Patent Application
20220062532
The present specification relates generally to medical devices, and specifically to an apparatus for holding an intravenous line.
Intravenous lines are commonly used to introduce fluid into a patient. Intravenous lines often include an intravenous tube and an intravenous tip; the intravenous tube provided to carry a fluid from a source to the tip. The tip is commonly inserted through the skin of a patient and into a vein.
When the tip of an intravenous line is inserted through the skin it is often desirable to secure the line to the anatomy of the patient. Movement of the line can contribute to a variety of issues, such as removal of the tip from the vein or subcutaneous damage caused by movement of the tip.
A variety of fasteners have been employed to hold intravenous lines. For example, adhesive tape is commonly used to secure a line to a patient. Various straps and gloves have also been developed, many of which perform dual roles in securing an intravenous line and shielding the insertion point from contamination. However, these creations have many limitations, and none provide an ideal solution.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for supporting an intravenous line, comprising an intravenous line housing defining an intravenous line guide, the intravenous line guide configured to hold the intravenous line and direct the intravenous line along a reversing path and to a substantially proximally-directed entry angle for entry into a dorsal surface of a user's hand; and a glove secured to the intravenous line housing, the glove configured to hold the intravenous line housing to the user's hand.
In an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a glove for holding an intravenous line, comprising a fabric panel configured to be releasably fastened to a user's hand; and a set of clips secured to the fabric panel, the set of clips configured to hold the intravenous line and direct the intravenous line along a reversing path and to a substantially proximally-directed entry into a dorsal surface of the user's hand.
Other aspects and features according to the present application will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
The principles of the invention may better be understood with reference to the accompanying figures provided by way of illustration of an exemplary embodiment, or embodiments, incorporating principles and aspects of the present invention, and in which:
The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to depict certain features of the invention.
An aspect of this description relates to an apparatus for supporting an intravenous line inserted into a user's hand. An aspect of this description relates to an apparatus which incorporates a guide structure designed to hold an intravenous line and guide the intravenous line along a predefined path into a patient's hand.
An aspect of this description relates to a support apparatus which incorporates a guide structure designed to hold an intravenous line, and to guide the intravenous line along a reversing path and to direct the intravenous line to a substantially proximally directed entry. In some embodiments, an intravenous line guide is a clip structure defined by a set of projections of a housing. In further embodiments, the intravenous line guide may be recessed into a groove in the housing and the intravenous line may be held by a friction fit. Optionally, the intravenous line guide may be further retained in such embodiments using one or more straps with accompanying snaps and eyelets in case the intravenous line is pulled out of the groove.
An aspect of this description relates to a glove having an intravenous line guide which defines a curved path for an intravenous line. In some embodiments, the curved path includes an s-shaped path.
An aspect of this description relates to an apparatus for holding an intravenous line and guiding the line along a predetermined path. An aspect of this description relates to an apparatus which includes a glove structure and a housing defining an intravenous line guide. In some embodiments, the glove structure is a rigid structure, such as a cast-style glove formed of rigid plastic or similar material. In some embodiments, the glove structure is semi-rigid, such as a glove formed of plastic plates coupled at flexible joints. In preferred embodiments, the glove structure is a flexible structure, such as a system of fabric straps. In some embodiments, the intravenous line guide structure is a clip or a set of clips provided to hold an intravenous line in a predetermined position. In some embodiments, the intravenous line guide is a groove recessed into the housing provided to hold an intravenous line. In some embodiments, the intravenous line guide is a combination of a clip or set of clips and a cover or cap, which cooperate to hold an intravenous line in a predetermined position.
An embodiment of an apparatus for holding an intravenous line is depicted in
Apparatus 1000 is shown secured to a hand 2000; the fabric glove 1100 is a continuous panel which is releasably secured via buckle 1200 to itself around hand 2000. Glove 1100 of apparatus 1000 forms a mounting panel 1110, a palm strap 1120, and a pair of finger loops 1130, shown particularly in
Housing 1300 is provided to receive and hold a length of intravenous line, and to house the insertion point of an intravenous line into a dorsal surface of a user's hand. Housing 1300 is mounted on mounting panel 1110 of glove 1100 and configured to cover a portion of the dorsal surface of the user's hand.
Housing 1300 includes a footing 1310 secured to glove 1100 by a set of fasteners 1320. Housing 1300 also includes an outer cover 1330 secured to the footing 1310 by way of a combination of a friction overlay of footing 1310 and a set of fasteners 1350. Footing 1310 defines a set of clip projections 1340, together the set of clip projections 1340 define an intravenous line guide for holding an intravenous line. The outer cover 1330 also cooperates with the set of clip projections 1340 to hold the intravenous line in a predefined position. In some embodiments, a cover is a ventilated cover.
Apparatus 1000 is shown in
The set of clip projections 1340 of apparatus 1000 is a set of four projections. A first projection 1342 and a second projection 1344 define a beginning of an intravenous tube guide while a third projection 1346 and a fourth projection 1348 define an end of the intravenous tube guide.
Fasteners 1320 are a set of four pins, three on the right side 1322, 1324, and 1326 and one on the left 1328, bonded or adhered to glove 1100 and holding footing 1310 via an interference fit. Fasteners 1350 are a set of two pins, a distal pin 1352 and a proximal pin 1354, bonded or adhered to glove 1100 and designed so that cover 1330 may be received between a base portion of each pin and a cap portion, with the base and cap portions held to one another via an interference fit. While the embodiment shown uses an interference fit, in various embodiments the apparatus may have components secured to one another in a variety of ways, such as direct stitching, adhesion, hook-and-loop fasteners, and moulding.
Glove 1100 of apparatus 1000 defines a dorsal opening which is provided to leave the back of a user's hand uncovered by glove 1100 in an area where an intravenous line is likely to be entered into the hand. Footing 1310 likewise defines a dorsal opening to leave the back of a user's hand uncovered. The dorsal opening is then covered by cover 1330 which sits over footing 1310 and the intravenous line guide defined by projections 1340. Cover 1330 is clear so that an entry site of the intravenous line 3000 may be observed, such as by a user or healthcare provider, without removing the cover 1330.
The use of a clear cover also allows for the observation of the part of the intravenous tube which is covered by the cover. Cover 1330 cooperates with the set of projections 1340, particularly projection 1346, to hold the intravenous line 3000 in position. Cover 1330 also includes a notch or opening to permit the entry of the intravenous line 3000 into the housing. Housing 1300 is configured to receive the intravenous line 3000 from a left side of the housing, guide it along an s-shaped and reversing path, and direct it to a substantially proximally directed entry angle.
Housing 1300 defines an intravenous line guide using a combination of the clip projections 1340 and the cover 1330. As depicted, the intravenous line guide is an ‘s-clip’ which defines an exaggerated s-shaped guide; accepting an intravenous line from a left side of the housing, guiding it around a first curve and then a reversing second curve to an entry point.
Apparatus 1000 is shown in
A second embodiment is shown in
The fabric glove 4100 is a continuous panel which is secured via buckle 4200 to itself around hand 2000. Glove 4100 of apparatus 4000 forms a mounting panel 4110, a palm strap 4120, and a pair of finger loops 4130. Mounting panel 4110 is provided to hold housing 4300, palm strap 4120 is provided to extend under the user's hand and join to the mounting panel 4110 via buckle 4200, and the forward finger loops 4130 are provided to fit over the fingers of a user.
Housing 4300 is provided to house the insertion point of an intravenous line. Housing 4300 is mounted on glove 4100 on a dorsal surface of hand 2000. Housing 4300 is designed to receive an intravenous line for insertion into the dorsal surface of hand 2000.
Housing 4300 includes a footing 4310 secured to glove 4100 by a set of fasteners 4320. Housing 4300 also includes an upper cover 4330 secured to the footing 4310 by way of a combination of a friction overlay of footing 4310 and a set of fasteners 4350. Footing 4310 defines a set of clip projections 4340, together the set of clip projections 4340 define an intravenous line guide for holding an intravenous line. Fasteners may be held to panel 4110 in a variety of ways, such as via adhesive, mechanical clips, or hook-and-loop components.
Cover 4330 may be clear or opaque; it is shown in
Apparatus 4000 is also shown in
According to a third embodiment as shown in
According to a fourth embodiment as shown in
Various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail. Since changes in and or additions to the above-described best mode may be made without departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited to those details but only by the appended claims.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2019/051825 | 12/16/2019 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62780293 | Dec 2018 | US |
