Inflatable torniquet

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a hemostatic device and concerns specifically an inflatable tourniquet.

Inflatable tourniquets or cuffs heretofore used include a bulky inflatable bladder which is encased in an outer covering. Before each use the outer cover must be removed from the bladder and sterilized. During use, the tourniquet is generally draped or covered with sterile sheets as an additional precaution against contamination of the surgical area. These coverings and sheets not only cause extra work for the hospital staff, but they also prevent the tourniquet from being positioned as close as conveniently possible to the surgical area. The bulkiness of the prior art tourniquets prevents the device from being smoothly wrapped about the limb of the patient, free of wrinkles and ripples, so as to provide for controlled constriction of the vessels and artery of the limb. A part of this bulkiness can be attributed to the location of the bladder inlet which is generally positioned intermediate the length of the bladder. Another objectionable feature of prior inflatable tourniquets has been the necessity to inflate them at substantial pressure in order to insure stoppage of blood flow in the artery of the encircled limb. The tourniquet or cuff of this invention is of such a construction and is so designed that the heretofore mentioned disadvantages of the prior art tourniquets are eliminated and effective stoppage of blood flow in the artery of the encircled limb can be achieved with minimum inflation pressure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The tourniquet includes an elongated flexible tube having a bladder part and an adjoining strap part. The bladder and strap parts are adapted to encircle the arm or leg of a patient with the bladder part being positioned against the limb and the strap part being wrapped over the bladder part. The tube is preferably formed of a high strength, light weight flexible thermoplastic and can be economically produced.

The tourniquet can be compactly folded and sealed in a plastic bag or similar container and sterilized. The sealed and sterilized tourniquet can be conveniently stored, has a long shelf life and is available for instant use. After once used, the tourniquet can be disposed of. The bladder part of the tube is placed directly against the limb and requires no covering. The walls of the bladder and strap parts of the tube are of thin flexible construction which enables the device to be smoothly and firmly wrapped around the limb without wrinkling or rippling. The strap part preferably encloses the bladder part and serves to restrict outward expansion of the bladder part as the bladder part is inflated. This restricted expansion of the bladder part contributes to the controlled constriction of the blood vessels and artery of the limb and provides for economical use of the gas or other fluid used to inflate the bladder part. The tourniquet can be placed as close to the surgical area as desired. The bladder inlet passage preferably extends through the strap part along one side edge of the tube so as to reduce the thickness of the tourniquet when in use.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an inflatable tourniquet which is disposable and of economical construction.

It is another object of this invention to provide an inflatable tourniquet which can be compactly wrapped about the limb of a patient and positioned as close to the surgical area as desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an inflatable tourniquet which is of one-piece construction formed of tubular stock and is inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an inflatable tourniquet which enables the user to control the amount of constriction of the vessels and artery of the limb of a patient with application of minimum inflation pressure.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of this invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tourniquet of this invention in use.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of outer side of the tourniquet.

FIG. 3 is a view of the inner side of the tourniquet.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tourniquet taken along line

4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the tourniquet taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment illustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described in order to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.

The tourniquet illustrated is designated by the numeral 10. Tourniquet 10 comprises an elongated flexible tube 12 having an inner wall 14 which is adapted for positioning against the limb of a patient, an outer wall 16, side margins 18 and 20 which are preferably parallel, and end margins 22 and 24. Tube 12 is preferably formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material having a low gas permeability, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or nylon. The tourniquet includes a bladder part 26 and an adjoining strap part 28.

Bladder part 26 of the tube extends from tube end margin 22 to a position intermediate the length of the tube and is defined in part by a transverse heat seal or other bond 30 joining and extending completely across walls 14 and 16 at end margin 22. A transverse heat seal or bond 32 is located approximately midlength of the tube and extends from side margin 20 to a point adjacent to but spaced from side margin 18 of the tube. Bond 32 defines, in cooperation with edge 18, a bladder inlet 34. Bladder part 26 is preferably of sufficient length to encircle the limb 11 of a patient.

Strap part 28 of the tourniquet extends from heat seal or bond 32 to tube end margin 24 and has a passage 38 therein which extends from inlet 34 of the bladder part to the free end of the strap part. Passage 38 preferably extends along tube side margin 18 and is defined in part by a heat seal or bond 36 between walls 14 and 16 which extends longitudinally from the inner end of heat seal or bond 32 at inlet 34 and which terminates in a transverse U-shaped bond or heat seal 39 which extends to side margin 18 near end margin 24. Passage 38 preferably includes an enlarged end portion 40 defined by bond or seal 39 and which extends laterally inwardly from side margin 18 to a point midwidth of tube 12 near end margin 24. Strap part 28 is preferably of a sufficient length to encircle the outermost wrap of bladder part 26 as it encircles the limb 11 and to have its end portions overlapping. An elongated flexible member 42, such as a cord or tube , is preferably positioned within passage 38 with one end portion thereof projecting into bladder part 26 and its other end portion projecting into enlarged passage portion 40. Flexible member 42 is received with clearance within passage 38 and serves to prevent the passage from collapsing or closing when the tourniquet is applied around the limb 11 of the patient.

A tubular fitting part 44, preferably formed from a synthetic material such as polyethylene, extends through an opening 54 in and is sealed and secured to tube outer wall 16 to communicate with portion 40 of passage 38. Fitting 44 is preferably cylindrical and has a longitudinal bore 48 therethrough and preferably includes an outwardly projecting circumferential flange 46 at its inner end and an inwardly projecting circumferential lip 50 at its outer end. The bore 48 preferably includes a tapered end portion 52 at the inner end of the fitting. The inner end of fitting 44 is snugly received within the tube aperture 54 with its flange 46 positioned between walls 14 and 16 of the tube and engaging and bonded or sealed to the inner

3,587,584 ³ surface of wall 16, as shown in FIG. 4. A complementary or male fitting 56 releasably fits in fitting 44 and is connected to a flexible conduit 58. Fitting 56 preferably includes an annular flange 60 from which tubular insert portion 62 projects. Insert portion 62 is inserted into longitudinal bore 48 of fitting 44 and engages lip 50 and the inner surface of the tapered portion 52 of bore 48 with a snug fit when flange 60 abuts the outer end of fitting 44 as shown in FIG. 4. Flexible conduit 58 is connected to a source of fluid under pressure. Although fitting 44 is preferably secured to the strap part 28 to communicate with passage 38, it may be secured to the bladder part 26, preferably at one side margin thereof.

Inner wall 14 of tube 12 may have certain indicia 66 applied to the outer surface thereof adjacent end margin 22 which instructs that this surface of the tourniquet is to be placed against the patient's limb. Securement means is provided to prevent the tourniquet from becoming unwrapped from the limb when the bladder part is inflated. Such securement means preferably is in the form of a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating applied to the outer surface of inner wall 14 adjacent to the end margin 24 of the tube and which causes the free end of the strap part 28 to adhere to the adjacent underwrap of the tourniquet when pressed thereagainst. This adhesive coating is preferably covered by a removable waxed paper 68 which is removed to expose the adhesive when the tourniquet is applied to the limb. Tourniquet 10 may be sealed in a plastic bag or similar container in a sterile condition.

To use the tourniquet, the sterile unit is removed from a sealed container (not shown) and positioned at the desired location on the limb of the patient with inner wall 14 at end margin 22 of the tube being placed against the limb. The tourniquet is then wrapped snugly, but not tightly, about the limb. The free end of the strap part 28 is then secured to the adjacent underwrap ofthe tourniquet, as by means of the adhesive coating. To assure that the tourniquet will not loosen or become unwrapped during use, a strap 70 may be attached to tube 12 at end margin 22 thereof. Strap 70 is preferably attached to the inner wall 14 of the tube and has end portions which project laterally outwardly from the tube and which can be drawn around and over the wraps of the tourniquet and tied as illustrated in FIG. 1. Fitting 56 which is connected to conduit 58 is inserted into the complementary fitting 44. Pressurized fluid, such as Freon or air is then introduced into bladder part 26 of the tube, flowing through conduit 58 and the passage 38 in the tube strap part. Strap part 28 overlies the underwrapped bladder part 26 and serves to restrict or prevent outward displacement of the bladder part as it is inflated.

To hold the bladder part in limb contacting form and prevent the outermost wrap from rolling or sliding off the inner wraps of the bladder part, it is preferable to interrupt the bladder part with a plurality of staggered heat seals or bonds 72 joining walls 14 and 16. Heat seals or bonds 72 preferably are formed substantially parallel to each other and are preferably diagonally positioned relative to side margins 18 and 20 of tube 12. Each seal or bond 72 preferably extends inwardly from one side margin of the tube to a point adjacent to but spaced from the opposite side margin, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As an alternative, the heat seal or bonds 72 may extend across tube 12 from side margin 18 to side margin 20 to define compartments and each may have an interrupted portion intermediate its length defining a passage establishing communication between adjacent compartments.