
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various of the
parts and their details described above may be modified in various
ways without departing from the spirit and purpose of the present
invention. Also, the materials used to form the device may be
varied considerably. A moldable transparent plastic material is
presently preferred although sheet materials that can be deformed
and secured or set in the desired form and arrangement may be used
if desired. A suitable material is one of the polyolefins, such as
polyethylene, polypropylene and analogous materials; vinyl or
styrene polymeric materials may be used, or acrylates, etc., as
will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Although not shown in the drawings, it may be desirable to loop the
supply line back over or around the cap or cover and/or secure it
to the cover to further reduce chances that undesirable pulls will
be applied directly to the needle. Such arrangements are known in
the prior art and need not be described here in further detail.
It is intended that the modifications described above, and the
various changes in detail, along with all others that would be
apparent to those skilled in the art are to be considered as
included in the scope of the invention. The claims which follow are
to be construed as broadly as the state of the prior art properly
permits.
* * * * *