Low-Cost Contour Cuff For Surgical Tourniquet Systems

• US 20100268267A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Inventors: Jameson, Michael, Upward, Allen J., McEwen, James A., Glinz, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,480,842 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 contour cuff for surgical tourniquet systems comprises: a sheath containing an inflatable bladder, the sheath having an arcuate shape, an outer surface and a centerline equidistant between first and second side edges; a securing strap non-releasably attached to the outer surface and formed of substantially inextensible material having a shape that is predetermined and substantially flat, wherein the strap includes a bending portion near a first strap end and a fastening portion near a second strap end, and wherein the bending portion is adapted to allow twisting of the bending portion out of the substantially flat shape to facilitate positioning of the fastening portion into any of a plurality of positions in the substantially flat shape; and fastening means for releasably attaching the fastening portion of the securing strap to the outer surface whenever the sheath is curved into a position for surrounding a limb.

Claims

1. Low-cost contour cuff apparatus for surgical tourniquet systems, comprising:

an inflatable bladder having an arcuate shape;

an inner surface and an outer surface enclosing the bladder;

a securing strap non-releasably attached to the outer surface near a first strap end and segmented into a bending portion near the first strap end and a fastening portion near a second strap end, wherein the fastening portion is adapted for releasable attachment to the outer surface, and wherein the bending portion has a predetermined flexibility sufficient for bending the fastening portion to releasably attach substantially all of fastening portion to the outer surface when the bladder surrounds a limb and

wherein the securing strap is formed of flexible and substantially inextensible material, wherein the fastening portion has a predetermined fastening width dimension and wherein the bending portion has a predetermined bending width dimension less than the fastening width dimension; and

a secondary fastener attached to the outer surface of the bladder and underlying the first strap end, and wherein the secondary fastener is attached directly to the securing strap by stitching that passes between the secondary fastener and the securing strap through the first strap end thereby establishing interdependence between the two and reducing the load on the securing strap alone when the cuff is secured around a limb.