As well known in the medical arts, to relieve an undesirable accumulation of fluids from a part of the body, it is frequently necessary to provide a means for draining the fluid away from the body. Such is the case, for example, in the treatment of hydrocephalus, an ailment usually afflicting infants or children in which fluids which ought to drain away accumulate within the skull and thereby exert extreme pressure and skull deforming forces.
In treating hydrocephalus, cerebrospinal fluid accumulated in the brain ventricles is drained away by a catheter inserted into the ventricle through the skull, and the catheter is connected to a tube which conducts the fluid away from the brain either to another part of the body or to an external source. External drain systems typically are attached to intravenous (IV) poles and include a mounting assembly having a pole clamp and a scale, and a drip assembly adjustably fastened to the mounting assembly. The drip assembly typically includes a fluid-receiving graduated cylinder which often empties into a disposable bag.
A zero reference point on the skull is usually found using a laser leveling device. In particular, a zero point on the scale is aligned with this zero reference point on the skull. Additionally, a zero reference stop cock having fluid valves is also aligned with the zero reference point and usually attached to the pole clamp. In order to control the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and maintain the proper pressure in the brain ventricle, the drip assembly is elevated or lowered along the scale to encourage or reduce a gravity or pressure flow from the brain ventricles into the cylinder and/or bag.
Current laser leveling devices include a laser enclosed within a housing and one or more leveling tubes that indicate whether the housing (and thus the laser) is level with respect to gravity. The housing is attached to the scale so that the zero point on the scale, the zero point reference stop cock and the laser are all in fixed relation (typically aligned). A user inspects the leveling tube to determine whether the housing of the laser leveling device is level and/or whether rotation of the housing is needed to level the device. After the housing is level, the drainage system and/or patient can be positioned so that the laser is aligned with the zero reference point on the skull.
Aspects of concepts presented herein relate to a laser leveling device for use with an external medical drainage system. The laser leveling device includes a housing enclosing an accelerometer and a laser module. At least one level indicator is electrically coupled to the accelerometer to provide an indication of whether the housing is level with respect to gravity. In one particular aspect, the housing of the laser leveling device is rotatably coupled to the drainage system through a mounting bracket. A power source can further be enclosed within the housing to selectively provide power to the accelerometer, the laser module and the level indicator. Additionally, a switch can be electrically coupled to the power source such that, upon actuation of the switch, the power source provides power to the accelerometer and the laser module for a predetermined period of time.
In another aspect, a drainage system includes a catheter configured to be fluidly coupled to a patient and a drainage control component mounted to a panel spaced apart from the patient. The drainage control component is fluidly coupled to the catheter. A drip assembly is slidably mounted to the panel for selective positioning with respect to the drainage control component and fluidly coupled to the drainage control component. Furthermore, a laser leveling device is mounted to the panel and includes a housing, an accelerometer, a laser module and a level indicator. The level indicator is electrically coupled to the accelerometer to indicate a relative position of the housing with respect to gravity.
In yet another aspect, a method for draining fluid from a patient includes fluidly coupling a catheter to the patient and fluidly connecting a drainage control component to the catheter. A laser leveling device is positioned in fixed relation to the drainage control component and includes a housing, an accelerometer, a laser module and a level indicator. The level indicator is electrically coupled to the accelerometer to indicate a relative position of the housing with respect to the gravity. The method also includes rotating the housing so as to be level with gravity and powering the laser module to form a laser beam. The laser beam is aligned with a reference point on the patient.
To establish a desired fluid pressure within the head of patient 12, a laser leveling device 30 is used to align zero reference stop cock 18 with a zero reference point 32 marked on patient 12. In one embodiment, device 30 is aligned with zero reference stop cock 18 and zero reference point 32 is located at a top of an ear of the patient 12. The laser leveling device 30 emits a laser beam 34 (schematically shown) and a position (i.e., height) of drainage system 10 and/or patient 12 is adjusted such that beam 34 is aligned with zero reference point 32. As discussed below, laser leveling device 30 includes at least one level indicator to insure that beam 34 is level with respect to gravity. In one embodiment, drainage system 10 is mounted to an IV pole (not shown) using a sliding mounting mechanism such that zero reference stop cock 18 and zero reference point 32 are positioned at the same height. One example mechanism for mounting drainage system 10 to a pole is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,727; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
With reference to
Each of the level indicators 56 and 58 are configured to provide a visual indication of whether housing 40 is level. In particular, the level indicator 56 and 58 provide an indication of whether top 40a, bottom 40b and laser beam 34 are parallel with respect to the ground. Switch 60 is provided to temporarily turn on the laser beam 34, wherein power indicator 62 provides an indication that power is provided to turn on the laser beam 34. In another embodiment, power indicator 62 can indicate a power level of a power source enclosed within housing 40 (e.g., battery level is low). Mounting bracket 42 further includes a groove 64 that cooperates with a tab on panel 20 of the drainage system 10 such that mounting bracket 42 is secured to panel 20.
Further reference is made to
In the embodiment illustrated, first level indicator 56 includes three light emitting diodes (LEDs) 80, 81 and 82 that are exposed relative to the housing 40. Collectively, the LEDs provide an indication of whether the housing 40 is level with respect to gravity as a function of signals received from accelerometer 76. For example, outer LEDs 80 and 82 can be red LEDs whereas middle LED 81 is a green LED. If either LED 80 or LED 82 is lit, this is an indication that housing 40 is not level. If LED 81 is lit, this is an indication that housing 40 is level. In an alternative embodiment, first level indicator 56 can include a single LED indicating housing 40 is level. Second level indicator 58 is similarly constructed to first level indicator 56 and includes three LEDs 83, 84 and 85. Similar to LEDs 80-82, LEDs 83-85 can include two outer LEDS (e.g., LEDs 83 and 85) of a first color (e.g., red) and a middle LED (e.g., LED 84) of a second color (e.g., green) to indicate whether housing 40 is level. Switch 60 includes a push button 86 whereas power indicator 62 includes an LED 88 indicating whether the laser leveling device is operational.
To operate laser leveling device 30, push button 86 of switch 60 is actuated (i.e., depressed), which transmits a signal from switch 60 to CPU 70 indicating that the push button 86 has been depressed. CPU 70 then sends a signal to power indicator 62, laser module 74 and accelerometer 76 so as to turn on for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., approximately 20 seconds). During the predetermined amount of time, signals from accelerometer 76 are sent to CPU 70. CPU 70 interprets these signals and sends corresponding signals to first level indicator 56 and second level indicator 58. In particular, CPU 70 sends a signal to turn on one of the LEDs 80-82 of first level indicator 56 and one of the LEDs 83-85 of second level indicator 58. For example, if accelerometer 76 indicates that housing 40 is tilted in a clockwise direction (as viewed in
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.