Low-Cost Disposable Tourniquet Cuff Having Improved Safety

• US 20070244506A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Inventors: Jameson, Michael, McEwen, James, Glinz, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/203
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/135 inflatable for measuring blood pressure A61B5/022; inflatable pressure pads A61F5/34

Abstract

A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety includes a cuff with opposing ends and an inflatable bladder having a first bladder side and a second bladder side. The bladder has a length dimension that is greater than the circumference of a limb of a patient at a desired limb location for applying the cuff, but less than the distance between first and second cuff ends. A port is provided for inflating the bladder, and a fastener is attached to the second bladder side and adapted to allow the surgical user to releasably secure the fastener to the first bladder side only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired limb location.

Claims

1. A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety, comprising:

a first sheet formed of flexible material that is impermeable to gas;

a second sheet facing the first sheet and formed of flexible material impermeable to gas;

a bladder seal joining the first sheet to the second sheet around a perimeter to form an inflatable bladder within the perimeter, wherein the bladder has a bladder width dimension and a bladder length dimension greater than the circumference of a patient'"'"'s limb at a desired location;

port means communicating with the bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument;

stiffener means contained within the inflatable bladder and formed of gas-impermeable material less flexible than the first sheet, wherein the stiffener means has a stiffener width dimension less than the bladder width dimension and is joined to the first sheet to form a non-inflatable portion of the first sheet;

securing means attached to the non-inflatable portion of the first sheet and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the cuff around the limb at the desired location; and

secondary securing means attached to the second sheet and adapted to allow the surgical user to releasably secure the secondary securing means to the first sheet only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired limb location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the securing means is attached to the non-inflatable portion of the first sheet independently of the attachment of the secondary securing means to the second sheet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cuff has sides, side edges and first and second cuff ends outside the bladder seal and wherein the secondary securing means is attached to the second sheet at a predetermined distance from the first cuff end.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bladder seal is a weld that includes integral marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stiffener means is sealed to the first sheet by a weld having integral marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cuff has sides, side edges and first and second ends outside the bladder seal, wherein the cuff includes a tie strap located between the first sheet and the second sheet near the second end and extending from the side edges, wherein the tie strap is non-releasably attached to at least the second sheet, and wherein the tie strap is adapted to assist the surgical user in releasably securing the second end of the cuff.

7. A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety, comprising:

a first sheet formed of a gas-impermeable material having a predetermined flexibility;

a second sheet formed of a flexible material impermeable to gas;

stiffener means formed of gas-impermeable material having a predetermined stiffener flexibility less than the predetermined flexibility of the first sheet, wherein the stiffener means is located between the first sheet and the second sheet and wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet within a portion of the first sheet;

a bladder seal joining the second sheet to the first sheet around a perimeter enclosing the stiffener means to form an inflatable bladder within the perimeter, wherein the inflatable bladder has a length dimension greater than the circumference of a patient'"'"'s limb at a desired location;

port means communicating with the inflatable bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument;

securing means for securing the cuff around the limb at the desired location; and

secondary securing means attached to the second sheet and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the secondary securing means to the first sheet only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired limb location.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the securing means includes a securing strip of velcro-type material non-releasably attached to the first sheet at a strip attachment location and further includes a securing strap of mating velcro-type material attached to the securing strip near a first strap end and releasably attachable by a user to the securing strip near a second strap end to secure the cuff around the limb.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the securing means is attached within the portion of the first sheet and wherein the securing means is attached independently of the attachment of the secondary securing means to the second sheet.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the cuff has sides, side edges and first and second cuff ends outside the bladder seal and wherein the secondary securing means is attached to the second sheet at a predetermined distance from the first cuff end.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the bladder seal is a weld that includes integral marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet by a weld having integral marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

13. A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety, comprising:

an inflatable bladder having a first bladder side and a second bladder side and a bladder length dimension between first and second cuff ends that is greater than the circumference of a patient'"'"'s limb at a desired location;

stiffener means contained within the inflatable bladder and formed of material less flexible than the first and second bladder sides;

port means communicating with the inflatable bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the inflatable bladder and the tourniquet instrument;

securing means including a securing strip of velcro-type material non-releasably attached to the first bladder side and further including a securing strap of mating velcro-type material non-releasably attached to the first bladder side at an attachment location near the first cuff end, wherein the securing strap is releasably attachable by a surgical user to the securing strip to secure the cuff around the limb at the desired location; and

secondary securing means attached to the second bladder side and adapted to allow the surgical user to releasably secure the secondary securing means to the securing strip only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the securing strap is attached to the first bladder side independently of the attachment of the secondary securing means to the second bladder side.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the secondary securing means is attached to the second bladder side at a predetermined distance from the first cuff end.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the bladder seal is a weld that includes integral marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

17. A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety, the cuff having first and second opposing ends and comprising:

an inflatable bladder having a first bladder side and a second bladder side and a bladder length dimension that is greater than the circumference of a limb of a patient at a desired limb location and less than the distance between first and second cuff ends;

port means for inflating the bladder;

securing means attached to the first bladder side and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the cuff around the limb at the desired limb location; and

a fastener attached to the second bladder side and adapted to allow the surgical user to releasably secure the fastener to the first bladder side only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired limb location.

18. The cuff of claim 17 wherein the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length corresponds to the inflatable bladder at least completely encircling the limb.

19. The cuff of claim 17 wherein the fastener is attached to the second bladder side at a predetermined distance from the first cuff end.

20. The cuff of claim 17 wherein the cuff includes marking visible to the surgical user to indicate the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

21. The cuff of claim 17 wherein the cuff includes marking visible to the surgical user to indicate a predetermined maximum cuff overlap length.

22. A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff having improved safety, comprising:

an inflatable bladder having a first bladder side and a second bladder side and a bladder length dimension between first and second cuff ends that is greater than the circumference of a patient'"'"'s limb at a desired location;

port means communicating with the inflatable bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the inflatable bladder and the tourniquet instrument;

securing means attached to the first bladder side and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the cuff around the limb at the desired location; and

marking means integral to the first bladder side and visible to the surgical user to indicate a predetermined minimum cuff overlap length.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the marking means integral to the first bladder side further includes an indication visible to the surgical user of a predetermined maximum cuff overlap length.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 and including secondary securing means attached to the second bladder side and adapted to allow the surgical user to releasably secure the secondary securing means to the first bladder side only if the cuff overlaps upon itself by at least the predetermined minimum cuff overlap length at the desired limb location.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the secondary securing means is attached to the second bladder side at a predetermined distance from the first cuff end.