Surgical tube anchoring device and method for using same

• US 4,717,385 A
• Filed: 12/10/1986
• Issued: 01/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BETH Israel Medical Center (Mount Sinai Beth Israel)
• Original Assignee: BETH Israel Medical Center (Mount Sinai Beth Israel)
• Inventors: Borrelli, Esther F., Cameron, Pamela E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US06/939,276
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 604/174, 604/178, 604/179, 604/180, 604/175, 604/176, 604/177, 604/326, 604/331, 604/338, 604/339, 128/DIG. 26, 285/158, 285/194
• US Class Current: 604/174
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0233 specifically adapted for attaching to a body wall by means which are on both sides of the wall, e.g. for attaching to an abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/02 Holding devices, e.g. on the body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/26 Cannula supporters

Abstract

A tube anchoring device for anchoring gastrostomy and similar surgical tubing, for use in conjunction with a flanged pectin and polymethylcellulose wafer where, in one embodiment, the tube anchoring device comprises a tube, for receiving the surgical tubing, having at one end at least three radially projecting legs, designed to extend to and snap under the flange of the wafer, thereby releasably and painlessly securing the surgical tube in a manner that also facilitates easy inspection and cleaning of the incision and minor repair of the wafer without removal of the anchoring device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for stabilizing surgical tubing, comprising:

a wafer, having a hole in its center, a first side of said wafer affixed to the patient and a second side of said wafer opposite the first side having a flanged ring concentric with the hole; and

a support tube through which surgical tubing can be passed, provided at one end with at least three bent legs connected with and extending from said support tube, each leg having edges and a part contiguous to said support tube and an extended part, said contiguous parts extending substantially axially to the support tube, said extended part extending substantailly radially outward from the long axis of the support tube, said legs being shaped such that the edges of said legs at the bends of said legs are equally spaced apart around the perimeter of a circle concentric with said support tube, said legs being flexible and capable of releasably attaching said support tube under a flanged portion of the flanged ring of said wafer, such that when said legs are attached under the flanged ring of said wafer affixed to a patient, a surgical tube passed from an incision in the patient through the hole in said wafer, hole in the flanged ring, and said support tube is secured.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said supprt tube is formed within a zig-zag incision along its entire length.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said support tube is cylindrical.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said support tube comprises a thermoplastic.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said thermoplastic is polycapralactone.

6. An apparatus for stabilizing surgical tubing, to be used in conjunction with a wafer having a hole in its center and a flanged ring concentric with the hole on a first side of said wafer, a second side of said wafer opposite said firs side being adapted to attach to a portion of a human body, comprising a support tube for receiving surgical tubing, said support tube having at least three bent legs connected with and extending from said support tube to enable said support tube to be attached to the flanged ring on the wafer, each of said legs having edges and a part contiguous to said support tube and an extended part, said contiguous part connecting to said extended part at the bends in said bent legs, and contiguous part extending substantially axially to the support tube, said extended part extending substantially radially outward from the long axis of the support tube, said legs being shaped such that the edges of said legs, at the bends of the legs, are equally spaced apart around the peripmeter of a circle concentric with said support tube, said legs being flexible and of a sufficient length to simultaneously releasably engage the flanged ring of the wafer by snapping under a flanged portion of the flanged ring such that when said apparatus is properly engaged in the wafer and the wafer is secured to a human body, a surgical tube passing from the incision through the hole in the wafer, the hole in the flanged ring and through said support tube is secured, and the support tube rests at a distance from an incision so that the incision may be visually inspected and minor repairs may be made.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said support tube is formed with a zig-zag incision along its entire length.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said support tube is a cylinder.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said support tube comprises a thermoplastic.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said thermoplastic is polycapralactone.

11. An apparatus for stabilizing surgical tubing, comprising:

a wafer, having a hole in its center, a first side of said wafer affixed to the patient and a second side of said wafer opposite the first side having a flanged ring concentric with the hole; and

three legs arranged substantially along three of the edges of a shallow tetrahedron, said legs projecting from a central circular ring segment lying at the apex of said tetrahedron defined by said three legs, said ring segment extending substantailly 120°

from any of said three legs, to the next of said three legs, defining a passage for receiving the surgical tubing said legs being flexible and capable of engaging said flanged ring of said wafer by snapping under a flanged portion of the flanged ring to make a surgical tube secure when a surgical tube is passed from a patient'"'"'s incision through the hole in said wafer, the hole in said flanged ring and through said central circular ring segment.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said support tube comprises a thermoplastic.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said thermoplastic is polycapralactone.

14. An apparatus for stabilizing surgical tubing, to be used in conjunction with a wafer, having a hole in its center and a flanged ring concentric with said hole on a first side of said wafer, a second side of said wafer, opposite to said first side of said wafer adapted to attach to a portion of a human body, comprising three legs arranged substantially along three of the edges of a shallow tetrahedron projecting from a central circular ring segment lying at the apex of said tetrahedron defined by said legs, said ring segment extending substantially 120°

from any of the three legs to the next of said three legs, defining a passage for receiving the surgical tubing, said legs being flexible and of a sufficient length to simultaneously releasably engage the flanged ring of the wafer by snapping under a flanged portion of the flanged ring such that when said apparatus is properly engaged in said wafer and said wafer is secured to a human body, a surgical tube passing from the patient through the hole in the wafer, the flanged ring and said circular ring segment is secured.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said apparatus comprises a thermosetting plastic.

16. A method for stabilizing surgical tubing entering the body of a patient through an incision, comprising the steps of

providing a unitary surgical tube/catheter anchoring device;

providing a flanged, adhesive-backed pectin and polymethylcellulose wafer, having a hole of a size suitable to accept the tube arranged concentric with said flange;

arranging the wafer with the adhesive side facing the patient;

guiding the surgical tube/catheter through the hole in the wafer and into the incision;

actuating said catheter anchoring device thereby preventing the catheter from being pulled back through the incision;

adhering the wafer to the patient'"'"'s skin, said surgical tube/catheter protruding through said hole in said wafer;

providing an apparatus designed to engage said flange, comprising a support tube, for receiving the surgical tubing, said support tube comprising;

at least three bent legs, each of said legs comprising;

edges;

a contiguous part to said tube extending substantially axially of said tube; and

an extended part, said extended part extending substantially radially outward from the long axis of said support tube;

said contiguous part connecting to said extended part at the bend;

said legs being of sufficient length to simultaneously releasably engage the flange of the wafer;

said legs being shaped such that the edges of said legs, at the bends of said legs, are spaced apart around the perimeter of a circle concentric with said support tube, so that when installed, visual inspection of the incision may be achieved through the spaces between the edges of the legs;

positioning the surgical tube within the support tube of said apparatus designed to engage said flange; and

simultaneously releasably engaging all of the legs under the flange of the wafer.

17. The method for stabilizing surgical tubing of claim 16 wherein:

said support tube is formed having a lengthwise zig-zag incision along its entire length; and

said positioning of the surgical tube within the support tube of the legged apparatus is accomplished by feeding the surgical tube through said lengthwise zig-zag incision.

18. A method for stabilizing surgical tubing or catheters entering the body of a patient through an incision, comprising the steps of:

providing a wafer, having a hole of a size suitable to accept the tubing and a flange arranged concentric with the hole on a first side of the wafer;

guiding the surgical tubing through the hole in the wafer and into the incision;

securing the surgical tubing in the incision;

adhering a second side of the wafer to the patient, said second side being opposite to the first side of the wafer occupied by the flange, the surgical tubing protruding through the hole in the wafer and thehole in the flange;

providing an apparatus designed to engage the flange comprisng a support tube, for receiving the surgical tubing, said support tube comprising;

at least three bent legs, each of said legs comprising

edges;

a contiguous part to said tube extending substantially axially of said tube; and

an extended part, said extended part extending substantially radially outward from the long axis of said support tube;

said contiguous part connecting to said extended part at the bend;

said legs being of sufficient length to simultaneously releasably engage the flange of the wafer;

said legs being shaped such that the edges of said legs, at the bends of said legs, are spaced apart around the perimeter of a circle concentric with said support tube, so that when installed, visual inspection of the incision may be achieved through the spaces between the edges of the legs;

positioning the surgical tubing within the support tube of said apparatus designed to engage the flange; and

engaging the flange with the legs of the apparatus designed to engage the flange.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the wafer comprises a pectin and polymethylcellulose wafer.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the wafer is adhered to the patient by an adhesive affixed to the second side of the wafer.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of securing the surgical tubing in the incisionis accomplished by providing a unitary surgical tube/catheter anchoring device and actuating said device prior to adhering the wafer to the patient thereby preventing the catheter from being pulled back through the incision.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the legs of said apparatus designed to engage said flange are engaged to said flange by simultaneously releasably engaging all of the legs under the flange of the wafer.

23. A method for stabilizing surgical tubing or catheters entering the body of a patient through an incision, comprising the steps of:

providing a wafer, having a hole of a size suitable to accept the tubing and a flange arranged concentric with the hole on a first side of the wafer;

guiding the surgical tubing through the hole in the wafer and into the incision;

securing the surgical tubing in the incision;

adhering a second side of the wafer, opposite to the first side of the wafer occupied by the flanged, to the patient, the surgical tubing protruding through the hole in the wafer;

providing an apparatus designed to engage the flange comprising three legs arranged substantially along the three of the edges of a shallow tetrahedron projecting from a central circular ring segment lying at the apex of said tetrahedron defined by said legs, said ring segment extending substantially 120°

from any of the three legs to thenext of the three legs, defining a passage for receiving the surgical tubing, said legs being flexible and of a sufficient length to simultaneously releasably engage the flange of the wafer such that when said apparatus is properly engaged in said wafer and said wafer is secured to a human body, a surgical tube passing from the patient through the wafer, the flange and the circular ring segment is secured; and

engaging the flange with the legs of the apparatus designed to engage the flange.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the wafer comprises a pectin and polymethylcellulose wafer.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the wafer is adhered to the patient by an adhesive affixed to the second side of the wafer.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of securing the surgical tubing in the incision is accomplished by providing a unitary surgical tube/catheter anchoring device and actuating said device prior to adhering the wafer to the patient thereby preventing the catheter from being pulled back through the incision.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the legs of said apparatus designed to engage said flange are engaged to said flange by simultaneously releasably engaging all of the legs under the flange of the wafer.