Internal compression tourniquet catheter system and method for wound track navigation and hemorrhage control
First Claim
1. A tamponade catheter which comprises a catheter shaft, a nonelastic inflatable means of greater than 60 ml of potential volume and which is attached to said catheter shaft by suitable attachment means, and where said inflatable means expands when inflated with a gas or liquid when placed within a tissue space to create pressure within the tissue for the purpose of controlling bleeding there from.
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Abstract
An internal compression tourniquet catheter system and method for controlling hemorrhage from wounds, particularly penetrating wounds. Its construction includes an inflatable member constructed of very thin, flexible, biocompatible, and nonelastic and puncture resistant material such that when deflated it lies flat and can be wrapped around the catheter shaft, which passes within and has a lumen to inflate it, to minimize overall diameter when deflated for insertion into the tissue track created by the wounding agent. The inflatable member is of large potential volume enabling full inflation with near zero internal pressure when unconstrained externally. When positioned within a wound track and inflated, the gas or liquid injected into the balloon lumen creates pressure because its expansion is constrained by the tissues of the wound, and that pressure is transmitted directly to the surrounding tissue of the wound track. The pressure exerted on the tissue can be precisely measured and controlled, automatically if appropriate, such that sufficient pressure is applied to tamponade bleeding, but not damage tissue. Since the balloon is of large potential volume, it can easily expand to fill and compress small, large, and irregular wound tracks and can successfully tamponade wounds that smaller, elastic balloon catheters would be unable to tamponade. The catheter system includes means to assist insertion into the wound track, including a rounded or bulbous exploring tip and an internal stylet with an external orientable handle. The distal end of the catheter-stylet assembly can be bent slightly to allow following a curved or irregular wound track, such wound track navigation further assisted by twisting the stylet handle to orient the bent catheter tip within the wound track.
125 Citations
66 Claims
- 1. A tamponade catheter which comprises a catheter shaft, a nonelastic inflatable means of greater than 60 ml of potential volume and which is attached to said catheter shaft by suitable attachment means, and where said inflatable means expands when inflated with a gas or liquid when placed within a tissue space to create pressure within the tissue for the purpose of controlling bleeding there from.
- 41. A method of stanching hemorrhage consisting of inserting a catheter with an attached non-elastic expansile element into a tissue space produced by ballistic injury, expanding said expansile element within said tissue space to effect hemostasis.
Specification