Valved bandage

• US 5,263,922 A
• Filed: 08/26/1991
• Issued: 11/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microtek Medical Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plasco, Inc. (Ohio) (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sova, David, Eisenberg, Melvin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isabella, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): PREBILIC, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US07/749,996
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 128/887, 128/888, 128/203.11, 128/202.28, 602/47, 602/53, 602/58, 602/59, 604/9, 604/34, 604/289, 604/305, 604/323, 604/326, 604/335, 623/2
• US Class Current: 602/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0206 with absorbent fibrous layers, e.g. woven or non-woven absorbent pads or island dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/025 having a special distribution arrangement of the adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/05 specially adapted for use with sub-pressure or over-pressure therapy, wound drainage or wound irrigation, e.g. for use with negative-pressure wound therapy [NPWT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00114 with check valve, e.g. for traumatic pneumothorax
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00174 possibility of applying pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00412 for use with needles, tubes or catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/00536 for draining or irrigating wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/0054 for deep wounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/42 Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties liquid bandages A61L26/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/58 Adhesives

Abstract

A valved bandage and method for covering an open wound in the chest cavity. The bandage includes a flexible sheet having a hole formed therein. A normally closed one way valve section extends outward from the outside of the sheet and in communication with the hole. The bandage is secured over the chest wound, so that the valve is in alignment with the chest wound opening to close the chest wound. The bandage enables fluids from inside the chest cavity to flow into the valve, to open the valve and be released to the outside. The valve automatically closes after the flow of fluids into the valve substantially ceases, to prevent back flow of air from the outside to the inside of the chest cavity. The one way valve section of the bandage may be formed into an angled configuration, so that the position of the outlet of the angled valve section may be varied to provide optimum drainage of fluids.

Claims

1. A bandage for covering an open chest wound in the body of a victim comprising:

a sheet of material having a hole formed therein, said sheet including an outer side and an inner side, said sheet being flexible for conforming to the contour of the area of the chest adjacent the open wound;

a sleeve for positioning at the outer side of said sheet, said sleeve having an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end of the sleeve being in communication with said hole so that fluid from the open chest wound flows into said inlet end and through said sleeve to the outlet end;

a hollow rigid tube secured to said sheet and extending outward from the outer side of the sheet, said tube enclosing said sleeve to provide a protective shield for the sleeve;

an adhesive substance positioned along the peripheral border on the inner side of the sheet for operatively securing said sheet over the open wound so that the inner side of said sheet is opposed to said wound and said hole in the sheet is in alignment with the open wound;

a layer of material secured to the inner side of the sheet for absorbing liquid from the open wound, said layer of material being positioned inside from said peripheral border of said adhesive substance, said layer of material having an aperture therein in communication with said hole in the sheet; and

a spring strip secured to said outlet end of the sleeve for resiliently closing said outlet end, said outlet end of the sleeve opening in response to said fluids flowing into the sleeve from the open wound and overcoming said resilient force of the spring strip, said spring strip resiliently closing said outlet end when said fluid from the open wound has substantially ceased flowing.

2. A chest bandage for covering an open wound of a victim comprising:

a sheet of material having a hole formed therein, said sheet including an outer side and an inner side;

a hollow tubular means secured to the sheet and aligned with the hole, the tubular means including an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end being in communication with said the hole so that fluid from the open wound flows into said tubular means;

a one way valve associated with the outlet end of the tubular means to permit said fluid to flow from inside the tubular means to the outside of the body and to prevent back flow of fluid into said tubular means from the outside of the body;

said tubular means being formed into an angular configuration for varying the position of the valve to vary the location of the fluid discharge from the valve in response to a change of position of said sheet; and

attaching means for operatively securing said sheet over the open wound, so that the inner side of said sheet is opposed to the open wound.

3. A bandage for covering an open wound of a victim comprising:

a sheet of material having a hole formed therein, said sheet including an outer side and an inner side;

an open ended hollow pipe having an angular configuration, said pipe including an inward leg and an outward leg, said inward leg extending outward from the outer side of the sheet, an inner end of the inward leg being attached to the sheet adjacent said hole so that the inside of said pipe is aligned with the hole;

said outward leg angularly formed to the inward leg and spaced from the sheet;

a sleeve positioned inside said pipe and including an inlet end and an outlet end, said sleeve having an angular configuration to conform to the inside of the pipe, said inlet end of the sleeve being in communication with said hole so that fluid from the open wound flows into said inlet end and through said sleeve to the outlet end;

a one way valve associated with the outlet end of the sleeve to permit said fluid to flow from inside the sleeve to the outside of the body and to prevent fluid flow into said sleeve from the outside of the body; and

attaching means for operatively securing said sheet over the open wound, so that the inner side of said sheet is opposed to said wound and said hole in the sheet is in alignment with the open wound.

4. The bandage of claim 3, wherein said inward leg of the pipe is substantially perpendicular to the sheet and said outward leg is substantially perpendicular to the inward leg, the inside of the pipe having a substantially right angular pathway, said sleeve having a substantially right angular shape to conform to said pathway inside the pipe.