Patent Application
20230347069
This document concerns an invention relating generally to holders for medical instruments, particularly for hypodermic syringes, and more specifically to instrument holders which can grasp and retain instruments such as hypodermic syringes with use of a single hand.
In the medical field, it is often necessary to retain instruments ready at hand for use, while at the same time guarding against potential injury from, or contamination to, such instruments. As an example, syringe holders have been developed which hold a syringe in a ready-to-use position by grasping its syringe cap, which covers the syringe's needle when the syringe is not in use to maintain sterility and avoid accidental needle punctures. These holders allow a user to pull the syringe from the cap to expose the needle for use, and then replace the needle within the grasped cap to mount the syringe for later use if needed. Examples are seen in prior patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,803 to Emerson; U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,354 to Hernandez; U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,817 to Code; U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,695 to Farrar, Jr. et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,885 to Rubin; U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,846 to Clegg et al.; WO199302871 to Collett; EP0510626 to Herotec Kunststoffverarbeitung; and FR2664816 to Cabinet Ores. Other examples are the flexible foam syringe/scalpel holders offered by Aspen Surgical (Caledonia, MI, USA) and Quosina Corporation (Ronkonkoma, NY, USA). The Aspen holder is a rectangular prism (e.g., a cube-like block) formed of flexible foam bearing double-sided tape on its bottom, whereby a backing sheet could be removed from the tape and the prism could then be adhered to a surgical drape. The cap of a syringe could then be inserted into a small-diameter hole formed in the prism's top, or could simply be urged into the foam to penetrate the prism, with the foam's elasticity then tending to retain the inserted cap. The syringe could then be pulled from the cap retained within the mounted prism for use, with the syringe's needle being reinsertable within the cap when use is completed. Quosina provided similar holders, as well as providing a retainer in the form of a small plastic open-topped box having double-sided tape on its base. The retainer could be adhered to a surface, and a foam prism could be inserted into the open top of the retainer for use similar to the aforementioned Aspen holder.
The Aspen and Quosina holders are relatively low-cost items which may be discarded after use, avoiding the need for sterilization, and may be inexpensively replaced with a new holder for subsequent use. However, the foam prisms, once adhered to surgical drapes, are not always stable, with the double-sided tape sometimes failing to adhere well to the fabric of the drapes, and/or with the drapes bending/folding to allow the prisms (and any syringes therein) to tip. While the prisms could instead be adhered to surgical trays or other surfaces, this tends to leave adhesive residue on the surfaces, requiring additional post-operation cleaning. Additionally, the prisms hold instruments such that the instruments protrude vertically from the tops of the prisms, leaving elongated instruments (such as syringes) vulnerable to accidental strikes (and dislodgement from prisms) during operations.
The invention involves an instrument holder which is intended to at least partially solve the aforementioned problems. To give the reader a basic understanding of some of the advantageous features of the invention, following is a brief summary of preferred versions of the instrument holder, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings (which are briefly reviewed in the following “Brief Description of the Drawings” section of this document) to assist the reader's understanding. Since the following discussion is merely a summary, it should be understood that more details regarding the preferred versions may be found in the Detailed Description set forth elsewhere in this document. The claims set forth at the end of this document then define the various versions of the invention in which exclusive rights are secured.
Looking to the exemplary preferred version of the invention depicted in
The prongs 10p preferably extend from an upper base block surface 10u, and preferably have lengthwise axes which are at least approximately parallel. The prongs 10p are preferably situated adjacent the side base block surfaces 10s, with each prong 10p being situated closer to an edge of the upper base block surface 10u than to any other prong 10p, such that when the receiving block 20 is centrally penetrated by an instrument (see, e.g.,
The receiving block 20 is preferably formed of resiliently expandable material, that is, the material can deform to accommodate prongs 10p and instruments 300 penetrating the receiving block 20, but tends to attempt to return to its original unpenetrated form, thereby grasping any penetrating prongs 10p/instruments 300 (such grasping being defeatable by a user with minimal effort when pulling the receiving block 20 from the prongs 10p, or pulling an instrument from the receiving block 20). As discussed in greater detail below, resiliently flexible polymeric foams are a preferred material for the receiving block 20. As best seen in
The mounting block 30 (if provided) includes an upper mounting block surface 30u which is magnetically attracted to the lower base block surface 10L, a lower mounting block surface 30L, and side mounting block surfaces 30s therebetween. A handle 30h may be provided on the lower mounting block surface 30L (as in the exemplary instrument holder 100 shown in the drawings) or on a side mounting block surface 30s, allowing the mounting block 30 to be more easily pulled from a placement surface 200 towards which the mounting block 30 is magnetically attracted (via the base block 10 on the opposing side of the placement surface 200).
Further potential advantages, features, and objectives of the invention will be apparent from the remainder of this document in conjunction with the associated drawings.
Expanding on the discussion above, the receiving block 20 may have any shape suitable for receiving the instrument(s) it is intended to receive. (More generally, throughout this document, term “block” refers to a body having any shape. Thus, for example, the receiving block need not take the shape of a rectangular prism, and could have a dome-like or other shape.) The material of the receiving block 20 is preferably resiliently expandable, that is, it can deform to accommodate instruments penetrating the receiving block 20, but tends to attempt to return to its original unpenetrated form, thereby grasping any penetrating instrument. Where no apertures are formed in receiving block 20, it is also preferably made of material which is sufficiently soft that it can be pierced by an instrument urged into the receiving block 20. Exemplary materials for the receiving block 20 include closed-cell or open-cell foams made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester, polyether, or vinyl nitrile. Natural or synthetic sponge, or soft solid materials such as silicone rubber, paraffin, or other soft polymeric materials, could alternatively be used.
As depicted in the Figures, the instrument aperture 20i extends entirely through the depth of the receiving block 20 from one of the side receiving block surfaces 20s to the opposite side receiving block surface 20s, and has valleys 20v extending radially outwardly from the perimeter of the instrument aperture 20i, with these valleys 20v likewise extending entirely through the full depth of the receiving block 20. The prong apertures 20p, which are arrayed in the receiving block at locations allowing them to receive the prongs 10p of the base block 10, similarly extend entirely through the thickness of the receiving block 20 from the upper receiving block surface 20u to the lower receiving block surface 20L, and each has radially-extending valleys 20v extending entirely through the thickness of the receiving block 20. The valleys 20v depicted in the Figures are formed of cuts/slits in the receiving block 20 having negligible width between the sides of the valleys 20v, but may be formed with greater width (but preferably less than the diameter of any instrument/prong 10p to be inserted within the corresponding aperture). The valleys 20v beneficially allow easier insertion and removal of instruments/prongs 10p that have diameters greater than those of the apertures, and additionally better accommodate the insertion of instruments/prongs 10p which are not precisely centered with the apertures, with the valleys 20v tending to urge the inserted instruments/prongs 10p toward their apertures 20i and 20p.
In alternative versions of the receiving block 20, the apertures 20i and/or 20p and/or valleys 20v need not extend entirely through the receiving block 20. Additionally, apertures 20i and/or 20p might be provided in different numbers, and/or with different placement (e.g., one or more instrument apertures 20i might be provided on all of the side receiving block surfaces 20s, and/or on the upper receiving block surface 20u). Apertures 20i and/or 20p need not be provided with valleys 20v, or apertures 20i and/or 20p can simply be defined by the intersections of valleys 20v. The apertures 20i and/or 20p need not be defined as circular holes, and need not be provided at all where the prongs 10p and/or instruments 300 are simply to be urged into a surface of the receiving block 20 (in which case the prongs 10p and/or instruments 300 will form the apertures 20i and/or 20p as the prongs 10p and/or instruments 300 penetrate the receiving block 20).
The base block 10 and its prongs 10p, unlike the resiliently compressible (and expandable) receiving block 20, is preferably rigid and formed of durable materials which can be readily sterilized, such as metal (e.g., stainless steel) or hard plastic, or a combination thereof (e.g., a plastic base block 10 with protruding metal prongs 10p). Each prong 10p preferably has a width-to-depth ratio of approximately one (the width and depth being measured along axes perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the prong 10p), and/or circularity (isoperimetric quotient) of approximately one, with a blunt tip to deter injury in the event that a user's hand/arm accidentally contacts the tip. Each prong 10p preferably has a length/height of at least one-third the height of the receiving block 20, such that the prongs 10p extend at least one-third of the way through a receiving block 20 impaled thereon, though lesser lengths can be used so long as the prongs 10p securely retain the receiving block 20 during use. While the prongs 10p may have lengths/heights greater than a receiving block 20 to be impaled thereon, such that the prongs 10p protrude from the receiving block upper surface 20u after installation of the receiving block 20 on the prongs 20p, it is preferred that the prongs 10p have a length/height no greater than the height of the receiving block 20.
Greater or fewer prongs 10p can be provided on the base block 10. Only a single prong 10p might be provided on the base block 10, but in this case the single prong 10p preferably has a width-to-depth ratio greater than one, or circularity (isoperimetric quotient) less than one, as a single prong 10p having a more circular cross-section is more susceptible to allowing the receiving block 20 to rotate about the prong 10p during usage. Thus, for example, a single prong 10p might be formed as a flange/plate, or with a trefoil or cruciform cross-section. Multiple sets of prongs 10p might be provided on a base block 10, with each set being provided to receive its own receiving block 20, whereby the base block 10 can accommodate multiple receiving blocks 20.
The prongs 10p preferably extend from the upper base block surface 10u, though they could alternatively or additionally be provided on one or more side base block surfaces 10. Regardless of the surface(s) of the base block 10 on which prongs 10p are provided, any receiving block(s) 20 to be received on the prongs 10p preferably has its instrument aperture 20i(s) oriented at least approximately perpendicular to the prongs 10p on which the receiving block 20 is to be impaled, thereby better avoiding later dislodgement of the receiving block 20 from the prongs 10p during removal and/or insertion of the instrument. The arrangement shown in the Figures, wherein the instrument aperture 20i is oriented parallel to the lower base block surface 10L (and thus to the placement surface 200 on which the base block 10 is to be mounted), beneficially also orients any inserted instrument parallel to the placement surface 200, leaving the instrument less susceptible to inadvertent collisions from a user's arm during operations (as can occur where an instrument extends more vertically from the receiving block 20).
As noted previously, the base block 10 includes mounting means for removably and inviolably mounting to a placement surface 200, such as any one or more of a magnet (as at 10m in
The mounting block 30, if provided, is (like the base block 10) preferably formed of rigid, durable, and sterilizable materials. The mounting block 30 preferably includes a handle 30h thereon, allowing it to be more readily grasped by a user's hand and pulled from a placement surface 200. While the depicted handle 30h takes the form of a knob protruding from the lower mounting block surface 30L, the handle 30h may alternatively or additionally be situated on a side mounting block surface 30s, and may take alternative forms such as one or more protruding loops or elongated members, or protrusions (e.g., ridges) or depressions (e.g., grooves) defined on one or more side mounting block surfaces 30s.
The invention encompasses the arrangement of the mounting block and receiving block described herein, as well as the receiving block alone (e.g., when sold as a consumable/disposable item for use with a separately-provided base block), and additionally the base block alone (e.g., when sold as a durable item for use with separately-provided consumable/disposable receiving blocks).
Throughout this document, various terms referring to orientation and position—e.g., “upper” (as in “upper receiving block surface”) and “lower” (as in “lower receiving block surface”)—should be regarded as relative terms rather than absolute ones. In other words, it should be understood (for example) that the upper receiving block surface being referred to may in fact be located at the side or bottom of the holder depending on the overall orientation of the holder. Thus, such terms should be regarded as words of convenience, rather than limiting terms.
Throughout this document, where a measurement or other value is qualified by the term “approximately,” “about,” “nearly,” “roughly,” or the like, this can be regarded as referring to a variation of 10% from the noted value. Thus, as an example, “approximately perpendicular” and “approximately parallel” can respectively be understood to mean within 9 degrees (i.e., 10% of 90 degrees) from perpendicular and parallel.
The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred versions of the invention described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all different versions that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims. No term(s) expressed within any claim is to be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the terminology in question.
