RECYCLABLE OR BIODEGRADABLE BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF

• US 20100298724A1
• Filed: 05/19/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Karla, Sean, Edwards, Ian K., Lia, Raymond A., Vivenzio, Robert L., Perkins, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/468,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20100298724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/490
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02233 Occluders specially adapted therefor tourniquets A61B17/132

Abstract

A blood pressure cuff is defined by a sleeve member, a portion of which is inflatable and made from a fluid impermeable material. An exterior port of the sleeve directly and fluidly interconnects with the interior of said inflatable portion, wherein a slotted portion is aligned with the port to receive the port when the cuff is wrapped about the limb of a patient. The slotted portion is sized to provide a range of cuff sizes wherein the cuff can be entirely made from a biodegradable or recyclable material. A plurality of cuffs can be packaged for sequential dispensing thereof.

Claims

1. A disposable blood pressure cuff, said cuff comprising:

a sleeve having an interior; and

an inflatable portion within at least a portion of said sleeve interior, said cuff including a port that directly and fluidly interconnects with the interior of said inflatable portion, said cuff being entirely made from a single material that enables recyclability of said cuff.

2. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is made from a cellulosic material.

3. A cuff as recited in claim 2, wherein said sleeve is made from polypropylene.

4. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said sleeve is made from polyethylene.

5. A cuff as recited in claim 1, said sleeve further including a slotted portion on a side opposite said port.

6. A cuff as recited in claim 5, wherein said sleeve is adapted to be attached onto the limb of a patient in overlapping fashion wherein said port is fitted in said slotted position.

7. A cuff as recited in claim 6, wherein said slotted portion is sized to limit the limb sizes that said cuff can be attached to said patient.

8. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said port is a socket.

9. A cuff as recited in claim 8, wherein said socket is configured to receive at least one of a gage housing and a hose adapter.

10. A cuff as recited in claim 9, wherein said socket is configured to permit said at least one of a gage housing and a hose adapter engaged in said socket to be rotatable about an axis of said socket.

11. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said cuff includes means for preventing said cuff from being reattached to a patient when said cuff is removed therefrom.

12. A cuff as recited in claim 11, wherein said cuff includes a portion that is destructively removed when said cuff is removed from said patient.

13. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said cuff is prevented from being reattached to a patient after a predetermined number of uses.

14. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said sleeve includes closure means for releasably securing said sleeve in a wrapped configuration.

15. A cuff as recited in claim 14, wherein said closure means includes hook and loop fasteners and in which the exterior surface of said sleeve is made from a material that provides adhesion to a hook fastener portion of said sleeve, thereby serving as a loop fastener section.

16. A cuff as recited in claim 13, wherein the adhesion of said sleeve material is degraded upon attachment and subsequent removal from said hook fastener portion.

17. A cuff as recited in claim 5, wherein said slotted portion and said port are aligned in substantially the center of the width of said sleeve.

18. A cuff as recited in claim 15, wherein said port is used as an arterial marker.

19. A cuff as recited in claim 16, wherein said sleeve can be alternatively wrapped in at least two orientations about a patient limb.

20. A cuff as recited in claim 1, wherein said port is made from the same material as said sleeve.

33. A cuff as recited in claim 19, wherein said sleeve includes closure means for releasably securing said sleeve in a wrapped configuration.

34. A cuff as recited in claim 33, wherein said closure means includes hook and loop fasteners and in which the exterior surface of said sleeve is made from a material that provides adhesion to a hook fastener portion of said sleeve, thereby serving as a loop fastener section.

35. A cuff as recited in claim 34, wherein the adhesion of said sleeve material is degraded upon attachment and subsequent removal from said hook fastener portion.

21. A disposable blood pressure cuff, said cuff comprising:

a sleeve having an interior; and

an inflatable portion within at least a portion of said sleeve interior including a port that directly and fluidly interconnects with the interior of said inflatable portion, said cuff being biodegradable.

22. A cuff as recited in claim 21, wherein said cuff is made from a material that is treated with an additive that renders said cuff biodegradable after a predetermined time period.

23. A cuff as recited in claim 21, wherein said cuff is made from at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene.

24. A cuff as recited in claim 21, said sleeve further including a slotted portion on a side opposite said port.

25. A cuff as recited in claim 24, wherein said sleeve is attached onto the limb of said patient in overlapping fashion wherein said port is fitted in said slotted portion.

26. A cuff as recited in claim 25, wherein said slotted portion is sized to limit the limb sizes that said cuff can be attached to said patient.

27. A cuff as recited in claim 21, wherein said port is a socket.

28. A cuff as recited in claim 27, wherein said socket is configured to receive at least one of a gage housing and a hose adapter.

29. A cuff as recited in claim 28, wherein said socket is configured to permit said at least one a gage housing and a hose adapter to be rotatable about an axis of said socket.

30. A cuff as recited in claim 21, wherein said cuff includes means for preventing said cuff from being reattached to a patient when said cuff is removed therefrom.

31. A cuff as recited in claim 30, wherein said cuff includes a portion that is destructively removed when said cuff is removed from said patient.

32. A cuff as recited in claim 21, wherein said cuff is prevented from being reattached to a patient after a predetermined number of uses.

36. A cuff as recited in claim 24, wherein said slotted portion and said port are aligned in substantially the center of the width of said sleeve.

37. A cuff as recited in claim 36, wherein said port is used as an arterial marker.

38. A cuff as recited in claim 36, wherein said sleeve can be alternatively wrapped in at least two orientations about a patient limb.

39. A blood pressure cuff comprising:

a flexible sleeve including an inflatable portion;

a port extending from an exterior surface of said inflatable portion; and

a slotted portion sized for receiving said port when said sleeve is circumferentially wrapped about the limb of a patient.

40. A cuff as recited in claim 39, wherein said slotted portion is sized to limit the range of limb sizes to which said cuff can be attached.

41. A cuff as recited in claim 39, wherein said slotted portion and said port are aligned with one another, each being disposed at substantially the center of the width dimension of said sleeve.

42. A cuff as recited in claim 41, wherein said cuff can be wrapped in at least two opposite orientations about the limb of a patient and in which said port is in the same location relative to said patient in each orientation.

43. A cuff as recited in claim 39, including closure means for releasably securing said cuff in said circumferential configuration.

44. A cuff as recited in claim 43, wherein said closure means includes hook and loop fasteners.

45. A cuff as recited in claim 44, wherein the exterior of said sleeve is made from a material that enables adhesion relative to a hook fastener portion provided on the exterior of one side of said sleeve.

46. A cuff as recited in claim 39, wherein said cuff is at least one of recyclable and biodegradable.

47. A cuff as recited in claim 39, wherein the entire cuff is made from a single material, enabling said cuff to be recycled.

48. A method for manufacturing a blood pressure cuff, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a flexible sleeve member having an interior and made from a fluid impermeable material,

adding an external port to said sleeve member, said external port including an opening in fluid communication with an inflatable portion of said sleeve member; and

creating a slotted portion in a side of said sleeve opposite from said external port in which said slotted portion is sized to receive the external port when the cuff is wrapped about the limb of a patient.

49. A method s recited in claim 48, wherein said sleeve member is entirely made from a recyclable material.

50. A method as recited in claim 49, wherein said material is polypropylene.

51. A method as recited in claim 48, wherein said sleeve member is made from a biodegradable material.

52. A method as recited in claim 51, wherein said sleeve member is treated with an additive enabling said sleeve member to be biodegradable after a predetermined time period.

53. A method as recited in claim 51, wherein said material is at least one of polyethylene and polypropylene.

54. A method as recited in claim 48, including the step of sizing said slotted portion in order to limit the range of limb sizes to which said cuff can be attached.

55. A method as recited in claim 48, wherein said slotted portion is sized to permit the attachment of pneumatic means to said port to permit inflation and deflation of said sleeve.

56. A method as recited in claim 48, including the step of providing means for preventing said sleeve from being reattached to a patient following use thereof.

57. A method as recited in claim 48, including the step of positioning said port and said slotted portion at substantially the center of the width dimension of said sleeve.

58. A method as recited in claim 57, wherein said cuff is capable of being wrapped in at least two opposite orientations about the limb of a patient in which the port is in the same location relative to the patient in each orientation.

59. A method as recited in claim 48, including the step of providing closure means for releasably securing the sleeve in a wrapped configuration.

60. A method as recited in claim 59, wherein said closure means includes hook and loop fasteners wherein the exterior surface of the sleeve is made from a material that provides adhesion to a hook fastener portion of the sleeve, thereby serving as loop fasteners.

61. A dispense container for a plurality of blood pressure cuffs, said container including an enclosure having a dispense slot and sized to receive a stacked configuration of cuffs, each of said cuffs being made from a flexible fluid impermeable material wherein cuffs can be dispensed one at a time through said dispense slot.

62. A dispense container as recited in claim 61, wherein said cuffs are stacked such that removal of a cuff from said container causes a succeeding cuff to be advanced to the dispense slot.

63. A dispense container as recited in claim 61, wherein said cuffs are at least one of recyclable and biodegradable.