Catheter information ring

• US 7,331,130 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medical Components, Inc.
• Inventors: Schweikert, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbermann; Joanne
• Application Number:
  US10/903,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20050000844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 402/990.1, 403/16, 403/17, 403/22, 403/34, 406/60, 406/66, 243/39, 245/43, 245/63, 245/97, 174/112, D13/157, 251/9, 251/10, 439/491
• US Class Current: 40/299.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/284 Lever clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0295 Labels or tickets for tubes, pipes and the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/16 by clamps
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/205 specially adapted for electric cables, pipes or the like

Abstract

An information ring for use with a catheter is disclosed. The information ring includes a body having a first end and a second end. The body has a first body face extending between the first end and the second end, and a second, generally convex face extending between the first end and the second end. The body has an opening extending therethrough between the first body face and the second face. A first indicia portion is located at the first end. The first indicia portion has a first indicia face sized to allow indicia to be printed on the first indicia face.

Claims

1. A conduit assembly comprising:

a flexible conduit having a first end and a second end and adapted for fluid flow therethrough, wherein the conduit further comprises a first fitting fixedly connected to the first end of the conduit and a second fitting fixedly connected to the second end of the conduit;

a conduit information-bearing article comprising;

a body having first and second ends interconnected by an interconnecting section, the first and second ends respectively having first and second outwardly facing surfaces and first and second connected faces, with the first and second ends being generally parallel to each other;

wherein a conduit-receiving opening is formed between the first connected face and the second connected face, the conduit-receiving opening being open along one side longitudinally therealong to permit the body to be moved laterally to receive the conduit into the conduit-receiving opening from laterally thereof, whereby the information-bearing article is configured to allow the conduit to be inserted into the opening of the information-bearing article without removing either of the first and second fittings from the conduit, and

wherein at least one of the first and second outwardly facing surfaces includes indicia thereon; and

a conduit clamp having first and second openings along an axis and being adapted to be disposed along and about the flexible conduit in a manner permitting fluid flow therethrough when in an unclamping state, and preventing fluid flow therethrough when in a clamping state,

wherein the information-bearing article is disposed such that the conduit-receiving opening thereof is along the axis between the first and second openings of the conduit clamp and wherein the conduit extends through the first and second openings of the conduit clamp and the conduit-receiving opening.

2. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein both of the first and second outwardly facing surfaces include indicia thereon.

3. The conduit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and second outwardly facing surfaces is generally planar.

4. The conduit assembly of claim 1, wherein the information-bearing article is of unitary construction.

5. An information-bearing article for use in providing information associated with a preselected tubing for conducting fluid therethrough, comprising:

a body having a first end, and an opposed second end and an interconnecting section joined thereto and therebetween and defining a conduit path therethrough between the first and second ends, the interconnecting section traversing the conduit path and including an opening open to one side extending longitudinally therealong to permit the body to be moved in a direction transverse to the conduit path to receive a conduit into the opening from laterally thereof such that thereafter the interconnecting section mostly surrounds the tubing, whereby the information-bearing article is configured to allow the conduit to be inserted into the opening of the information-bearing article without removing either of first and second fittings from respective ends of the tubing, with the first end disposed to one side of the tubing and the second end disposed to a second, opposite side of the tubing, wherein the information-bearing article is adapted to provide clearance for a clamp disposed along the tubing to be manipulated between clamping and unclamping states with respect to the tubing, when the information-bearing article is disposed within the clamp, and

an outwardly-facing surface of at least one of the first and second ends bearing indicia thereon.

6. The information-bearing article of claim 5, wherein the body is of one-piece construction.

7. The information-bearing article of claim 5, wherein both of the first and second ends bear indicia thereon.

8. The information-bearing article of claim 5, wherein the interconnecting section is adapted to be disposed near the tubing, after being inserted into and secured within an interior region of the clamp, without thereafter impinging on the tubing when the information-bearing article is secured within the clamp.

9. The information-bearing article of claim 8, wherein one of the first and second ends is shaped and dimensioned to be inserted into and through the interior region of the clamp from laterally of the first side of the tubing to finally be disposed on the second, opposite side of the tubing.

10. A combination of a clamp secured to preselected flexible tubing for conducting fluid therethrough, and an information-bearing article having indicia thereon relevant to the preselected flexible tubing, comprising:

a clamp member disposed along and secured about the flexible tubing and operable between an unclamping condition permitting fluid flow through the flexible tubing, and a clamping condition preventing fluid flow therethrough, the clamp member having first and second sides associated with and outwardly from respective first and second opposing sides of the tubing, the clamp member further having first and second conduit openings at first and second ends thereof through which the tubing extends, and the clamp member having an article-receiving section defined within an interior thereof; and

an information-bearing article being shaped and dimensioned to be disposed within the article-receiving region of the clamp member and to provide clearance for the clamp member to be moved between clamping and unclamping positions with respect to the tubing, and the information-bearing article having a first end, a second end and an interconnecting section joining the first and second ends, with the first and second ends being associated with the first and second sides of the clamp member, the interconnecting section including an opening open to one side extending longitudinally therealong to permit the body to be moved laterally to receive the flexible tubing into the opening from laterally thereof, whereby the information-bearing article is configured to allow the conduit to be inserted into the opening of the information-bearing article without removing either of first and second fittings from respective ends of the tubing,

wherein the information-bearing article is so shaped and dimensioned as to be both securable within the clamp member and removable from within the clamp member when the clamp member is disposed along and secured about the tubing, and

wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the information-bearing article has an outwardly facing surface containing indicia thereon.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein the information-bearing article is of one-piece construction.

12. The combination of claim 10, wherein both of the first and second ends bear indicia thereon.