PLACEMENT DEVICES THAT ENABLE PATIENTS TO ACCURATELY POSITION MEDICAL PATCHES AT TARGET LOCATIONS AND METHODS THEREFOR

• US 20110152987A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Stahl, Glenn H., March, Andrew Joseph, Ammerman, Michael William, Wahlgren, Stephen B., Slater Tomko, Andrea, Taylor, Karin Elise, Kleinberg, Rochelle, Nohilly, Martin J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,220,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems

Abstract

A placement device for a medical patch includes an alignment guide having a shaft with a first end having a first anatomical alignment marker and a second end having a second anatomical alignment marker, a swinging gate both pivotally and rotationally coupled with the first end of the shaft for selectively pivoting the gate toward and away from the shaft and rotating the gate between opposite sides of the shaft, whereby the gate has first and second major faces and a first opening extending through the gate between the first and second major faces. The placement device includes a spacer for selectively adjusting spacing between the gate and the first end of the shaft, and a flexible diaphragm having a flexible dome disposed within the first gate opening. At least one magnet is located in the center of the flexible dome for holding the medical patch within the flexible dome.

Claims

1. A placement device for positioning a medical patch comprising:

an alignment guide having a first anatomical alignment marker and a second anatomical alignment marker;

a gate adapted to hold a medical patch, said gate being coupled with said alignment guide for swinging between left and right sides of said alignment guide.

2. The placement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said alignment guide comprises a handle including an upper end and a lower end, and wherein said first anatomical alignment marker is located at the upper end of said handle and said second anatomical alignment marker is located at the lower end of said handle.

3. The placement device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second anatomical alignment marker comprises a projection adapted to engage a tail bone for aligning the lower end of said handle with the tail bone, and wherein said projection has a concave surface adapted to engage a bottom of the tail bone.

4. The placement device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said handle has a C-shape, and wherein said first and second anatomical alignment elements are located at the free ends of said C-shaped handle.

5. The placement device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a pivoting arm having an upper end pivotally coupled with the upper end of said handle and a lower end adapted to pivot toward and away from said handle.

6. The placement device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said pivoting arm is adapted to pivot within a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of said handle.

7. The placement device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said gate is rotatably coupled with the lower end of said pivoting arm so that said gate is capable of swinging between opposite sides of said handle.

8. The placement device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate comprises:

a first face and a first alignment ridge projecting from said first face;

a second face and a second alignment ridge projecting from said second face;

a first opening extending through said gate between said first and second faces of said gate; and

a flexible diaphragm disposed within said first gate opening.

9. The placement device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said flexible diaphragm includes a flexible dome that is adapted to be selectively pressed through said first gate opening for selectively moving said dome between said first and second faces of said gate.

10. The placement device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising at least one magnet located in a center of said flexible dome.

11. The placement device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and second ridges are adapted to surround an outer perimeter of a medical patch when said medical patch is loaded on said gate, and wherein at least one of said first and second ridges includes a slot adapted to receive a tab accessible at the outer perimeter of said medical patch.

12. A placement device for positioning a medical patch on a patient comprising:

a handle including a shaft having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end of said shaft includes a first alignment marker adapted for alignment with a patient'"'"'s spine and the lower end of said shaft includes a second alignment marker adapted for alignment with the patient'"'"'s tail bone;

a gate adapted to receive a medical patch, wherein said gate is both pivotally coupled with the upper end of said shaft for being selectively pivoted toward and away from said shaft and rotationally coupled with the upper end of said shaft for swinging said gate through an arc extending between opposite sides of said shaft.

13. The placement device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising an adjustable spacer for selectively adjusting spacing between said gate and the upper and lower ends of said shaft.

14. The placement device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said adjustable spacer couples said gate with the upper end of said shaft.

15. The placement device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said gate comprises a first major face, a second major face, and a first opening extending through said gate between said first and second major faces;

and

a flexible diaphragm disposed within said first gate opening, wherein said flexible diaphragm includes a flexible dome that is adapted to be selectively pressed through said first gate opening for transforming the shape of said flexible diaphragm between a concave cup facing said first face of said gate and a convex dome facing said first face of said gate.

16. The placement device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising at least one magnet located in a center of said flexible dome for holding a medical patch within said flexible dome.

17. The placement device as claimed in claim 14, wherein said gate further comprises a first alignment ridge projecting from said first major face of said gate and a second alignment ridge projecting from said second major face of said gate, and wherein said first alignment ridge is adapted to surround an outer perimeter of a medical patch when said medical patch is loaded onto said first major face of said gate and said second alignment ridge is adapted to surround an outer perimeter of a medical patch when said medical patch is loaded onto said second major face of said gate.

18. The placement device as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one of said first and second ridges includes a slot adapted to receive a tab accessible at the outer perimeter of said medical patch.

19. A placement device that enables a patient to self-locate and position a medical patch on the patient'"'"'s body comprising:

an alignment guide including a C-shaped shaft having a first end with a first anatomical alignment marker and a second end with a second anatomical alignment marker;

a swinging gate both pivotally and rotationally coupled with the first end of said shaft for selectively pivoting said swinging gate within a plane toward and away from said shaft and selectively rotating said swinging gate between opposite sides of said shaft, wherein said gate comprises a first major face, a second major face, and a first opening extending through said gate between said first and second major faces;

an adjustable spacer coupling said gate with the first end of said shaft for selectively adjusting spacing between said gate and the first end of said shaft;

a flexible diaphragm disposed within said first gate opening, wherein said flexible diaphragm includes a flexible dome that is adapted to be selectively pressed through said first gate opening for transforming the shape of said flexible diaphragm between a concave cup facing said first face of said gate and a convex dome facing said first face of said gate; and

at least one magnet located in a center of said flexible dome for holding a medical patch within said flexible diaphragm.

20. The placement device as claimed in claim 19, wherein said swinging gate is rotatable to the left of said shaft for placing a medical patch on a left side of a patient and to the right of said shaft for placing a medical patch on a right side of a patient.

21. The placement device as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a medical patch having an active region that is adapted to deliver neurostimulation, pain-management agents, hormones, or pharmacological agents to a target location on a patient.