Apparatus for and a method of adjusting the length of an infusion tube

• US 7,654,484 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unomedical AS (ConvaTec Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Unomedical AS (ConvaTec Group Plc)
• Inventors: Göransson, Magnus Walter, Mogensen, Lasse Wesseltoft
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dondero; William E
• Application Number:
  US10/526,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20060186256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,345 Days
• Field of Search: 242/388, 242/388.1, 242/402, 242/405, 242/405.1, 242/588, 242/588.3, 242/610, 242/610.6, 604/95.01, 604/95.02, 604/259, 604/261, 606/103, 600/585
• US Class Current: 242/402
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/08 Tubes; Storage means specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1418 Clips, separators or the like for supporting tubes or leads
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/143 at least one end flange being shaped to cover the windings

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for adjusting the length of an infusion tube (2) comprising a first wall (3) and a second wall (4) and at least one connecting element (5) connecting the first wall (3) to the second wall (4), said connecting element (5) being situated at a distance to the peripheral circumference of the walls (6), and wherein the distance between the walls in radial distance to said connecting element provides an inlet opening extending around the connecting element having a width (M) measured between the walls (3, 4); and wherein the apparatus comprises at least one attachment device (8) for securing the infusion tube (2). Hereby a winding of an infusion tube is enabled for adjusting the connection length between pump and the site of infusion anywhere on the infusion tube and on any kind of infusion tube, said apparatus being independent of the infusion unit. Thus, the apparatus enables reuse due to its independence of the pump. The system also enables the user to position the winding unit on any suitable place in his/her body with regard to physiology and to clothing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjustment of the length of an infusion tube comprising:

an infusion tube;

a first wall;

a second wall;

at least one connecting element connecting said first wall to said second wall, said connecting element being secured at a distance to a peripheral circumference of the walls; and

an inlet opening extending around the connecting element, said opening being provided by a distance between said walls in a radial distance from said connecting element, inner faces of the first and the second walls converge from the connecting element towards the inlet opening, said opening having a width (M) measured between the walls, the width M sized to correspond to said diameter of said infusion tube or slightly smaller to allow passage of a single infusion tube through the inlet opening to allow uninterrupted fluid flow through the infusion tube; and

at least one elongate slot arranged in at least one of said walls such that said infusion tube can pass through said wall, the slot sized to have a width which is greater than or equal to a diameter of the infusion tube, said at least one slot extending from a periphery of the wall radially towards a center of the wall to substantially said connecting element.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second walls are identically configured bodies arranged in parallel and opposite to each other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises a cylindrical unit, the longitudinal axis of which is located perpendicular to the inner faces of the first and the second walls.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the walls are, at least in the area delimiting the inlet opening, manufactured from an elastic material.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the entire apparatus is manufactured from an elastic material.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment device integrated with the first or second wall, for mounting the apparatus on a carrier face.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the attachment device is a clip device for mounting of the apparatus on a carrier face.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one slot is formed in the wall on which the attachment device for mounting the apparatus on a carrier face is arranged.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is funnel-shaped, such that the walls diverge away from the inlet opening toward the connecting element.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the length of the slot is at least twice the diameter of the infusion tube.

11. A method of adjusting the length of an infusion tube using an apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising:

inserting the tube through an inlet opening, such that a first portion and a second portion of the tube are positioned outside the apparatus and a third portion is positioned between the walls;

winding at least a portion of the second portion of the tube around a connecting element; and

securing first and second end portions of the tube in at least one slot or the inlet opening.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising securing the first portion of the tube in the at least one slot, the at least one slot extending from the peripheral circumference of the one wall and towards the center of the wall.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising securing a free tube portion at the delimitation of the inlet opening provided at the walls.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising securing the second tube portion in the at least one slot, the at least one slot extending from the one peripheral circumference of the one wall and towards the internal area of the wall.