WO2017098087A1

WO2017098087A1 - Bundling accessory

Info

Publication number: WO2017098087A1
Application number: PCT/FI2016/050859
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rosita UIMONEN
Original assignee: Uimonen Rosita
Priority date: 2015-12-08
Filing date: 2016-12-08
Publication date: 2017-06-15
Also published as: FI20155926A

Abstract

The invention relates to a bundling accessory (1) for bundling medical hoses and/or wires, for example. The accessory (1) is elongated and made of a flexible material. On a side thereof, the accessory (1) comprises elongated, outward open grooves (2) for medical hoses and/or wires, for example.

Description

Bundling accessory

Background of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to a bundling accessory.

[0002] In hospitals and other nursing facilities patients are administered a plurality of vitally important drugs with extreme precision and typically simultaneously through various infusion pumps. In addition to these, patients may be administered basic fluids, for example, and possibly also parenteral nutrition fluids. The drugs and fluids are typically arranged into an infusion tower. Hence there are plenty of different hoses between the patient and the infusion tower. Moreover, the patient may be monitored by different kinds of equipment connected to the patient by wiring. Medical hoses and wires get extremely easily entangled, and may even lie in a cluttered heap nearby the patient. This complicates the moving of the patient and, especially, his/her transfer to imaging or to a medical procedure. Entangling of hoses and wires may interrupt a vital infusion momentarily, and a potential disengagement of a hose may cause a risk of infection to the patient. This problem delays the transfer of the patient to a procedure or examination. The hoses could be bundled together by a fastener, such a cable tie, arranged around them. In that case, the removal of a hose from the bundle requires that the fastener is opened or cut, which would again disturb the work of nurses. Hence, typically no fasteners are used for bundling medical hoses and wires.

Brief description of the invention

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a new type of bundle accessory.

[0004] The solution according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the independent claim.

[0005] Some embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.

[0006] In the disclosed solution the bundle accessory is elongated and made of a flexible material. On the sides thereof, the accessory comprises elongated, outward open grooves for hoses and/or wires. Medical hoses, for example, are easy and quick to place into the grooves of the accessory. Once a hose or wire has been placed in connection with the accessory, nurses no longer need to disentangle hoses or wires when a patient is to be moved or transferred, or thereafter. Hence the accessory facilitates the transfer of the patient to examinations or im- aging. Medical hoses and wires, for example, are neatly and safely in the grooves of the accessory. Consequently, the hoses and wires do not get entangled with other hoses and wires. There are thus no fasteners to be opened and reunited due to entanglement. Medical hoses do not become disengaged, and drug infusion to the patient is not interrupted because of a mess, detachment or clamping. Likewise, the wires can be arranged neatly and made to run without a risk of them becoming damaged or causing a danger of tripping, for example. The accessory makes it easy to handle and control the hoses and to transport the patient, and therefore there will be no need to interrupt a single one of the patient's drug infusions for facilitating his/her transport. The accessory secures that the infusion hoses and wires of the patient stay in place, and it reduces the risk of both infections and contamination. Thanks to the accessory, the nursing area around the patient is tidy because medical hoses and/or wires are in the grooves of the accessory. The accessory is aesthetically pleasing and the overall view of the nursing area around the patient is tidy when there is no heap of medical hoses and/or wires.

[0007] According to an embodiment, the elongated grooves on the side of the accessory extend on the entire length of the accessory. The accessory may thus be made for example by extrusion moulding a long blank from which elongated accessories of a suitable length are cut to be arranged between an infusion tower and a patient, for example. When desired, medical hoses or wires may be installed into the groove to extend from one end thereof to the other, or, if necessary, a hose or wire may be extracted from or inserted into the accessory on a portion of the accessory.

[0008] According to a second embodiment, the grooves in the accessory have a cross-sectional profile such that the inlet opening of the groove is narrower than the groove's greatest width. A hose or wire arranged into the groove thus stays suitable firmly therein.

[0009] According to a third embodiment, a cross-sectional profile of the groove is formed such that after the inlet opening the groove widens locally beyond a circular orbit. This facilitates the installing of the hose into the groove. Side flaps in connection with the outer edge of the groove are therefore thinner and thus more resilient than if the groove were to widen along a circular orbit.

[0010] According to a fourth embodiment, there is a longitudinal hole in the middle of the accessory. With the hole, the flexibility and remouldability of the accessory are further increased. Moreover, because of the hole, less material is needed for manufacturing the accessory and the accessory weighs less.

List of figures

[0011] The invention will now be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments and with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a bundling accessory,

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the accessory according to Figure 1 arranged between an infusion tower and a patient for bundling medical hoses between the infusion tower and the patient;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a bundling accessory, Figure 4 is a schematic view of a he cross-section of a second bundling accessory,

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a third bundling accessory,

Figure 6 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a fourth bundling accessory,

Figure 7 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a fifth bundling accessory,

Figure 8 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a sixth bundling accessory,

Figure 9 is a schematic view of a cross-section of a seventh bundling accessory, and

Figure 10 is a schematic view of a cross-section of an eight bundling accessory.

Detailed description of the invention

[0012] Figure 1 shows a bundling accessory 1. The accessory 1 is elongated. In this context, the term 'elongated' means that when medical hoses and/or wires, for example, are fastened into grooves 2 of the accessory 1, a single accessory 1 alone bundles the medical hoses and/or wires into one and the same bundle and, in addition, orientates the hoses and/or wires along an axial direction of the accessory 1. This kind of orientating effect is provided by an accessory of at least 5 cm long, for example. The length of the accessory 1 is thus at least 5 cm, for example. According to a second embodiment, the length of the accessory 1 is at least 30 cm or at least 50 cm. However, a typical length of the accessory 1 is less than 150 cm or less than 100 cm. [0013] The accessory 1 is of a flexible material. The material is thermoplastic elastomer TPS-SEBS, for example. A person skilled in the art will find it obvious that some other rubber or plastic material suitable for the purpose is also possible. Material suitable for use in connection with medical equipment is preferred. The hardness of the material may be 60 shore A, for example. The hardness of the material may also be somewhere between 20 and 80 shore A, for example.

[0014] On the side of the accessory 1 there are elongated, outward open grooves 2. Medical hoses, for example, may be placed into the grooves 2 as illustrated in Figure 2. The figure is an extremely schematic view of an infusion rack 3 and a patient 4. The infusion rack 3 may have infusion pumps and/or fluid bags hanging therefrom, and the fluid bags may contain basic fluid, nutrition fluid or drug or some other similar fluid. Fluid from the infusion rack is conveyed to the patient 4 in medical hoses 5a to 5d. A medical hose may therefore be a hose carrying e.g. basic fluid, nutrition fluid, drug, or it may be some other similar hose connected to the patient. The medical hose may therefore be any hose carrying fluid into the patient.

[0015] The groove 2 may extend on the entire length of the accessory 1. Consequently, a medical hose may be associated with the accessory 1 on the entire length thereof, as illustrated in Figure 2 with a hose 5a. On the other hand, since the grooves 2 are outward open, at the infusion rack end the hose may be arranged all the way to the end of the accessory 1 and come out from the groove 2 from the side of the accessory 1 at a distance from the patient 4 end of the accessory 1, as illustrated in Figure 2 with a hose 5b. In addition, on the infusion rack 3 side the hose may join the side of the accessory 1 at a distance from the end of the accessory 1 and come out from the patient 4 end of the accessory 1, as illustrated in Figure 2 with a hose 5c. Furthermore, the hose may be inserted from the side of the accessory 1 at a distance from the end thereof and the hose may come out from the side of the accessory before the end of the accessory 1, as illustrated in Figure 2 with a hose 5d.

[0016] In the middle of the accessory 1 there may be provided a hole 6 arranged in an axial direction thereof and equal in length with it. With the hole 6 the flexibility of the accessory can be further improved. In addition, the amount of material needed for forming the accessory may be reduced and a accessory 1 of a low weight may be obtained. [0017] Moreover, if the grooves 2 extend from one end of the accessory 1 to the other, the accessory 1 may be manufactured in a relatively simple manner by extrusion moulding. Hence a blank even tens of meters long may be extruded and delivered as a coil, for example. From this long blank a piece of a desired length may then be simply cut with scissors, knife or some other suitable means to provide the accessory 1. In other words, the length of the accessory 1 may be chosen according to what is needed at the site of use. It is also possible to cut pieces of the accessory 1 to lengths that allow two, or even more, of them to be arranged one after the other.

[0018] If two or more accessories 1 are installed successively, they may be in contact with one another or their ends may be at a distance from one another. Furthermore, two or more accessories 1 may be installed one after the other by taking e.g. a hose that is 50 to 150 cm long and has an outer diameter equal to the sized of the inner diameter of the hole 6, or slightly smaller than that, and sliding accessories 1 onto the hose. The hose is thus inserted through the hole 6 and together with the accessories 1 the hose is installed to be used for bundling medical hoses.

[0019] Figure 3 shows a cross section of an accessory 1. The outward open groove 2 on the side has an opening 7 that is narrower than the greatest width of the groove 2. Hoses arranged into the groove 2 thus stay firmly in place in connection with the accessory 1. Since the groove 2 is open on the side and the material of the accessory is flexible and resilient, the hoses can be installed in place by pressing from the side and sliding with a finger, for example, even when the inlet opening 7 is smaller than the outer diameter of the hose to be inserted into the groove. It is also easy to take the hoses out of the groove.

[0020] In the embodiment of Figure 3 the shape of the grooves 2 is round. The inner diameter of the grooves 2 may correspond to the outer diameter of the hoses to be inserted in them. Medical hoses, for example, may typically have varying outer diameters. Hence one accessory 1 may be provided with grooves 2 of different sizes. Larger grooves 2 may have an inner diameter of 4 mm, for example, whereby medical hoses having an outer diameter of 4 mm may be inserted into them. Smaller grooves may have an inner diameter of 2.5 mm, for example, whereby medical hoses having an outer diameter of 2.5 mm may be inserted in them. Moreover, the inner diameter of the grooves 2 may be arranged to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of hoses to be inserted into them. For example, grooves having an inner diameter of 4.5 to 5 mm may be formed for hoses whose outer diameter is 4 mm, and grooves 2 having a diameter of 2.7 to 3.3 mm, for example, may be formed for hoses whose outer diameter is 2.5 mm. Since the inner diameters of the grooves 2 are slightly larger than the outer diameters of hoses or wires to be arranged into them, the hoses and wires are easy to install into the grooves 2 with reasonable effort. However, since the inlet openings 7 are narrower than the greatest diameter of the grooves and the diameter of the hoses or wires to arranged into them, the hoses and wires stay firmly in the grooves 2. The inlet opening 7 may be at least 10 % or, according to an embodiment, at least 20 % or at least 30 % narrower than the greatest diameter of the groove 2.

[0021] The accessory 1 according to Figure 3 may be intended for a hose with a diameter of 4 mm and for four hoses with a diameter of 2.5 mm. Preferably every other groove is meant for a larger hose and every other groove, correspondingly, for a smaller hose. Thus the accessory 1 is provided with a symmetrical structure. In the embodiment of Figure 3, the accessory 1 may have an outer diameter somewhere between 13 to 25 mm, for example. The hole 6 may have an inner diameter somewhere between 4 to 10 mm, for example.

[0022] In the embodiment of Figures 4, 8 and 9 the grooves 2 are not, however, in the form of a circular arc as in Figure 3. Instead, in the embodiment of Figures 4, 8 and 9 the groove 2 widens locally beyond a circular orbit after the inlet opening 7. Side flaps 8 in connection with the outer edge of the groove 2 therefore have an elongated structure and they are thinner on the whole and thus more resilient than in connection with the structure according to Figure 3. Installing of hoses and wires into the accessory according to Figures 4, 8 and 9 is therefore easier than in connection with the structure according to Figure 3.

[0023] Moreover, the structure according to Figures 4, 8 and 9 may be referred to as one in which the grooves 2 are U-shaped. In that case, a T-shaped partition wall 9 is formed between the grooves. The groove 2 has a bottom 10 that may be shaped like a circular arc. The bottom 10 may form a semicircle, for example. A wall 11 may then extend rectilinearly from this semicircle. The walls 11 of the groove may be parallel, i.e. the greatest width of the groove 2 thus equals the size of the semicircle formed by the bottom 10 of the groove. The distance between the walls 11 of the groove may also grow bigger, as shown in Figure 4, in which case the width of the groove 2 is the greatest close to the outer edge of the accessory 1, just before the side flaps 8.

[0024] The structure according to Figures 4, 8 and 9 may also be referred to as one where immediately after the inlet opening 7 a portion of the cross-section of the groove 2 is wider than the cross-section of the largest round hose or wire that fits into the groove. This is illustrated in Figure 8 where a circle in a line of dots and dashes is drawn into one groove 2 to depict the greatest cross-section of a round hose or wire that fits into the groove. Thus, immediately after the inlet opening 7, the cross-section of the groove 2 as denoted with references numerals 2a is greater than the cross-section of the largest hose or wire. The cross-section of the groove 2 is situated inwards from the lower edge level of the inlet opening 7. With a further reference to this structure, the width of the inlet opening 7 of the groove 2 is smaller than the greatest width of the groove 2.

[0025] In the embodiment of Figure 3, the groove 2 has a cross- section that is equal in size to the cross-section of a round hose or wire that fits into the groove.

[0026] In the embodiment of Figures 3, 4, 8 and 9 the outer surface of the accessory 1 is round. Hence the outer diameter of the accessory 1 may be somewhere between 13 to 25 mm, for example. The bottom 10 of a groove into which a hose of 4 mm, for example, is to be arranged may have a radius of curvature of 2 mm, i.e. the diameter of the semicircle in question would be 4 mm. In the embodiment of Figures 4, 8 and 9 the greatest width of the groove 2 is thus greater than this and may be between 4.2 and 5 mm, for example. The width of the inlet opening, in turn, may be somewhere between 2.5 and 3.5 mm, for example. Smaller grooves with corresponding dimensional proportions may also be provided. Hence the greatest width of the groove 2 may be more than 2.2 or more than 2.4 times, for example, the radius of curvature of the bottom 10. The inlet opening 7, in turn, may be at least 10 % or at least 20 % or even at least 30 % smaller than the greatest width of the groove.

[0027] Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate different possible cross-sections of the accessory 1. The accessory 1 may thus have e.g. an oval cross-section, as shown in Figure 5, or a rectangular one, as shown in Figure 6, or square, as shown in Figure 7. The size and number of the grooves may vary as desired according to need. In addition, the size and shape of the hole 6 in the middle of the accessory may vary as desired. The hole 6 may thus have a round shape, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7, or it may be oval, as shown in Figure 5. The hole 6 may also be rectangular or square, or have some other shape.

[0028] The embodiment of Figure 8 corresponds otherwise to the embodiment of Figure 4, except that in the embodiment of Figure 8 the hole 6 is shaped so that the bundling accessory 1 is extremely light and flexible, yet suffi- ciently strong and firm. In the embodiment of Figure 8 the hole 6 is optimized to be as big as possible. Hence savings in material costs are obtained and the accessory becomes as light as possible. For purposes of illustration, a broken line in Figure 8 shows the size of the hole 6 in the solution according to Figure 4. In the embodiment according to Figure 8, the hole 6 thus has protrusions 6a formed thereto. Due to this shaping it has been possible to make the greatest distance 11 between the hole 6 and the groove 2 as small as possible. According to an embodiment, the greatest distance 11 between the hole 6 and the groove 2 is at the most 0.1 times a diameter d of the accessory 1. However, to ensure that the accessory is strong enough, the hole 6 may not be too large, either. According to an embodiment, the shortest distance 12 between the hole 6 and the groove 2 is at least 0.04 times the diameter d of the accessory 1.

[0029] In a bundling accessory for medical hoses in particular, it is useful to have a bundling accessory as low in weight as possible. Hence by shaping the bundling accessory in accordance with the embodiment of 8 and by making the bundling accessory of a material that is suitable for use in connection with medical equipment, a bundling accessory particularly well suited for bundling medical hoses is achieved.

[0030] The embodiment according to Figure 9 is particularly well applicable to bundling wires between a patient monitoring device and a patient. This solution enables wires to be bundled neatly together and the wires can be easily guided to run between the patient monitoring device and the patient on a route where the wires are not at a risk of damage and do not disturb the movements of the personnel either and do not cause a risk of tripping, for example.

[0031] In the structure according to Figure 9 there are five grooves 2 with cross-sections of an equal size. According to an embodiment, the structure according to Figure 9 may be implemented so that there is one groove 2 with a larger cross-section and four grooves 2 with smaller cross-sections of a mutually equal size.

[0032] Figure 10 shows an embodiment in which a bundling accessory 1 has one large groove 2 and four small grooves 2. Due to the large groove 2 the cross-section of the body of the bundling accessory 1 resembles the letter U. To make sure that also a wire or hose arranged into the large groove 2 stays in place, the material of the bundling accessory 1 must be stiffer than in connection with the previous embodiments. [0033] The large groove 2 has a flat shape. It may be dimensioned so that it is able to accommodate a 5 x 17 mm cable of a blood pressure apparatus, for example, i.e. a combination of wires inside a sheath. In this embodiment a large flat cable is thus arranged into a larger groove and thus sets into the body of the bundling accessory 1. The rest of the grooves 2 are available for bundling other, more common hoses and wires.

[0034] The grooves 2 may be provided with markings identifying a groove, for example, or provide an indication of its features, such as size. By providing an identifying marking by the groove 2, it is easy to observe from the bundling accessory 1 to which groove a hose or wire has been placed at a first end of the accessory and a corresponding marking at the other end of the accessory makes it easy to observe the same groove. Each groove 2 may thus be provided with a different marking. In addition, grooves with a similar cross-section may be provided with a similar marking, whereas grooves with cross-sections differing from them may be provided with a different marking.

[0035] The marking may be a broad coloured line on the bottom of the groove 2, for example. In that case, if there is a hose or wire in the groove 2, the colour marking can be checked by removing the hose or wire temporarily on a small distance of the groove 2. It is also possible to provide the marking, such as a coloured line, to the outside of the groove 2, for example on the edge of the inlet opening 7. In that case the marking is visible also when there is hose or wire in the groove 2. The colour marking may be made to the accessory 1 by two- component moulding. In that case most of the material of the accessory 1 is of a first material having a specific colour, whereas the colour marking is preferably of a corresponding material but different in colour than the first material, the materials being extruded into the product simultaneously. As a further example, the colour marking may be made to the surface of the accessory 1 after manufacture for example by spraying a pigment.

[0036] The bundling accessory 1 is particularly well suitable for use for bundling medical hoses or medical devices, such as electric conductors and measuring, control and other similar wires. The bundling accessory 1 may also be used for example for bundling hoses and wires used in industry and in households. Hence the term 'wire' comprises also diverse electric conductors, cables, communication cables and other similar structures.

[0037] The present specification also discloses a bundling accessory, which bundling accessory 1 is elongated and made of a flexible material and com- prises elongated, outward open grooves 2 on a side thereof for hoses and/or wires and in which an inlet opening 7 of the groove 2 has a width that is smaller than the greatest width of the groove and in the middle of the accessory 1 there is a hole 6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the accessory 1. The grooves 2 may otherwise have any kind of cross-sections . The shape and dimensioning of the hole 6 may be implemented by any means disclosed in connection with this specification.

[0038] A person skilled in the art will find it obvious that, as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not restricted to the above- described examples but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A bundling accessory, which accessory (1) is elongated and made of a flexible material, comprises elongated, outward open grooves (2) on a side thereof for hoses and/or wires and in which an inlet opening (7) of the groove (2) has a width that is smaller than the greatest width of the groove, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that immediately after the inlet opening (7) the cross-section of the groove (2) is wider than the cross-section of the largest round hose or wire that fits into the groove.

2. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grooves (2) have U- shaped cross-sectional profiles and an inlet opening (7) that is narrower than the greatest width of the groove (2) so that there is a T-shaped partition wall (9) between the grooves (2).

3. An accessory as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the elongated grooves (2) on the side of the accessory (1) extend on the entire length of the accessory (1).

4. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a hole (6) in the longitudinal direction of the accessory (1) is provided in the middle of the accessory (1).

5. An accessory as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dimensioning and shape of the hole (6) are such that the longest distance between the hole (6) and the groove (2) is smaller than 0.1 times a diameter (d) of the accessory (1).

6. An accessory as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dimensioning and shape of the hole (6) are such that the shortest distance between the hole (6) and the groove (2) is greater than 0.04 times the diameter (d) of the accessory (1).

7. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer diameter of the accessory (1) is round.

8. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the accessory (1) is provided with grooves (2) of different widths.

9. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bottom (10) of the groove (2) is in the shape of a circular arc.

10. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the walls (11) of the groove (2) are rectilinear.

11. An accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein the walls (11) of the groove (2) are parallel.

12. An accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein the distance between the walls (11) of the groove (2) increases from the bottom (10) of the groove (2) towards the outer edge of the accessory (1).

13. An accessory as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the accessory (2) is made of a material that is suitable for use in connection with medical devices.