Occlusive cuff

• US 5,312,431 A
• Filed: 09/30/1991
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abatis Medical Technologies Limited, Zimmer Orthopaedic Surgical Products (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Abatis Medical Technologies Limited
• Inventors: McEwen, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anthony H.
• Application Number:
  US07/767,812
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 606/202, 606/203, 606/204, 606/201, 128/672, 128/677
• US Class Current: 606/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/135 inflatable for measuring blood pressure A61B5/022; inflatable pressure pads A61F5/34

Abstract

An overlapping occlusive cuff for improved application of pressure to the limb, comprising: an inflatable bladder; a sheath for containing the inflatable bladder wherein the sheath has a length sufficient to encircle the limb and overlap on itself in a substantially circumferential direction around the limb; sheath securing means for securing the overlapped sheath around the limb; and stiffening means for superimposing over a region of the overlapped and secured sheath to constrain the shape of the sheath beneath the region when the bladder is inflated. The stiffening means includes securing means for securing the overlapping sheath in a substantially circumferential direction around the limb independently of the sheath securing means such that the sheath remains overlapped and secured in a substantially circumferential direction if the sheath securing means is not engaged or becomes ineffective while the bladder is inflated.

Claims

1. An overlapping occlusive cuff having secondary safety securing means for improved safety, comprising:

a) an inflatable bladder for encircling a limb, wherein the length of the bladder is selected to be sufficient for the bladder to encircle the limb at a desired location and have portions that overlap circumferentially around the limb;

b) bladder securing means for securing the overlapping bladder in a substantially circumferential direction around the limb with the bladder inflated to a pressure sufficient to occlude flow in blood vessels in the limb encircled by the bladder; and

c) secondary safety securing means superimposed over the overlapped portions of the bladder and superimposed over the bladder securing means, the secondary safety securing means extending in a substantially circumferential direction for securing the overlapping bladder in a substantially circumferential direction around the limb independently of the bladder securing means such that the bladder remains overlapped and secured in a substantially circumferential direction if the bladder securing means is ineffective while the bladder is inflated.

2. A cuff as described in claim 1 and including marking means, wherein the marking means includes one element comprising a set of graduated markings and another element comprising a cursor mark and whereby the value of a preselected parameter is estimated by the juxtaposition of the cursor mark and one of the set of graduated markings when the secondary safety securing means is superimposed over the overlapping bladder in a substantially circumferential direction around the limb.

3. An occlusive cuff, comprising:

an inflatable bladder;

a sheath for containing the bladder, the sheath having side edges extending along the length of the bladder and defining an edge near each end of the bladder;

a substantially flat strap having a first end pivotally connected to the sheath by a ring member thereby to facilitate the extension of the strap into any of a plurality of locations between the side edges of the sheath without twisting the strap out of its substantially flat shape; and

securing means for attaching a second end of the strap to the sheath whenever the sheath is curved into a position for encircling a limb.