GB2580305A

GB2580305A - A clip device for use in bronchoscopy or similar procedures

Info

Publication number: GB2580305A
Application number: GB1819669.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geerlings Lorraine
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-11-30
Filing date: 2018-11-30
Publication date: 2020-07-22
Also published as: GB201819669D0

Abstract

A clip 99 comprising a part 2 for attaching a medical line (i.e. a tube or pipe) and a plurality of holding mechanisms 1 for attaching items, e.g. medical cylindrical pot containers. The clip 99 may be a monolithic piece of thermoplastic or polymer including a base portion 4, two discontinuous cylinders with arcuate arms 5 to flex and snap-fit around universal medical container pots and a discontinuous cylinder with arcuate arms 6 to flex around a 7mm tube of a bronchoscope. The arms 5, 6 may include splayed tabs 3, 7 at the ends. The tube clip arms 6 may face in the opposite direction to the container clip arms 5. In use, the clip 99 may secure the sample pots together before fixing them to an endoscope for use during a bronchoscopy procedure known as washings.

Description

A CLIP DEVICE FOR USE IN BRONCHOSCOPY OR SIMILAR PROCEDURES

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a clip device for use in bronchoscopy or similar procedures, which may also be applicable to other fields of medicine or related applications.

Background

Bronchoscopy is a procedure that looks inside a patient's lung airways, involving inserting a bronchoscope tube, with a light and small camera, through the patient's nose or mouth, down the patient's throat into the patient's trachea, or windpipe, and to the bronchi and bronchioles of the patient's lungs.

The procedure is used to find the cause of a lung problem and can detect tumours, signs of infection, excess mucus in the airways, bleeding, or blockages in the lungs.

It also can allow a carer or user to take samples of mucus or tissue for other laboratory tests, as well as to insert airway stents, or small tubes to keep the patient's airway open to treat some lung problems.

It can be problematic and time-consuming to collect mucus or other samples as the containers needed for collection are loose, unstable and fiddly.

Prior Art

CN 106 726 322 (WANG et al) discloses a fixation device for bronchoscopy and surgeries which comprises a lying plate, a head fixation device, a chest fixation device, an upper limb fixation device and a lower limb fixation device, wherein the head fixation device, the chest fixation device, the upper limb fixation device and the lower limb fixation device are successively arranged on the lying plate, the head fixation device, the chest fixation device, the upper limb fixation device and the lower limb fixation device respectively correspond to the head, the chest, the upper limbs and the lower limbs of the human body. The fixation device for the bronchoscopy and the surgeries has the advantages that by the construction of a protective device for fixation of patient's body in the bronchoscopy and the surgeries, the neck is in a medical treatment function position and the activity of the body is reduced by reasonable fixation on the head of the patient, and physical treatments of the chest is increased. The risks of patient examination and operation are reduced, the number of medical staff is reduced, the operability of the examination and operation is increased, and the occurrence of the complications is reduced.

JP 2018 047 126 (Keisuke et al) discloses a medical tube that can be stably fixed, thereby improving the handling of the worker can be easily detached from the medical tubing, to provide a fixing dip which is for medical application tube, wherein both ends of the tube are proximate to the fixed portion, a proximal 'end of the arm portion intersects the two retention well, over both the jaws together when a condition, tube fixing portion by the elastic restoring force of the ends of the tube fixed part is biased away from each other, both sandwiching portions intervene ferite, forming a ring-shaped tube and the fixed portion, the hook portion of the inner arc surface are both disposed inwardly, the two hooks are arranged in a width direction by an annular part is assembled in an annular form, both holding arm portions intersecting the proximal end of the fixed portion without tube ends are separated from one state, the hook portion of the inner arc surface are both located outward.

US 2016 0 256 139 (HADLEY et al) discloses biological sample collection devices that resist disorientation and tipping to remain in an upright orientation. A biological sample collection device can be a lid that couples to a sample collection jar to enable coupling to a scope device and a suction source. A biological sample collection device can include a suction port to couple to the suction source and a scope port to couple to the scope device. The scope port can include an angled connection 2 member that angles in line and away from the suction port. The biological sample collection device can also include a suction hose dip and/or a light pipe dip to secure the biological sample collection device relative to the suction hose and/or a light pipe. A biological sample collection device can also couple to a traditional sample collection jar and include a suction hose clip and/or a light pipe clip.

The present invention arose in order to overcome problems suffered by existing devices.

Summary of the Invention

According to the present invention there is provided a dip device for use in bronchoscopy or similar procedures, wherein the device comprises a line attachment means, and a plurality of item holding mechanisms enabling the items to be held on the line.

The line may be envisaged to be a tube or pipe, which may be envisaged to be a fibreoptic cylindrical scope, intravenous, stent catheter, cannula or medical feeder tube, which in turn may be envisaged to be utilised in bronchoscopy.

The item or items are envisaged to be pots or containers, such as known in the art of medical field having a second larger cross sectional diameter, and may be envisaged to be cylindrical and comprising lids. The lids may comprise perforations and/or tubes in use, such that two or more pots may connected in series and/or connected to other items in a medical procedure.

The items may be envisaged therefore to be typically rigid. Some other embodiments may envisaged to comprise an attachment means arranged for substantially rigid or flexible items or containers. For example the holding mechanisms may comprise a hinged, threaded, clamp, pivoted or gripping mechanism.

In some embodiments the device comprises a single, monolithic or unitary part.

In some embodiments the mechanism and attachment means comprise resilience in the formation or material of the device, or may be comprised by movement of the device in use.

For example the material of the device may comprise a resiliently deformable material such as a polymer, or thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polyethylene.

In use it may be envisaged that the devce secures the universal sample pots together before fixing them to the endoscope tubing.

The attachment means may comprise a clip means. The clip means may comprise a dip part which may be biased to closure. For example the clip part may comprise a U shaped or discontinuous circle formed of two arcuate arms.

Such arms may comprise ends arranged for acceptance of the item, or progressive acceptance arranged to progressively displace the arms to accept the item. Spring biasing in the material of the arms may close the arms and may differ in dimensions or material from other parts of the device.

Such attachment means may comprise a reversible means. Such means may comprise a temporary means. Such means may comprise a lockable means, for example comprising a separate step for locking and/or unlocking the attachment of the device to a line.

The mechanism may comprise a clip mechanism. The clip mechanism may comprise a clip part which may be biased to closure. For example the clip part may comprise a U shaped or discontinuous circle formed of two arcuate arms.

Such arms may comprise ends arranged for acceptance of the item, or progressive acceptance arranged to progressively displace the arms and accept the item. Spring biasing in the material of the arms may close the arms and may differ in dimensions or material from other parts of the device.

In this way the device may quickly, easily and assuredly attach to the line and quickly, easily and assuredly hold the items.

In this way the device may be used during a bronchoscopy procedure known as washings, wherein the device may secure two or one universal pots to the tubing of a scope. The pots can advantageously quickly be clipped into the device and then the device clipped onto the scope, therefore saving time and making the process more efficient A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Fiaures

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the device according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a reverse isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; And Figure 3 shows a plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Figures

With reference to the figures there is shown an embodiment of the device according to the present invention generally comprising a clip device 99 for use in bronchoscopy or similar procedures, wherein the device comprises a line attachment means 2, and a plurality of item holding mechanisms 1 enabling the items to be held on the line.

In particular reference to the embodiment shown the embodiment comprises a monolithic piece of thermoplastics or polymer. The thermoplastics may be polyethylene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or other similar. The pictured embodiment is made from injection moulded polypropylene making it suitable for all kinds of sterilisation. The device is designed to allow for sterilisation for example in an autoclave and comprises a small compact easy to use aid for multiple uses.

The embodiment comprises two holding mechanisms 1 for the items (not shown), which are envisaged to comprise cylindrical pot containers. The holding mechanisms comprise two arcuate arms 5 forming a discontinuous inner cylindrical surface.

The mechanisms' arms describe discontinuous circles, discontinuous at the distal arm ends.

The mechanisms' arm ends comprise turned reversed ends 3, which ends extend in a reverse direction from the arms' cylindrical inner surface, and are arranged to displace progressively under urging against the pot. The ends 3 comprise splaying tabs.

The mechanisms' arms extend outwards from a base 4, which is comprised of thicker or heavier weight material, or more particularly extend from a first face of the base.

The line attachment means 2 extends from the opposing second face of the base and comprises two arms 6 again describing a discontinuous circle with a cylindrical inner surface. The ends again comprise splaying tabs 7.

The line attachment means' arms 6 comprise thinner weight material compared to the base, so as to flex.

The line attachment means is located between the mechanisms, facing in the opposing direction.

In particular the distal ends of the line attachment means' arms are coplanar the rear of the mechanisms' arms and the base extends between the inner of the two mechanism arms. More particularly the line attachment means is located in part or whole behind the inner surface of the item holding mechanism.

In this way advantageously the device is maintained compact and the weight balance is maintained around the line in use, leading to less likelihood of displacement of pots or toppling.

The embodiment thereby features two snap-fit dip holding points on one side of the body for the pots and a smaller clip on the reverse side to attach the device to the scope tubing.

In this way using the device saves time in attaching and removing the pots and increases stability during the procedure.

The mechanisms are designed to flex around universal medical container pots and the attachment means is designed to flex around 7mm tube of the bronchoscope.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention as defined by the claims, in particular but not solely combination of features of described embodiments.