Subcutaneous catheter retainer
First Claim
1. A subcutaneous medical tube retainer, comprising in combination:
- a base portion adapted to be attached to a subcutaneous port of a medical tube;
an expandable width portion coupled to said base portion;
said expandable width portion having at least two configurations including an expanded configuration with a width greater than said base portion, and a collapsed configuration with a width less than said width of said expanded configuration; and
said expandable width portion adapted to transition between said collapsed configuration and said expanded configuration.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A retainer is provided which can be affixed to a medical tube, such as a catheter, or formed with the tube. The retainer has a base portion which is fixed to the tube. An expandable width portion is coupled to the base portion. This expandable width portion can transition between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, with the expanded configuration wider than the base portion and the collapsed configuration narrower than the expanded configuration. This retainer is located on a portion of the tube which is subcutaneous but near the skin. After the tube is positioned where desired, the retainer is transitioned from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration. The retainer then resists removal of the tube, due to the expanded width of the retainer and its location beneath the skin. The tube fitted with the retainer can be a PICC line or other form of medical tube.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A subcutaneous medical tube retainer, comprising in combination:
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a base portion adapted to be attached to a subcutaneous port of a medical tube; an expandable width portion coupled to said base portion; said expandable width portion having at least two configurations including an expanded configuration with a width greater than said base portion, and a collapsed configuration with a width less than said width of said expanded configuration; and said expandable width portion adapted to transition between said collapsed configuration and said expanded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A skin penetrating medical tube featuring a subcutaneous retainer, the medical tube comprising in combination:
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an elongate conduit surrounded by a wall and extending between an access end and a discharge end; said access end adapted to receive a substance to be delivered to a patient; said discharge end adapted to be embedded within a body lumen or other subcutaneous delivery site; a retainer coupled to said wall between said access end and said discharge end; and said retainer including an expandable width portion adapted to transition between two configurations including an expanded configuration with a width greater than a width of said wall around said conduit, and a collapsed configuration with a width less than said width of said expanded configuration. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for retaining a skin penetrating medical tube at an implant site, the method including the steps of:
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providing a retainer including a base portion adapted to be attached to a subcutaneous port of a medical tube;
an expandable width portion coupled to the base portion; and
the expandable width portion having at least two configurations including an expanded configuration with a width greater than the base portion, and a collapsed configuration with a width less than the width of the expanded configuration;attaching the retainer to the medical tube; implanting the medical tube with the retainer below the skin; and transitioning the expandable width portion of the retainer from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration with the expandable width portion below the skin. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification