US2524713A

US2524713A - Vein fixator

Info

Publication number: US2524713A
Application number: US111393A
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicholas P Plechas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-08-20
Filing date: 1949-08-20
Publication date: 1950-10-03
Anticipated expiration: 1967-10-03

Description

Oct; 3, 1950 N. P. PLECHAS 2,524,713

vsm FIXATOR Filed Aug. 20, 1949 l'snventor (ittomeg Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEIN FIXA'IOR Nicholas P. Plechas, Compton, Calif.

Application August 20, 1949, Serial No. 111,393

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a vein fixator employed in connection with a hypodermic needle.

The occasional, although common, difficulty met in effecting a proper penetration of and entrance to a vein for obtaining blood specimens or injecting materials intravenously, may result in excessive pain and discomfort to the patient. The primary cause of such difiiculties is that the vein and the surrounding peri-venous tissue are excessively mobile, and, while the subcutaneous tissue is readily penetrable, the vein itself, unless exactly approached, eludes the needle point. Because of such elusiveness, after penetration of a vein is effected, the perforation may extend through the oppositewall of the vein with the result that there is failure to canalize. Other causes for such difficulties are collapse of the vein walls due to low Venous pressure, and excessive thickening of the walls due to sclerosis or spasm. It is evident then, that by fixing the vein so that the same has little or no mobility, intravenous canalization may be greatly facilitated. Some attempts have been made to accomplish fixation of the vein but such techniques involved instruments independent of the needle and, in at least one instance, entailed additional and separate punctures of the skin resulting in unnecessary pain to the patient.

Recognizing the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel vein fixator that is used in combination with a conventional hypodermic needle for eifecting fixation of a vein whereby the needle may effect proper penetration of the vein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vein fixator that telescopically engages a hypodermic needle and functions to both guide the same and to grasp and hold the neri-venous tissue surrounding the vein to hold the vein substantially immobile while penetration thereof is effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method for fixing a vein to hold the same immobile while intravenous canalization is effected.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, eco nomical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. Howneedle.

ever, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the conventional needle of a hypodermic syringe equipped with a vein fixator according to the present invention, the latter being shown partly in longitudinal section, the full line position of the needle being the first position thereof after subcutaneous penetration, and the dot-dash line position being the second position thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing only the distal portions of the needle and fixator in the third position thereof. a

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged end view of the distal end of the needle and fixator.

The hollow needle 5 is conventionally provided with an end bevel 6 so that the same has a sharp penetrating point i. In the usual manner, said needle, by means of a thimble 8, is afiixed to a syringe preferably of the plunger type.

The present fixator comprises a thin-gauged metal shank 9 of suitably arcuately curved crosssection and adapted to lie in intimate engagement with the outer surface of the needle 5. Said shank, at one end, is formed from or connects with an enlarged tubular part ID that has an opening 1 I adapted to telescopically pass through said opening to be centered in part ID. The latter serves as means whereby the fixator may be grasped during assembly of the needle and fixator or separation thereof.

According to the present invention, the opposite end of shank 9 is integrally provided with a pair of opposed prongs l2 that extend from each side of the shank and are oppositely curved to encompass somewhat more than one-half of the peripheral surface of the adjacent portion of the In practice, said prongs, which are resilient, include a curvature that is slightly less than the circumferential curvature of the needle.

Accordingly, when the needle is introduced between the prongs, the latter will be fiexed outwardly but will retain intimate contact with the outer surface of the needle. The length of shank 9 is so proportioned relative to the length of the needle, that needle point 1 extends beyond prongs l2 which thus engage the needle proximate to bevel 6. It is preferred that prongs I2 be at a rearward angle from the shank toward their outer therethrough, the needle being ends, whereby they may serve as barbs assisting anchoring the fiXator in flesh tissue.

A transversely extending handle I3 is afiixed to tubular part Ill.

For a better understanding of the present device, the drawing shows a vein l5, the surrounding peri-venous tissue l6, and the subcutaneous tissue ll beneath the skin surface I8.

In practice, the fixator is assembled into the needle so that point 1 is adjacent the free end of shank 9 and the prongs I2 encompass the needle above bevel B. This combined device is connected to a syringe, as mentioned. The needle point is then introduced in the usual manner, effecting penetration of surface [8 and subcutaneous tissue l'! and partial or total penetration of peri-venous tissue l6. Whether point I, at this stage, effects some penetration of vein [5 is immaterial, but, in any case, prongs l2 will reside in the peri-venous tissue as shown in Fig. 1.

Now, by holding handle I3, the needle 5 is withdrawn to the position shown by the dot-dash lines and, therefore, free of prongs l2 which are thus released so they may flex inwardly Slightly. Said prongs now have a sufficiently firm grip on the peri-venous tissue.

The syringe and needle are then rotated some 180, more or less, to bring point I in substantially opposed relation to shank 9. Now, with the prongs holding tissue It and the latter holding the vein [5 substantially immobile, the needle point is penetrated through the vein wall as in Fig. 2. Since the latter movement of the needle is limited by the re-engagement of thimble 8 and tubular part I'll, the needle point cannot penetrate too far and assurance is had that the point I is properly situated. The syringe is now operated either to draw fluid from the vein or to introduce fluid.

Since, in the last position, prongs l2 are reengaged with the needle, the latter and the fixator may be simultaneously withdrawn after canalization, or the needle may be restored to its initial position relative to the fixator before withdrawal. If desired, a slight rotation of both needle and fixator will help facilitate extraction.

Another and perhaps preferred method varies from the one above described in that after partial retraction and rotation of the needle, the same is moved away from prongs l2 before being re-projected to pierce the vein. Because both the needle and the shank 9 are flexible, such relative movement can be readil effected. It will be seen then, that the grip of the prongs on the peri-venous tissue is undisturbed while the needle point is directed to elfect canalization. After the latter has been accomplished, the needle is withdrawn and allowed to resume its aligned relationship to the fixator. Then the needle is projected to re-engage with the prongs and withdrawal is effected as before.

While the fixator is shown as abutting thimble 8, such abutment may be eliminated by providing a needle that is longer than the one shown. In that event, the fixator is preferably frictionally engaged with the passage in tubular part In or a, portion of the shank adjacent part l0 may be formed to effect such frictional engagement. Thus proportioned, the needle point is enabled to move considerably beyond the fixator after the latter has been anchored.

While the present device may be used with conventional syringes, the best results are obtained when the syringe is of the type that keeps a constant suction on the passage in the needle.

Thus, immediately upon penetration of the vein wall, a tinge of red will appear in the syringe and apprise that the vein has been entered.

While the fixator is made of relatively thin material to minimize asperation of the tissue and has little rigidity by itself, the same is rendered rigid when coupled with a needle and, conversely, serves to rigidify the needle.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe of a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needle and having gripping prongs engaged with the same adjacent its pointed end.

2. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said needle having a mounting thimble on the end opposite the pointed end, of a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needle and having an enlarged end portion in end abutment with the needle thimble, said fixator, at the opposite end, being provided with gripping prongs engaged over the needle adjacent the pointed end thereof.

3. The combination with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said needle having a mounting thimble on the end opposite the pointed end, of a vein fixator telescopically engaged with said needle and having an enlarged end portion in end abutment with the needle thimble, there being a handle on said enlarged end portion for holding the fixator immobile while the needle is being telescopically moved, said fixator, at the opposite end, being provided with gripping prongs engaged over the needle adjacent the pointed end thereof.

4. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising a pair of prongs normally engaged around the needle adjacent the point thereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction of the needle, being adapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissue surrounding a vein to hold the latter substantially immobile while the needle is telescopically projected to pierce the same.

5. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising an elongated shank generally coextensive with the length of the needle and provided with a pair of prongs normally engaged around the needle adjacent the point thereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction of the needle, being adapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissue surrounding a vein to hold the latter substantially immobile while the needle is telescopically projected to pierce the same.

6. A vein fixator adapted for telescopic engagement with the sharp-pointed needle of a hypodermic syringe, said fixator comprising an elongated shank adapted to extend lengthwise of the needle and in intimate engagement with the outside surface thereof, an enlarged end on said shank adapted for telescopic engagement 5 with the needle on the end thereof opposite the sharp end, and a pair of prongs on the opposite end of the shank and adapted to engage around the needle adjacent the point thereof, said prongs, upon telescopic retraction of the needle, being adapted to engage and grasp the peri-venous tissue surrounding a vein to hold the latter subof the peri-venous tissue to thereby hold the vein substantially immobile, rotating the needle approximately 180", and then, While the peri-venous tissue is gripped, projecting the needle to pierce the vein thus held immobile.

8. The method for effecting intravenous canalization of a vein that consists in introducing a hypodermic needle to pierce the subcutaneous tissue to and including the peri-venous tissue sur- 6 rounding a vein, partially retracting the needle and simultaneously internally gripping a portion of the peri-venous tissue to thereby hold the vein substantially immobile, rotating the needle approximately 180, then, while the peri-venous tissue is gripped, flexing the needle out of its normal alignment to seek out the vein, projecting the needle to pierce the vein thus held immobile, effecting canalization, retracting the needle from the vein and allowing the same to resume its normal un-flexed aligned position, re-projecting the needle to release the grip on the peri-venous tissue, and, finally, extracting the same from the subcutaneous tissue.

NICI-IQLAS P. PLECI-IAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,008,340 Salvati et al July 16, 1935 2,103,174 Posada Dec. 21, 1937 2,234,961 Canada Mar. 18, 1941