WO2005053782A1

WO2005053782A1 - Cannula retaining arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2005053782A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/004236
Authority: WO
Inventors: Susan Elizabeth Barton
Original assignee: University Of Bradford
Priority date: 2003-11-05
Filing date: 2004-10-07
Publication date: 2005-06-16
Also published as: GB0325783D0; GB0422130D0; GB2407776A

Abstract

A foam pad (12) is placed over a cannula (30) with straps (14) and (16) attached to the pad being wound around the palm and wrist of a user to hold the pad in position. The cannula can be attached to the pad by the use of a strap (34).

Description

CANNULA RETAINING ARRANGEMENT

The present invention relates to a cannula retaining arrangement, a method of retaining a cannula and a method of using a cannula retaining arrangement.

A cannula comprises a needle inserted through the skin of a patient connected to the blood supply at one end and a port at the other end to which fluids source can be connected in order to dispense fluid into the bloodstream.

In order to retain the cannula in position a bandage is wound around the part of the patient to which the cannula is connected both around the cannula and to either side. The tape is secured by adhesive tape attached to each end region of the bandage and also to the skin of the patient. There are several disadvantages to this procedure.

One is that it takes considerable time to wind the bandage on and off the patient. This is costly in terms of the operatives time. It can also be distressing for the patient .

Another is that the patient may be allergic to the adhesive of the tape.

A further disadvantage is that the needle necessarily goes in at a slight angle to the skin. Consequently the tape will urge the cannula and needle to be nearer to parallel to the skin's surface either as a result of the pressure required to maintain the bandage in a wound form or as a result of an unskilled operative effecting too tight a winding of the bandage or both. This induces a bending moment on the needle and significant flexing of the skin of the patient and consequential discomfort to the patient.

In addition, the patient can feel reluctant to move their hand for fear that the tube connecting the fluid supply to the cannula becomes detached. Movement and resultant increase of blood circulation in the part to which the cannula is fitted is often advantageous but is inhibited in the prior method of winding the bandage.

It is an object of the present invention to attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other disadvantages.

The present invention is defined in the attached claims.

The present invention can be carried into practice in various ways but two embodiments will now be described by way of example and with, reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: -

Figure 1 is a rear view of a cannula securing device 10;

Figure 2 is a front view of the device 10, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower arm and hand of the patient showing the device 10 attached thereto.

The device 10 comprises a pad 12 of foam which may be soft, resilient or compressible or any combination thereof approximately 1 cm deep. The foam includes, on its outer of front surface, two straps 14 and 16 having hook attachments on their rear surface, each aligned with tape 18 and 20 respectively secured to the front surface of the foam.

The device is attached to the lower arm and wrist by wrapping the larger section 22 just around the edges of the hand with the strap 16 extending across the palm of the hand and between the thumb 24 and second finger 26 with the hooks of the strap 16 engaging with the eyes of the tape 20. The smaller section 28 is wrapped to and just slightly around the wrist 30 of the patient and is secured thereto by the hooks on the strap 14 engaging with the eyes of the tape 18. The cannula port 32 is thereby gently held in place on the patient with the device being quickly and conveniently attached and detached from the patient. The cannula port may compress the foam to gently hold the port in place with the foam conforming slightly to the shape of the body and protruding port.

In addition, the rear of the device may include a further strap 34 having hooks that can be detachably secured to a tape 36 having eyes. A tube 38 is detachably connected to the cannula port and extends initially towards the fingers and then, via a loop, back up in the direction of the arm. The strap 34 traps the loop against the tape 36 to restrict movement of the tube 38 and to further restrict movement of the cannula. An operative is able to make a single or a cross-cut 40 in the foam in order that the tube 38 can be threaded out through the foam. As the foam is cut by the operative, the precise location of the cannula relative to the device is not critical as the cut may be made after the cannula is fitted, possibly by putting the device in place, noting where the cut is to be made and then removing the device to effect the cut. Alternatively, as the foam is readily compressible the device could be mounted on the patient and the cut can be made when the device is so mounted possibly with both straps being fully applied or with one strap or more being partially slackened or completely released. It will also be appreciated that different patients have different sized hands. Consequently the same bandage can be fitted to different size hands with the cut being made at the precise location to feed the tube through.

The foam of the cut 40, once the tube has been fed through, will close around the tube as a result of the flexible properties of the foam.

A user of the device will still be able to manoeuvre the arm, wrist and hand although perhaps to a slightly restricted extent as a result of the resilience of the foam.

The device is particularly suited to children. In this respect, if a child cannot see a cannula entering the body they will soon forget about it. In addition, the site of the cannula can easily be inspected by leaving the strap 16 attached and detaching the strap 14. After inspection the strap 14 can simply be re-attached. Thus there is minimal inconvenience to the patient, particularly as the foam will tend to flex back over the cannula as soon as an operative releases the previously raised portion of the foam. Again this has particularly important advantages for children where the time that they can view the cannula is minimised. It will be appreciated that the device could be used to secure a cannula anywhere on the body of an animal such as a human .

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) . The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A cannula retaining arrangement comprising a pad arranged, in use, to extend at least partly over a cannula attached to the upper region of a wrist, the arrangement including at least a first pad retainment means arranged to provide a connection around the wrist and a second pad retainment means, separate from the first retainment means, arranged to provide a connection around the palm of the hand and between the thumb and first finger, at least the first retainment means being such that it can be selectively retained or released from retention.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 in which the first retainment means is arranged to be released from retention with the second retainment remaining retained such that, in us, an operative can view the cannula without the arrangement being detached from a person.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 in which, with the first retainment means being released from retention and with the second retainment means remaining attached, in use, an operative is able to detach and attach a connection to a cannula.

4. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 or 3 in which, in use, the pad is flexed in order to view or gain access to the cannula.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pad is cutable that, in use, is arranged to be supplied uncut with the pad subsequently being able to be cut .

6. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the pad is compressible in at least the region that is arranged to extend over a cannula.

7. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 6 in which the pad includes foam.

8. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 7 in which substantially the complete pad comprises foam.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pad is more than 2 mm or more than 5 mm or in the region of 10 mm thick.

10. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the pad does not overlap itself in an axial direction of winding.

11. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which, in use, the pad does not overlap itself.

12. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pad is arranged, in use, to extend only part of the way around part of the location of where the cannula is located.

13. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pad is resilient over at least part of its extent.

14. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the or each retainment means are connected to the pad.

15. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 14 in which the or each retainment means includes first and second members which are detachably connected together.

16. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 15 in which the first member comprises a strap extending from the pad arranged, in use, to surround, with the pad, the palm or the wrist

17. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 16 in which the strap is detachably connectable to the second member which second member is secured to the pad.

18. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 14 to 17 in which the first and second retainment means are separate from each other.

19. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pad, in use, covers the cannula completely.

20. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 19 in which, in use, the cannula is completely obscured.

21. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including attachment means arranged, in use, to attach the pad to the cannula.

22. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 21 in which the attachment means are arranged, in use, to directly attach the cannula to the pad.

23. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 21 or 22 in which the attachment means comprise a fastener arranged, in use, to extend between a cannula and the upper region of the wrist .

24. A cannula retaining arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings .

25. A cannula retaining arrangement comprising a pad arranged, in use, to extend at least partly over a cannula attached to an animal, the pad being cutable and, in use, is arranged to be supplied uncut with the pad subsequently being arranged to be cut.

26. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 25 in which the pad is adapted to be cut in one of a plurality of locations.

27. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 25 or 26 in which the pad comprises compressible and flexible material.

28. An arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 24 to 27 when dependent on any of Claims 1 to 24.

29. A method of retaining a cannula connected to the upper wrist region comprising locating a pad at least partly over the cannula and retaining the pad with a releasable first retainer around the wrist region and retaining the pad with a second retainer, separate from the first retainer, around the palm and the thumb and first finger.

30. A method of using a pad that at least partially covers a cannula and in which the cannula which has been retained by a method as claimed in Claim 29 comprising at least partially releasing the first retainer whilst the second retainer retains the pad around the palm and the thumb and first finger and raising at least a portion of the pad previously retained by the first retainer to view the cannula and subsequently reapplying the first retainer.

31. A method of using a pad that at least partially covers a cannula and in which the cannula which has been retained by a method as claimed in Claim 30 or a method as claimed in Claim 31 comprising at least partially releasing the first retainer whilst the second retainer retains the pad around the palm and the thumb and first finger and raising at least a portion of the pad that has previously been retained by the first retainer, detaching and attaching a connection to the cannula and subsequently reapplying the first retainer.

32. A method as claimed in Claim 29 comprising an operative cutting the pad and subsequently passing a connection through the cut to connect with the cannula.

33. A method as claimed in Claim 32 comprising first attaching the cannula and then determining where the cut should be made and effecting the cut.

34. A method as claimed in Claim 32 comprising making the cut with the second retainer in place.

35. A method as claimed in Claim 34 comprising making the cut with the first retainer being released.

36. A method of retaining a cannula comprising noting where a cannula is to be or is attached to an animal and making an opening in a cover that is to at least partially cover the cannula and passing a connector to the cannula through the opening.

37. A method as claimed in Claim 36 comprising first connecting a cannula and subsequently making the opening.

38. A method as claimed in Claim 36 or 37 comprising making the opening whilst the cover is at least partially attached to the animal.

39. A method as claimed in Claim 36 or 37 comprising making the opening with the cover detached from the animal .

40. A method as claimed in Claim 38 or 39 comprising locating the cover in position on the animal in order to determine the location on the cover that the opening is to be made .

41. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 40 comprising making the opening an enclosed opening.

42. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 41 comprising making the opening in resilient material and causing the material of the cover to engage at least partially around the connector.

43. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 42 comprising making the opening in foam material.

44. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 43 comprising noting where the cannula is to be attached to a human .

45. A method as claimed in Claim 40 comprising noting where a cannula is to be attached to the uppermost region.

46. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 45 in which the cannula has been retained by a method as claimed in any of Claims 25 to 35.

47. A method as claimed in any of Claims 25 to 40 comprising causing the pad to cushion the cannula.

48. A method as claimed in any of Claims 25 to 47 comprising the pad being compressed by the cannula as the pad is attached.

49. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 45 comprising attaching the pad with at least one releasable fastener.

50. A method as claimed in any of Claims 36 to 49 comprising wrapping the pad only part of the way around the part to which the cannula is connected.

51. A method as claimed in Claims 29 to 50 comprising connecting the cannula to the pad before connecting the pad to the body.

52. A method as claimed in Claim 51 comprising connecting the cannula to the pad by passing a member between the cannula and the part of the body to which the cannula is connected.

53. A method of retaining a cannula or a method of using a pad that at least partially covers a cannula that has been retained substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings .