GB2223682A

GB2223682A - Drainage clip device

Info

Publication number: GB2223682A
Application number: GB8822587A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Phillip Berry; Robert Anthony Sells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-09-27
Filing date: 1988-09-27
Publication date: 1990-04-18
Also published as: GB8822587D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a device (10) for attaching a surgical drain (12) to a human being or other animal, which comprises a first portion (14) for surrounding a part of the surgical drain (12), a second, flange, portion (16) for attachment to the skin of the human being or other animal and means (18) for causing the first portion (14) to grip the drain (12). <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION DRAINAGE CLIP DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for fixing a drain (normally a tube) in place during and after a surgical operation.

Drains are very frequently used in surgery and vary in diameter from 3 mm to 15 mm. The drain is usually a silicone rubber tube which is inserted through the skin at the site of the operation where fluid will collect.

This fluid has to be drained off and the drain may have to stay in situ for periods of e.g. from a day to up to three or even four months.

Current practice for fixing the drain in situ is unsatisfactory: most surgeons stitch the drain to the skin, by passing a 2/0 silk suture through the skin adjacent to the drain, wrapping it around the drain a couple of times and then tying a reef knot. More careful surgeons will pass the suture five or six times round the tube, tying a half hitch every 1800.

Despite these techniques, there may be problems.

For example: a. The drain may fall out of the site of insertion because the stitch was not fastened securely to the drain.

b. The stitch may cut through the skin.

c. There may be sepsis at the site of suture insertion because of too tight a knot.

d. There may be messy leakage between the skin incision and the drain, which of course is not sealed.

The present invention seeks to provide a cheap, easily and quickly applied device which fixes the drain securely in the right place until removal is required.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for attaching a surgical drain to a human being or other animal which comprises a first portion for surrounding a part of the surgical drain, a second, flange, portion for attachment to the skin of the human being or other animal and means for the first portion to grip the drain.

The first portion is preferably tubular, in which case the device is threaded onto the drain from one end, or split tubular in which case the device may be sprung onto the drain part way along the drain.

By use of the present invention, at least in some embodiments, a device may be obtained which: a. Seals the gap between the skin incision and the tube. and/or b. Helps to prevent sepsis.

The first portion and the flange portion may be made separately and then attached to one another e.g. by welding or glueing or may be made (e.g. by moulding) as a single piece.

The flange portion may be any convenient size or shape e.g. square or in the form or one or more strips, but in a preferred embodiment is an annular flange extending around the first portion. Preferably the annular portion is disk shaped, i.e. slightly upturned (away from the skin when in use) at the edges as this may facilitate attachment to the skin.

The means for causing the first portion to grip the drain preferably comprises a clip which causes the first portion to be pressed against the outer wall of the drain when it is desired to cause the first portion to grip the drain.

Preferably the means for causing the first portion to grip the drain is such as to allow the first portion to grip and ungrip the drain e.g. to allow the device to be moved to a different position on the drain.

The gripping action may cause the tubular portion to seal to the drain in some embodiments.

Preferably the device of the invention is in a single piece although the means for causing the first portion to grip the drain may be a separate piece.

The flange portion may be attached to the skin of the patient by any suitable means e.g. skin clips or an appropriate adhesive, and may be attached direct to the skin or to e.g. to a surgical drape or wound dressing.

It is envisaged in some cases that the flange may comprise part or all of a surgical drape or wound dressing.

The device is preferably plastics material e.g.

polyurethane, polypropylene, or nylon (preferably nylon 66) and in preferred embodiments is injection moulded.

Preferably the flange portion of this device is impregnated with an antiseptic e.g. povidone iodine antiseptic.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention shown in position on a surgical drain and Fig 2 is a plan view of this embodiment of figure 1, shown without the surgical drain.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a device (10) in accordance with this invention shown (in figure 1) in position on a surgical drain (12). The device of the invention as shown comprises three main parts, a tubular portion (14), an annular flange portion (16) and clip means (18) for causing the tubular portion (1#) to grip the drain (12). The tubular portion (14) and the annular portion (16) are, in the embodiment shown, both split at (17) and are injection moulded as a single piece from a plastic material e.g. polyurethane and the clip means (18) is a separate part injection moulded from plastics material e.g. polyurethane, polyproylene or nylon preferably nylon 66.Said clip means includes an approximately U-shaped resiliantly deformable portion (20) which closely surrounds the tubular portion (14) and interengaging toothed or serrated section (22,24) adjacent each end of the Ushaped portion. By applying pressure to the ends (26, 28) of the U-shaped portion in the direction of the arrows drain in Fig 2, the serrated portions (22,24) can be engaged and the inner surface of the U-shaped portion thereby sealingly engaged with the outer surface of the drain (12).

In operation the device (10) may be threaded onto the drainage tube (12) from one end until the annular flange portion (16) is adjacent to the skin (not shown).

Alternatively in view of the split the device may be sprung onto the drain at the desired portion. The annular portion (16) is fastened to the skin using skin clips.

The surgeon would probably already be using a skin clip device and would not need to use an additional pack of sutures that would be required if a conventional drain was used.

The clip is finger-tightened onto the tube by applying finger pressure in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 2. The clip (16) may be released from the tubular portion (14) e.g. by twisting the end portions (26, 28) to disengage the teeth or serrated section (22, 24). This quick-release mechanism on the clip allows the surgeon periodically to shorten the length of drain tube that lies within the wound as required over a period of days and to refasten it easily without using any tools or other resources. It will be appreciated that each surgeon will have his own particular method of applying and releasing the device and the method described is merely by way of example only.

Claims

1. A device for attaching a surgical drain to a human being or other animal which comprises a first portion for surrounding a part of the surgical drain, a second, flange, portion for attachment to the skin of the human being or other animal and means for causing the first portion to grip the drain.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the first portion is tubular or split tubular.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the flange portion is an annular flange extending around the first portion.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the annular portion is slightly upturned at the edges.

5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for causing the first portion to grip the drain comprises a clip which causes the first portion to be pressed against the outer wall of the drain when it is desired to cause the first portion to grip the drain.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the means for causing the first portion to grip the drain is such as to allow the first portion to grip and ungrip the drain.

7. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is in a single piece.

8.- A device sus claimedrin- any one of the preceding claims in which the flange portion may; be attached to the skin of the patient by skin clips or an appropriate adhesive.

9. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the flange comprises part or all of a surgical drape or wound dressing.

10. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which is made from a plastics material.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10, in which the plastics material is polyurethane, polypropylene, or nylon.

12. A device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, which is made by injection moulding.

13. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the flange portion is impregnated with an antiseptic.

14. A device for attaching a surgical drain to a human being or other animal, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.