Adaptive tourniquet cuff system

• US 7,331,977 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Western Clinical Engineering Ltd.
• Inventors: McEwen, James A., Jameson, Michael, Inkpen, Kevin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robert; Eduardo C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COMSTOCK, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US10/358,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 606/202, 606/10, 606/11, 606/12, 600/498, 600/499, 600/132, 356/425
• US Class Current: 606/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/135 inflatable for measuring blood pressure A61B5/022; inflatable pressure pads A61F5/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1355 Automated control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

An adaptive tourniquet cuff system comprises: a tourniquet cuff having a physical characteristic and including an inflatable bladder of a length greater than the circumference of a limb at a selected location; a cuff connector carried on the cuff and communicating pneumatically with the bladder for releasably connecting to a tourniquet instrument to establish a gas-tight passageway between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument; and an identifying collar including identification means indicative of the physical characteristic and detectable by the tourniquet instrument upon establishment of the gas-tight passageway. The tourniquet instrument may supply gas to the bladder through the gas-tight passageway at a pressure sufficient to stop arterial blood flow into the limb distal to the cuff at the selected location, and may adapt its operation in response to the detected physical characteristic of the cuff.

Claims

1. An adaptive tourniquet cuff system, comprising:

a tourniquet cuff having a plurality of predetermined physical characteristics including a cuff shape, a cuff width dimension, a cuff length dimension that is greater than the circumference of a limb at a selected location, and an inflatable bladder having a size dimension; and

a cuff connector carried on the cuff and communicating pneumatically with the bladder for releasably connecting to a second connector to establish a gas-tight passageway between the bladder and a tourniquet instrument,

wherein the cuff connector includes a flexible collar mounted to the cuff connector and colored to be indicative of one predetermined physical characteristic of the plurality of predetermined physical characteristics of the cuff and detectable by the tourniquet instrument upon establishment of the gas-tight passageway, wherein the collar flexes and engages the second connector when the cuff connector is connected to the second connector.

2. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 1 and including the tourniquet instrument, wherein the tourniquet instrument includes means for supplying gas to the bladder through the gas-tight passageway in accordance with a plurality of parameters of safety and operation, and at a maximum pressure not greater than a maximum pressure level.

3. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 2 wherein the tourniquet instrument further produces a signal indicative of the detected predetermined physical characteristic of the cuff.

4. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 2 wherein the tourniquet instrument further adapts one of the plurality of parameters of safety and operation in response to the detected physical characteristic of the cuff.

5. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 2 wherein the tourniquet instrument further adapts the maximum pressure level in response to the detected physical characteristic.

6. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 1 wherein the connector and collar are integrated and entirely formed of electrically insulating material.

7. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 1 wherein the connection of the cuff connector and second connector defines a gap between those connectors and through which gap light is transmitted, the collar further including a flange portion adapted to block ambient light from illuminating the gap.

8. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 1 wherein the one predetermined physical characteristic is the length dimension of the cuff.

9. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 1 wherein the one predetermined physical characteristic is the size dimension of the inflatable bladder.

10. An adaptive tourniquet cuff system, comprising:

a sterile tourniquet cuff having a shape, a width, a length, an inflatable bladder and a plurality of predetermined physical characteristics;

a cuff connector carried on the cuff and communicating pneumatically with the bladder for releasably connecting to a tourniquet instrument to establish a gas-tight passageway between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument,

wherein the cuff connector includes identification means indicating a color value that is detectable by the tourniquet instrument upon establishment of the gas-tight passageway, the color value of the cuff connector identification means being changeable as a result of sterilization of the cuff.

11. The adaptive tourniquet cuff system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined physical characteristic is one of the plurality of predetermined parameters formed by the process of manufacturing the cuff.

12. An adaptive tourniquet cuff system, comprising:

a tourniquet cuff having an inflatable bladder and having a predetermined physical characteristic;

a connector carried on the cuff and communicating pneumatically with the bladder for releasably connecting the cuff to a tourniquet instrument connector to establish a gas-tight interface between the bladder and the instrument wherein the interface defines a gap between the connector and the tourniquet instrument connector,

an identifying collar colored to indicate the predetermined physical characteristic, the color being detectable by the tourniquet instrument upon establishment of the gas-tight interface;

a tourniquet instrument for supplying pressurized gas to the bladder through the connector, wherein the instrument includes detection means responsive to the color of the collar for producing a signal indicative of the physical characteristic, and wherein

the collar includes a flange portion for blocking ambient light from illuminating the gap.