Patent Application
20130269713
This invention generally relates to surgical apparatus and methods and more particularly relates to a surgical appliance kit and system for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field and a method of assembling the surgical appliance kit.
During surgery, a surgical drape is laid over a patient so as to cover a portion of the patient at or near a surgical field. A “surgical field”, which is also commonly referred to as a “surgical site”, is an operating field that is an isolated area where an invasive procedure or surgery is performed and that must be kept sterile by aseptic techniques. Surgical drapes are sterilized linens placed on the patient and around the surgical field in a manner that delineate sterile areas. Surgical appliances are placed on the surgical drape, such that the surgical appliances are within easy reach of the surgeon or the surgeon's assistant during surgery.
The surgical appliances used during surgery are typically scalpels for making incisions, retractors for holding open a portion of the body, forceps for holding organs and tissue, scissors for suturing and cutting, needle holders for holding needles while suturing tissue, tubing for allowing drainage or administration of fluids, staplers for closing the incisions, electrocautery devices for removing unwanted tissue or for sealing blood vessels, and other surgical appliances.
It is important that surgical appliances are contamination-free to reduce risk of patient infection. Contaminants (i.e., bioburden) that can cause infections include pathogens and microbial organisms, such as clostridia, streptococci, staphylococci, E. coli bacilli and other pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms. Exogenous sources for these surgical field infectious pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms include surgical personnel, the operating room environment, surgical instruments, and various materials brought to the surgical field. Such pathogens, bacterium and microbial organisms acquired by a patient while in the operating room can lead to serious post-operative, nosocomial (i.e., hospital-acquired) health complications, such as hepatitis, bronchitis, sepsis from intravenous sites, and even death. In the United States, approximately 780,000 of 30 million surgical procedures result in nosocomial surgical field infections. It has been estimated that nosocomial infections result in between 17,000 and 70,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Nosocomial patient infections may also result in medical malpractice tort liability for hospital personnel and/or the hospital facility, if medical personnel or the hospital fails to provide hygienic treatment and the infection is allowed to spread and cause further injury. In a 2005 study, it was estimated that the cost of jury awards for all medical malpractice cases in the United States was about 3.6 billion dollars. In 2006, the median medical malpractice award in the United States was $175,000.
In order to reduce risk of nosocomial patient infection during surgery, surgical appliances are routinely pre-sterilized. Especially in the case of re-usable surgical appliances, the surgical appliance is pre-soaked in a chemisteriliant solution and then hand scrubbed or subjected to ultrasonic cleaning. Pre-soaking, scrubbing and ultrasonic cleaning are performed so that any debris present on the surgical appliance cannot prevent direct contact between a sterilizing agent and microorganisms residing on the surgical appliance. In addition to pre-soaking, scrubbing and ultrasonic cleaning, pre-sterilization techniques also include chemical treatment, subjection to ionizing radiation, placement in a sterilizing chemical vapor or gas, and/or exposure to heat, as well as other pre-sterilization techniques. More specifically, chemical treatment may include use of chemicals with biocide capability, such as isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde, bleach, tincture iodine, mercurochrome and other chemicals. Also, surgical appliances, especially surgical appliances having polymer components that cannot withstand elevated temperatures, can be exposed to a Cobalt-60 radiation source. The Cobalt-60 radiation source emits high-energy gamma ionizing radiation to kill microbial organisms. The radiation source can also be an electrical device that generates electron radiation in the form of an electron beam for killing microbial organisms. The chemical vapor or gas, which may be ethylene oxide gas, may also be used as a sterilizing agent. In the case of heat application, the surgical appliance is placed in an autoclave and subjected to moist heat in the form of pressurized steam or placed in an oven and subjected to dry heat. Dry heat may be applied at a predetermined elevated temperature, such as 320° F. (i.e., 160° C.), for a predetermined time duration, such as 60 minutes or wet heat may be applied at the same temperature of 320° F. (i.e., 160° C.), for a predetermined time duration, such as less than one minute. Use of the pre-sterilization techniques mentioned hereinabove reduces risk of patient infection when surgical appliances are delivered to and placed in the surgical field on the surgical drape.
However, a surgical appliance can sometimes slip and fall from the surgical drape and land on the operating room floor. If this occurs, the pre-sterilized surgical appliance may become contaminated with infectious microbial organisms and may even break. In order to reduce the risk of patient infection and possible medical malpractice tort liability, the surgical appliance used during the surgical procedure must be replaced. In this case, the surgical procedure is interrupted, thereby causing more time to complete the surgical procedure. If sterilization of the surgical appliance is routinely performed inside the operating room, hospital personnel must repeat the previously mentioned sterilization procedures for the replacement surgical appliance. If the sterilized surgical appliance was delivered to the operating room contained in a package, another package containing a sterilized appliance must be obtained. Thus, re-sterilizing replacement surgical appliances in the operating room or obtaining another package containing a sterilized surgical appliance results in additional time to complete the surgical procedure, particularly if a sterile replacement surgical appliance is not immediately available. In addition, interruption of the surgical procedure can even pose a health risk to the patient. The health risk to the patient may arise because the surgeon will divert his eyes and attention away from the exacting surgery being performed in order to attend to replacing the surgical appliance. Therefore, it is important that surgical appliances are prevented from slipping from the surgical drape and falling to the operating room floor.
Various approaches have been attempted to address the issues mentioned hereinabove. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,311 titled “Surgical Instrument Retainer” and issued Jul. 31, 1990 in the names of Eldridge, Jr. et al. discloses a reusable, flexible surgical drape which is laid over a patient adjacent the surgical field and which retains surgical instruments thereon to facilitate access to the instruments. A plurality of magnets is embedded in the drape so as to retain magnetizable instruments placed on the drape by means of magnetic force. A non-megnetized portion is provided in the center of the drape for storage of non-magnetizable instruments. However, according to this patent, it appears that the non-magnetizable instruments are merely placed in the center of the drape rather than being securely attached to the center of the drape. Therefore, it appears possible that the non-magnetizable instruments can be inadvertently knocked or displaced from the center of the drape and fall to the operating room floor during the surgical procedure. Also, this patent appears directed to a surgical drape upon which surgical instruments are placed to facilitate access to the instruments and does not appear specifically directed to a surgical drape for preventing instruments from falling to the floor of the operating room.
Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,700 titled “Surgical Securing Tape” and issued Dec. 11, 1990 in the name of Dennis R. Tollini. The Tollini patent discloses a securing tape for securing to a patient's skin or to a support, a medical device such as tubing, a catheter, an intravenous needle, or the like. According to this patent, the securing tape includes an elongated tape having base portions and a central tab formed integrally therewith, The securing tape also includes pressure-sensitive tape on the base portions and on an exposed window of the tab. The securing tape further includes hook and pile fastener portions on opposite sides of the exposed adhesive on the tab and on the base portion facing the tape's exposed adhesive. However, it appears the Tollini patent is directed to securing tubes, catheters, intravenous needles, or the like and is not directed to securing larger surgical instruments of non-tubular shape, such as scalpels, retractors, forceps, scissors, staplers, and other larger, non-tubular instruments,
Yet another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,985 titled “Endoscopic Instrumentation Kit And Package Therefor” and issued Mar. 21, 1994 in the names of Andre P. Decarie, et al. This patent discloses an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrumentation kit including at least one obturator and at least two sleeves forming a trocar assembly. An obturator is a removable plug used during insertion of tubular instruments. A trocar assembly is an assembly having a sharp-pointed instrument equipped with a cannula or tube and used to puncture the wall of a body cavity and withdraw fluid. The kit may also include a catheter, an endoscopic surgical instrument, tissue-gripping sleeve members and attachment devices for the trocar sleeves. The kit is packaged in a vacuum-formed enclosure having raised walls which correspond in size and shape to the instruments packaged therein for retaining and displaying the instruments. A method for utilizing the kit is also disclosed. Although Decarie, et al. disclose an endoscopic instrumentation kit and package therefor, the Decarie, et al. patent does not appear to disclose means for attaching the instruments to a surgical field.
Although the prior art approaches recited hereinabove may disclose (1) a surgical drape including a plurality of magnets embedded in the drape to place magnetizable instruments placed on the drape; (2) a securing tape for securing a tubular medical device such as tubing, catheters, intravenous needles, or the like to a patient's skin or to a support; and (3) an endoscopic or laparoscopic instrumentation kit, the prior art recited hereinabove do not appear to disclose the invention described and claimed hereinbelow.
The present invention addresses the shortcomings of the prior art approaches mentioned hereinabove by providing a surgical appliance kit and system for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field and a method of assembling the surgical appliance kit.
The surgical appliance kit, system and method reduce the risk that the surgical appliance will slip from the sterilized surgical field and fall to the operating room floor during a surgical procedure. If the surgical appliance were to slip from the sterilized surgical field and fall to the operating room floor, the surgical appliance likely would become contaminated with infectious microbial organisms and may even break. In this case, the surgical appliance must be replaced during the surgical procedure. Replacing the surgical appliance during the surgical procedure increases time to perform the surgical procedure and may even jeopardize the success of the surgical procedure because the surgeon will have become distracted by the need to replace the surgical appliance.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the surgical appliance kit and system comprises a base in the form of a surgical tray on which is disposed one or more surgical appliances. The base is of sufficient rigidity to adequately support the surgical appliances. Typical surgical appliances include scalpels, retractors, forceps, scissors, needle holders, staplers, catheters, and other surgical appliances. A surgical drape also may be disposed on the surgical tray or provided separately.
Also disposed on the surgical tray are at least two attachment members, which are hook-and-loop fasteners. The hook-and-loop fasteners disposed on the surgical tray may be of a type commonly known as Velcro®brand fasteners available from Velcro Industries B.V. located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Alternatively, rather than being placed directly on the surgical tray, the hook-and-loop fasteners instead may be contained in a protective, sterilized and sealed container or pouch that is, in turn, disposed on the surgical tray. In other words, the pouch containing the hook-and-loop fasteners is disposed on the surgical tray, rather than the hook-and-loop fasteners being placed directly on the surgical tray. Placement of the hook-and-loop fasteners in the protective pouch provides added assurance that surgical appliances on the surgical tray will not damage the hook-and-loop fasteners prior to use. Each of the hook-and-loop fasteners has an adhesive side for adhesively attaching one of the hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., a female loop fastener) to the surgical drape and for adhesively attaching another, complementary one of the hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., a male hook fastener) to the surgical appliance. Alternatively, if desired, the hook-and-loop fastener associated with the surgical drape may be sewn into the surgical drape rather than being adhesively attached to the surgical drape. In any event, the surgical appliance is releasably secured to the surgical drape by engaging the hook-and-loop fastener attached to the surgical appliance with the hook-and-loop fastener attached to the surgical drape.
If desired, a commercially available process indicator strip or tape also may be disposed on the surgical tray. Such a process indicator tape changes color to indicate that contents of the surgical appliance kit were previously exposed to a sterilizing process or agent, such as sterilizing chemicals, heat, sterilizing gas and/or ionizing radiation.
The surgical tray, which has the surgical appliances disposed thereon, is sealingly shrouded by a protective cover. The cover may be a transparent polymer or plastic film material for easily viewing and verifying items disposed on the surgical tray and for protecting contents of the surgical tray from microbial contamination.
During use, according to one exemplary embodiment, the cover is completely or partially removed from the tray. One of the hook-and-loop fasteners is then removed from the tray and adhesively attached to the surgical field defined by the surgical drape that covers the patient. The surgical appliance is retrieved from the tray and the other complementary hook-and-loop fastener is adhesively attached to the surgical appliance. The surgeon or surgeon's assistant then places the surgical appliance on the surgical drape such that the hook-and-loop fastener that was adhesively attached to the surgical drape engages the complementary hook-and-loop fastener that was adhesively attached to the surgical appliance. In this manner, the surgical appliance is releasably secured to the surgical field defined by the surgical drape, so that the surgical appliance is prevented from slipping from the surgical drape and falling to the operating room floor. Also, in this manner, the surgical appliance is simultaneously readily available to the surgeon during the surgical procedure because the surgical appliance is releasably secured to the surgical field near the surgeon.
Thus, use of the surgical appliance kit, system and method disclosed herein prevents disruption in the surgical procedure that might otherwise be caused by the need to replace a fallen surgical appliance and reduces health risk to the patient by maintaining the surgeon's attention focused on the exacting surgical procedure being performed.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surgical appliance kit for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field, comprising: a base adapted to have the surgical appliance disposed thereon; a plurality of attachment members adapted to be disposed on the base, the plurality of attachment members being adapted to releasably secure the surgical appliance to the surgical field; and a cover attached to the base and adapted to cover the surgical appliance and the plurality of attachment members.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a surgical appliance kit for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field, comprising: a base defining a cavity adapted to receive the surgical appliance therein; a first attachment pad and a second attachment pad received in the cavity, the first attachment pad defining a first surface having a hook configuration and the second attachment pad defining a second surface having a loop configuration; and a cover attached to the base and adapted to cover the surgical appliance, the first attachment pad and the second attachment pad.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a surgical appliance kit for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field, comprising: a base defining a cavity adapted to receive the surgical appliance therein; a first attachment pad and a second attachment pad received in the cavity, the first attachment pad having a first surface defining a hook configuration and having a first adhesive portion adhesively attachable to the surgical appliance, the second attachment pad having a second surface defining a loop configuration for cooperatively engaging the hook configuration defined by the first surface and having a second adhesive portion adhesively attachable to the surgical field; and a cover attached to the base and adapted to sealingly cover the surgical appliance, the first attachment pad and the second attachment pad for protecting the surgical appliance, the first attachment pad and the second attachment pad from contamination.
According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a surgical appliance system for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field, comprising: a base adapted to have the surgical appliance disposed thereon; a plurality of attachment members adapted to be disposed on the base, the plurality of attachment members being adapted to releasably secure the surgical appliance to the surgical field; and a cover attached to the base and covering the surgical appliance and the plurality of attachment members.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for containing a plurality of attachment members, comprising: a pouch defining an interior volume therein for receiving the plurality of attachment members, the pouch having a sealed access end portion; and a pair of opposing flaps integrally connected to the sealed access end portion of the pouch for unsealing and opening the sealed access end portion of the pouch, whereby the plurality of attachment members are retrievable from the interior volume as the sealed access end portion of the pouch is unsealed and opened.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of assembling a surgical appliance kit for securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field, comprising: providing a base; disposing the surgical appliance on the base; disposing a plurality of attachment members on the base, the plurality of attachment members being adapted to releasably secure the surgical appliance to the surgical field; attaching a cover to the base; and covering the surgical appliance and the plurality of attachment members with the cover.
A feature of the present invention is the provision of a plurality of attachment members comprising hook-and-loop fasteners adapted to releasably secure the surgical appliance to the surgical field.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a protective pouch containing the plurality of attachment members.
In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or device aspects and features are set forth and described in the teachings, such as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present invention.
The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail. Consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described hereinabove, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the detailed description in conjunction with the following figures, wherein:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from either the spirit or scope of the invention.
In addition, the present patent specification uses formal outline headings for clarity of presentation. However, it is to be understood that the outline headings are for presentation purposes, and that different types of subject matter may be discussed throughout the application (e.g., device(s)/structure(s) may be described under process(es)/operations heading(s) and/or process(es)/operations may be discussed under structures)/process(es) headings; and/or descriptions of single topics may span two or more topic headings). Hence, the use of the formal outline headings is not intended to be in any way limiting.
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Before surgery, surgical appliance 20, having fourth attachment member 160d adhesively attached thereto, is manually aligned with first attachment member 160a that is adhesively attached to surgical drape 90. Surgical appliance 20 is then firmly pressed against first attachment member 160a. Pressing surgical appliance 20 against first attachment member 160a causes the female loops of third laminate 190 that belongs to first attachment member 160a to intimately engage the male hooks of third laminate 190 that belongs to fourth attachment member 160d. In this manner, surgical appliance 20 is releasably attached to surgical drape 90 and is immobile on surgical drape 90 until needed by surgeon 40.
During surgery, surgeon 40 grasps surgical appliance 20 and lifts surgical appliance 20 away from first attachment member 160a. When this occurs, the hooks belonging to third laminate 190 of fourth attachment member 160d disengage the loops belonging to third laminate 190 of first attachment member 160a. When using this first embodiment kit 10, first attachment member 160a remains adhesively attached to surgical drape 90 and fourth attachment member 160d remains adhesively attached to surgical appliance 20. In this manner, surgical appliance 20 is separated from surgical drape 90, so that surgical appliance 20 can be used for surgery. Moreover, first embodiment kit 10 allows surgical appliance 20 to be repeatedly removed from and reattached to surgical drape 90, as necessary, during the surgical procedure due to the hook-and-loop configuration of attachment members 160a/160d. However, at no time is surgeon's 40 eyesight diverted from the surgical procedure being performed.
Although not critical, it is nonetheless important that fourth attachment member 160d that is attached to surgical appliance 20 not be too large in length and width. If fourth attachment member 160d is too large, the gripping power required to lift surgical appliance 20 from its temporarily secured position will become so great that it will lift surgical drape 90 that is present on patient 60. Therefore, fourth attachment member 160d should be sufficiently large to securely hold surgical appliance 20 to surgical drape 90, but not so large as to lift drape 90 when surgical appliance 20 is removed from its temporary holding position. In this regard, width of fourth attachment member 160d may be between about ⅛th inch and about ⅜th inch with a preferred width of about ¼th inch. Length of fourth attachment member 160d is sufficient to allow easy attachment to surgical appliance 20 coupled with cooperating with the width dimension to assure that surgical appliance 20 will be secured to surgical drape 90 and can be removed without substantially lifting surgical drape 90. A slight lifting of surgical drape 90 is allowable. In addition, if the holding strength is too great, surgical appliance 20 will not become separated from surgical drape 90 and first attachment member 160a.
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An illustrative method associated with an exemplary embodiment for a surgical appliance kit and system will now be described.
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Based on the teachings herein, it may be appreciated that surgical appliance kits 10/220/230/240/250/320/330/340 may be used primarily with disposable surgical appliances. Disposable surgical appliances that drop to floor 110 cannot be conveniently resterilized due to there plastic components. Therefore, such disposable surgical appliances must be replaced with a new surgical appliance. In other words, if a disposable surgical appliance falls to floor 110, the disposable surgical appliance is permanently unusable and is, in this sense, lost forever. When this occurs, the disposable surgical appliance must be immediately replaced. However, replacing surgical appliances is expensive, takes time to replace the disposable appliance, results in a longer surgical procedure, and causes the patient to be under anesthesia longer, in addition to other undesirable consequences. Only metal nondisposable surgical appliances can be steam flashed sterilized for continuing the surgerical procedure. Although made of metal, if a nondisposable surgical appliance falls to floor 110, the nondisposable surgical appliance nonetheless may become damaged and possibly permanently unusable. However, even if the nondisposable surgical appliance were still usable, the nondisposable surgical appliance would still not be usable during the surgical procedure due to its contact with floor 110.
The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
All patents, publications, scientific articles, web sites, and other documents and materials referenced or mentioned herein are indicative of the levels of skill of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and each such referenced document and material is hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if it had been incorporated by reference in its entirety individually or set forth herein in its entirety. Applicants reserve the right to physically incorporate into this specification any and all materials and information from any such patents, publications, scientific articles, web sites, electronically available information, and other referenced materials or documents to the extent such incorporated materials and information are not inconsistent with the description herein.
The written description portion of this patent includes all claims. Furthermore, all claims, including all original claims as well as all claims from any and all priority documents, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the written description portion of the specification, and Applicants reserve the right to physically incorporate into the written description or any other portion of the application, any and all such claims. Thus, for example, under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted as allegedly not providing a written description for a claim on the assertion that the precise wording of the claim is not set forth in haec verba in written description portion of the patent.
The claims will be interpreted according to law. However, and notwithstanding the alleged or perceived ease or difficulty of interpreting any claim or portion thereof, under no circumstances may any adjustment or amendment of a claim or any portion thereof during prosecution of the application or applications leading to this patent be interpreted as having forfeited any right to any and all equivalents thereof that do not form a part of the prior art.
All of the features disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is only an example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
It is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Thus, from the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purpose of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Other aspects, advantages, and modifications are within the scope of the following claims and the present invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
The specific methods and compositions described herein are representative of preferred embodiments and are exemplary and not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Other objects, aspects, and embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of this specification, and are encompassed within the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that varying substitutions and modifications may be made to the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The invention illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element or elements, or limitation or limitations, which is not specifically disclosed herein as essential. Thus, for example, in each instance herein, in embodiments or examples of the present invention, the terms “comprising”, “including”, “containing”, etc. are to be read expansively and without limitation. The methods and processes illustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in differing orders of steps, and that they are not necessarily restricted to the orders of steps indicated herein or in the claims.
The terms and expressions that have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intent in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalent of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as claimed. Thus, it will be understood that although the present invention has been specifically disclosed by various embodiments and/or preferred embodiments and optional features, any and all modifications and variations of the concepts herein disclosed that may be resorted to by those skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.
The invention has been described broadly and generically herein. Each of the narrower species and subgeneric groupings falling within the generic disclosure also form part of the invention. This includes the generic description of the invention with a proviso or negative limitation removing any subject matter from the genus, regardless of whether or not the excised material is specifically recited herein.
It is also to be understood that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term “X and/or Y” means “X” or “Y” or both “X” and “Y”, and the letter “s” following a noun designates both the plural and singular forms of that noun. In addition, where features or aspects of the invention are described in terms of Markush groups, it is intended and those skilled in the art will recognize, that the invention embraces and is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
Other embodiments are within the following claims. The patent may not be interpreted to be limited to the specific examples or embodiments or methods specifically and/or expressly disclosed herein. Under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted to be limited by any statement made by any Examiner or any other official or employee of the Patent and Trademark Office unless such statement is specifically and without qualification or reservation expressly adopted in a responsive writing by Applicants.
Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.
Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, a hook-configured attachment member may be adhesively attached to a side of surgical drape 90 opposite patient's 70 skin and a loop-configured attachment member may be attached to patient's 70 skin in alignment with the hook-configured attachment member. The hook-configured attachment member is then pressed into intimate engagement with the loop-configured attachment member, so that surgical drape 90 is connected to patient's 70 skin. The loop-configured attachment member is attached to patient's 70 skin by a suitable adhesive that allows the loop-configured attachment member to be removed from patient's skin only when required. In this manner, surgical drape 90, having surgical appliance releasably secured thereto, is prevented from slipping and falling to floor 110 and contaminating both surgical drape 90 and surgical appliance 20. Accordingly, the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the invention, except as indicated in the following claims.
Therefore, provided herein are a surgical appliance kit and system for releasably securing a surgical appliance to a surgical field and a method of assembling the surgical appliance kit.
