Disposable digital tourniquets and related methods of providing occlusion pressures to a single digit during surgical procedures

• US 8,486,106 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piper Medical Inc.
• Original Assignee: Piper Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Warburton, Mark Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLM, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/222,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,867 Days
• Field of Search: 606/201, 606202-203, 606/74, 24/68.R, 24/69.R, 24/70.ST, 24/69.ST, 24/71.R, 24/71.T, 24/71.ST, 241/15.R, 241/32.R, 241/33, 241/34.R
• US Class Current: 606/203
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/132 Tourniquets sphygmomanometer A61B5/022
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1322 comprising a flexible encircling member A61B17/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1327 Tensioning clamps

Abstract

A single-use disposable digital tourniquet includes a generally rigid support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough.

Claims

1. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a curved digit contact outer surface and an opposing outer surface, the curved digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body, the digit contact surface having first and second channel apertures, the digit contact surface being sized and configured to hold a target digit thereagainst, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface such that, in position, a cuff extends out of the first and second channels of the block body from the first and second channel apertures in the digit contact surface, wherein the block body and cuff cooperate to provide safe occlusive pressures to both sides of the target digit, and wherein, in position, the depth direction is substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of a target digit held against the digit contact surface of the support body; and

a pivoting clamp that is attached to the block body and is configured with a user accessible member that allows a user to manually pivot the clamp between open and closed positions.

3. A digital tourniquet according to claim 1, wherein the curved digit contact surface has a substantially concave shallow profile, the cuff being a non-inflatable elastic cuff, wherein the cuff extends in a single direction through at least one of the first and second cuff channels such that only one end of the cuff resides below the opposing outer surface of the block body away from the digit contact surface whereby the cuff and the block body cooperate to apply the safe occlusive pressure to arteries in opposing sides of a target digit.

4. A digital tourniquet according to claim 3, wherein, the digit support surface includes a center support region, disposed intermediate the first and second cuff channels and the corresponding first and second apertures, that extends between the cuff channels whereby respective portions of the elastic cuff extend substantially vertically in the cuff channels and exit downwardly or upwardly, depending on orientation of the block body on a target digit, from opposing outer edge portions of the support body such that the elastic cuff exits the first cuff channel via the first aperture, snugly travels over a target digit, and returns and enters the second aperture and extends through and exits the second cuff channel to force a target digit tightly against the center support surface.

5. A digital tourniquet according to claim 4, wherein the profile is a substantially arcuate profile with a shallow depth of less than about 5 mm.

6. A digital tourniquet according to claim 4, wherein the profile is sized and configured to receive a minor portion of a target digit therein and to hold a major portion of a target digit above the support body but under a loop of the cuff.

9. A digital tourniquet according to claim 1, the first channel comprising a wall with a pair of inwardly extending spaced apart first and second cuff retaining shoulders, the digital tourniquet further comprising a rod that resides against the retaining shoulders and extends across the first channel, the rod configured to hold an end portion of a non-inflatable planar cuff in position in the first channel.

2. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a curved digit contact outer surface and an opposing outer surface, the curved digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body, the digit contact surface having first and second channel apertures, the digit contact surface being sized and configured to hold a target digit thereagainst, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface such that, in position, a cuff extends out of the first and second channels of the block body from the first and second channel apertures in the digit contact surface, wherein the block body and cuff cooperate to provide safe occlusive pressures to both sides of the target digit, and wherein, in position, the depth direction is substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of a target digit held against the digit contact surface of the support body, wherein the first and second cuff channels and corresponding first and second channel apertures are closely spaced in a width dimension corresponding to the sagittal direction with axially extending centerlines of the first and second cuff channels residing between about 1-20 mm apart in the width dimension of the support body and with the channels extending a distance in the axial direction to receive a cuff having a width of between about 8-15 mm, and wherein the digital tourniquet is held in a sterile package for medical use.

7. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a digit contact outer surface and an opposing outer surface, the curved digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body, the digit contact surface having first and second channel apertures, the digit contact surface being sized and configured to hold a target digit thereagainst, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface such that, in position, a cuff extends out of the first and second channels of the block body from the first and second channel apertures in the digit contact surface, wherein the block body and cuff cooperate to provide safe occlusive pressures to both sides of the target digit, and wherein, in position, the depth direction is substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of a target digit held against the digit contact surface of the support body, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially parallel for at least a major length of the channels, the support body further comprising an anchoring member configured to hold a first end portion of a cuff in the support body first channel and a pivoting clamping member configured to pivot laterally between open and closed positions and to allow a user to manually pivot the clamping member to clamp the cuff against an inner wall of the second channel at a location that is away from the digit support surface proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body, wherein, in operation, the anchoring and clamping members cooperate with the support body to provide a cuff with a nearly closed loop figure at a desired tension over a target digit held on the support body.

8. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a support body comprising a digit support surface and first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend under the digit support surface and are closely spaced with at least a portion of each channel being substantially parallel to the other, and wherein the first channel comprises an inner wall with substantially opposing first and second inwardly extending cuff retaining shoulders attached thereto;

a rod sized and configured to reside in the first channel and with a respective one of opposing first and second end portions of the rod configured to reside against a respective one of the cuff retaining shoulders to hold a first end portion of a cuff in the support body first channel;

a clamping member in communication with the second cuff channel configured to hold a portion of the cuff residing below the digit support surface proximate or in the second channel, wherein, in operation, the rod and clamping member cooperate with the support body to provide a cuff with a nearly closed loop figure at a desired tension over a digit held on the support body digit support surface; and

at least one deformable member configured to operatively communicate with the rod holding the first end portion of the cuff, the at least one deformable member configured to automatically yield or break when the cuff is tensioned above a target amount to provide a tactile and/or audible alert to a clinician that a target occlusion pressure has been achieved.

10. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a non-inflatable planar cuff;

a rod extending across an end portion of the planar cuff;

a support body sized and configured to hold a digit against an upper surface thereof, the support body comprising first and second closely spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive the cuff therethrough, wherein the first channel comprises an inner wall with spaced apart first and second cuff retaining shoulders extending from the wall outwardly across a portion of the first channel, wherein the rod engages the first and second cuff retaining shoulders to hold the rod and end portion of the cuff in position across the first channel, and wherein the first channel further comprises a deformable projection arm extending across a portion of the first channel in advance of the first and/or second cuff retaining shoulder, whereby, in operation, the deformable projection arm deforms allowing at least one end portion of the rod to translate a further distance into the first channel to securely reside against the first and second cuff retaining shoulders when the tourniquet exerts a target tension upon a digit of a patient residing on the support body under the cuff and over the cuff channels thereby providing audible and/or tactile feedback to a user that a desired tourniquet pressure has been reached.

11. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a curved digit contact outer surface and an opposing outer surface, the curved digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body, the digit contact surface having first and second channel apertures, the digit contact surface being sized and configured to hold a target digit thereagainst, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface such that, in position, a cuff extends out of the first and second channels of the block body from the first and second channel apertures in the digit contact surface, wherein the block body and cuff cooperate to provide safe occlusive pressures to both sides of the target digit, and wherein, in position, the depth direction is substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of a target digit held against the digit contact surface of the support body, wherein the support body is a single-piece molded block body which comprises a polymer material and includes a pivoting clamp attached to the support body proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body to be able to allow a user to pivot the clamp to close against an inner surface of the second channel to contact an inner primary surface portion of a cuff and trap a cuff between the clamp and the inner surface of the second channel and allow the user to pivot the clamp in a reverse direction to release the cuff.

12. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a curved digit contact outer surface and an opposing outer surface, the curved digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body, the digit contact surface having first and second channel apertures, the digit contact surface being sized and configured to hold a target digit thereagainst, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff therethrough, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface such that, in position, a cuff extends out of the first and second channels of the block body from the first and second channel apertures in the digit contact surface, wherein the block body and cuff cooperate to provide safe occlusive pressures to both sides of the target digit, and wherein, in position, the depth direction is substantially orthogonal to both the sagittal and axial directions of a target digit held against the digit contact surface of the support body, the tourniquet further comprising;

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff having opposing first and second end portions that are slidably insertable through the respective first and second apertures and corresponding first and second channels of the support body so as to extend substantially vertically through the first channel and substantially vertically in a single direction through the second channel to provide the cuff with a cuff intermediate portion that extends outward from the support body digit contact surface and two opposing cuff side portions that extend through respective first and second channels of the support body whereby the cuff compresses the target digit against the digit contact surface of the support body to apply the safe occlusion pressure that is between about 225 mm Hg and 375 mm Hg; and

a rod attached to the first end portion of the cuff, the rod sized and configured to extend across the first channel a distance away from the digit support surface to attach to the support body and secure the rod and the first end portion of the cuff to the support body.

13. A digital tourniquet according to claim 12, wherein the first end portion of the cuff includes a rod channel extending thereacross, the rod channel configured to receive the rod therethrough and hold the cuff in the first channel of the support body at a location proximate the opposing surface of the block body that is away from the digit contact surface.

14. A digital tourniquet according to claim 13, wherein the digit support surface has a shallow curved profile of a depth that is less than about 5 mm sized and configured to hold a target digit thereon so that a digital mid-line of a target digit resides above bounds of the support body, and wherein the opposing outer surface is substantially planar, and wherein the first and second channels have a width that is wider than the width of the cuff.

15. A digital tourniquet comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels that are closely spaced and extend substantially side-by-side in a depth dimension of the support body, wherein the support body comprises a first digit support surface with first and second cuff apertures spaced apart in a sagittal direction, the first cuff aperture aligned with and merging into the first cuff channel and the second cuff aperture aligned with and merging into the second cuff channel, the digit support surface being concave relative to the block body, wherein, in position, the support body contacts a target digit with the depth dimension being substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of the target digit, and wherein the support body digit contact surface is sized and configured to hold at least a major portion of a width of a target digit thereagainst; and

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that is slidably insertable through the first and second apertures into the respective first and second channels of the support body so as to extend substantially vertically through the first channel away from the first surface and substantially vertically in a single direction through the second channel away from the first surface to provide the cuff with two substantially vertically extending portions and an intermediate curvilinear portion that extends outward from the support body first surface to receive a digit through the curvilinear portion, whereby the cuff and support body provide a safe occlusive pressure for the target digit,

wherein the second channel includes a pivoting clamp with a user-accessible lever, the clamp attached to the support body proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body, the lever configured to allow a user to pivot the clamp to close against an inner surface of the second channel to contact an inner primary surface portion of the cuff and trap the cuff between the clamp and the inner surface of the second channel and pivot the clamp in a reverse direction to release the cuff, and

wherein centerlines of the channels and apertures reside between about 1-20 mm apart, and wherein the cuff has a width of between about 8-15 mm.

17. A digital tourniquet according to claim 15, wherein the cuff comprises opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion comprising a rod channel extending thereacross and a rod held therein with opposing end portions of the rod extending beyond bounds of the cuff, and wherein the rod is configured to extend across one of the first and second channels in the support body at a depth dimension that is spaced apart from the first digit support surface of the support body.

18. A digital tourniquet according to claim 17, wherein the support body has a second outer surface opposing the first surface at a depth dimension away from the first surface, the support body further comprising spaced apart first and second rod retaining shoulders in the first channel, the rod configured to rest against the rod retaining shoulders and secure the first end portion of the cuff in the first channel proximate the second outer surface of the support body.

19. A digital tourniquet according to claim 15, wherein the support body has a second outer surface opposing the concave digit support surface wherein the support body further comprises an anchoring member configured to hold a first end portion of a cuff in the support body first channel, and wherein the pivoting clamp is configured to pivot toward the inner surface of the second cuff channel to hold a spaced apart portion of the cuff in or proximate the second channel proximate the second outer surface of the support body, wherein, in operation, the anchoring member and clamp cooperate with the support body to provide a cuff with a turn portion that extends away from the support body and is held at a desired tension over a target digit held on the support body to provide the safe occlusive pressure.

22. A digital tourniquet according to claim 15, wherein the support body comprises a molded polymer material.

23. A digital tourniquet according to claim 15, wherein the tourniquet is single-use disposable.

16. A digital tourniquet comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels that are closely spaced and extend substantially side-by-side in a depth dimension of the support body, wherein the support body comprises a first digit support surface with first and second cuff apertures spaced apart in a sagittal direction, the first cuff aperture aligned with and merging into the first cuff channel and the second cuff aperture aligned with and merging into the second cuff channel, the digit support surface being concave relative to the block body, wherein, in position, the support body contacts a target digit with the depth dimension being substantially orthogonal to both sagittal and axial directions of the target digit, and wherein the support body digit contact surface is sized and configured to hold at least a major portion of a width of a target digit thereagainst; and

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that is slidably insertable through the first and second apertures into the respective first and second channels of the support body so as to extend substantially vertically through the first channel away from the first surface and substantially vertically in a single direction through the second channel away from the first surface to provide the cuff with two substantially vertically extending portions and an intermediate curvilinear portion that extends outward from the support body first surface to receive a digit through the curvilinear portion, whereby the cuff and support body provide a safe occlusive pressure for the target digit,

wherein the second channel includes a pivoting clamp with a user-accessible lever, the clamp attached to the support body proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body, the lever configured to allow a user to pivot the clamp to close against an inner surface of the second channel to contact an inner primary surface portion of the cuff and trap the cuff between the clamp and the inner surface of the second channel and pivot the clamp in a reverse direction to release the cuff, and

wherein the concave surface comprises a shallow concave profile with a depth of less than about 5 mm with a medial closed outer surface portion that separates the first and second cuff apertures and channels.

40. A digital tourniquet according to claim 16, wherein the cuff comprises opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion comprising a rod channel extending thereacross and a rod held therein with opposing end portions of the rod extending beyond bounds of the cuff, and wherein the rod is configured to extend across one of the first and second channels in the support body at a depth dimension that is spaced apart from the first digit support surface of the support body.

41. A digital tourniquet according to claim 40, wherein the support body has a second outer surface opposing the first surface at a depth dimension away from the first surface, the support body further comprising spaced apart first and second rod retaining shoulders in the first channel, the rod configured to rest against the rod retaining shoulders and secure the first end portion of the cuff in the first channel proximate the second outer surface of the support body.

42. A digital tourniquet according to claim 16, wherein the support body has a second outer surface opposing the concave digit support surface wherein the support body further comprises an anchoring member configured to hold a first end portion of a cuff in the support body first channel, and wherein the pivoting clamp is configured to pivot toward the inner surface of the second cuff channel to hold a spaced apart portion of the cuff in or proximate the second channel proximate the second outer surface of the support body, wherein, in operation, the anchoring member and clamp-cooperate with the support body to provide a cuff with a turn portion that extends away from the support body and is held at a desired tension over a target digit held on the support body to provide the safe occlusive pressure.

43. A digital tourniquet according to claim 16, wherein the support body comprises a molded polymer material.

44. A digital tourniquet according to claim 16, wherein the tourniquet is single-use disposable.

20. A digital tourniquet comprising:

a support body sized and configured to define a digit support surface for a target digit of a patient, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart closely spaced cuff channels that are oriented such that at least a major portion of each cuff channel extends substantially side-by-side downwardly under or upwardly over the digit support surface; and

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that is slidably insertable through the first and second channels of the support body so as to extend through the first channel above and away from the digit support surface, then down and into the second channel to provide a cuff with a curvilinear portion that extends outward from the support body digit support surface, wherein the support body further comprises at least one deformable member configured to operatively communicate with the cuff, the at least one deformable member configured to automatically yield or break when the cuff is tensioned above a target amount to provide a tactile and/or audible alert to a clinician that a target occlusion pressure has been achieved,

wherein the support body and cuff are held in a sterile package for surgical use.

21. A digital tourniquet comprising:

a support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels, wherein the support body comprises a first digit support surface that, in position, contacts and holds a target digit, wherein the first and second cuff channels are closely spaced to each other and extend substantially side-by-side under or above the digit support surface through at least a major portion of a depth of the support body, wherein the first channel further comprises spaced apart first and second rod retaining shoulders in the first channel;

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that is slidably insertable through the first and second channels of the support body so as to extend through the first channel away from the first surface and into the second channel to provide the cuff with a curvilinear portion that extends outward from the support body first surface, wherein the cuff comprises opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion comprising a rod channel extending thereacross; and

a rod extending in the rod channel with opposing end portions of the rod extending beyond the bounds of the first end portion of the cuff, the rod configured to rest against the rod retaining shoulders and secure the first end portion of the cuff in the first channel of the support body,

wherein the first channel further comprises a deformable projection arm extending across a portion of the first channel in advance of the first and/or second cuff retaining shoulder, wherein, in operation, the rod is configured to press against the projection arm until the arm yields or breaks and allows the rod to move and rest against the retaining shoulders to provide a tactile and/or audible feedback to a clinician that a target occlusion pressure has been achieved, and wherein the digital tourniquet is held in a sterile package for medical use.

24. A method of applying occlusion pressure to a digit, comprising:

providing a block support body having a digit contact surface and an opposing outer surface, the digit contact surface configured to span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the block body also having two substantially parallel spaced apart cuff channels extending substantially vertically therethrough and a substantially planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that extends through the first and second channels and out of apertures in the digit contact surface, the cuff having opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion being secured to the support body proximate the first channel with the cuff extending through the second channel in one direction such that the second end portion extends out an aperture in the opposing outer surface, the aperture in the opposing outer surface being aligned with one of the apertures in the digit contact surface;

placing a digit of interest on the digit contact surface of the support body inside a loop portion of the cuff;

pulling the second end portion of the elastomeric cuff to tighten the cuff snugly about at least a major portion of the digit to force the digit against the support body;

pivoting a clamp against a portion of the cuff to clamp the cuff against an inner surface of the second cuff channel proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body to provide a desired safe occlusion pressure to the digit of interest; and

automatically providing tactile and/or audible feedback to a user in response to the pulling step when the desired safe occlusion pressure is achieved.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the pulling step comprises pulling the cuff substantially vertically away from the support body at a location that is spaced apart from the digit contact surface in a direction that is substantially aligned with the direction of the second cuff channel in the support body.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein, in position, when the first end portion of the cuff is attached to the support body inside the first channel, the cuff is configured with a length that is sufficient to extend through the support body first channel, exit the first channel at the first aperture in the digit contact surface and extend outward a distance from the digit contact surface, then enter the second channel of the support body via the second aperture in the digit contact surface and exit an egress portion of the second channel, and wherein the cuff has a width dimension of between 1-20 mm.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the digit contacting surface is concave relative to the block body and comprises a center strip at a lowermost portion of the contacting surface that separates the first and second apertures.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the support member comprises a shallow curvilinear profile, and wherein the cuff channels have a width that extends in a length (axial) direction of the digit.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein the support body is configured to be selectively used with a first edge portion facing a finger tip or with the first edge portion facing the hand, and wherein the pivoting step is carried out in response to a user manually moving an externally accessible lever.

25. A kit of non-inflatable cuffs, a respective cuff adapted to engage a digit tourniquet block support body, the kit comprising a plurality of elongate non-inflatable elastomeric cuffs of different widths, the cuffs having a width of between about 5-15 mm, each cuff having an end portion with a channel configured to accept a rod thereacross, and wherein each cuff comprises a rod extending through the channel for engaging a digit tourniquet block support body.

37. A kit according to claim 25, wherein the cuffs are packaged in sterile packages.

31. A kit of digital tourniquets providing for a range of different occlusion pressures, comprising:

a first digital tourniquet substantially rigid block support body having first and second cuff channels with lengths sized to accommodate a non-inflatable elastomeric planar cuff having a first width, the support body having a concave digit support surface that is sized and configured to hold a digit thereon with the cuff extending outwardly therefrom in cooperating engagement with the support body to hold the digit at a desired occlusion pressure, wherein the digit support surface comprises first and second cuff receiving apertures spaced apart in a sagittal direction and having a length that extends in an axial direction, the first aperture aligned with the first cuff channel and the second aperture aligned with the second cuff channel, wherein the first and second closely spaced cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body, the depth direction being substantially orthogonal to the sagittal and axial directions of the support body; and

a second digital tourniquet substantially rigid block support body having first and second cuff channels with lengths sized to accommodate a non-inflatable elastomeric planar cuff having a second width that is greater than the first digital tourniquet cuff first width, the support body having a concave digit support surface that is sized and configured to hold a digit thereon with the cuff extending outwardly therefrom in cooperating engagement with the support body to hold the digit at a desired occlusion pressure, wherein the digit support surface comprises first and second cuff receiving apertures spaced apart in the sagittal direction and having a length that extends in the axial direction, the first cuff aperture aligned with the first cuff channel and the second cuff aperture aligned with the second cuff channel, wherein the first and second closely spaced cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body,

the kit further comprising first and second planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuffs, each having a width between about 1-20 mm and a rod attached to an end portion thereof, wherein the first cuff has a first cuff width configured for insertion into the first support body and the second cuff has a second cuff width that is greater than the first cuff width and is configured for insertion into the second support body.

33. A kit according to claim 31, wherein the cuffs comprise opposing first and second end portions, and wherein the first end portion has a rod channel that holds the rod therein.

34. A kit according to claim 33, wherein the rod of each cuff is held in the respective rod channel so that opposing end portions of the rod extend beyond the bounds of the cuff rod channel.

35. A kit according to claim 31, wherein a corresponding cuff and support body are held in a common sterile package.

36. A kit according to claim 35, wherein the kit comprises a plurality of sterile packages that encase the first cuff and first support body and a plurality of sterile packages that encase the second cuff and second support body.

32. A kit of digital tourniquets providing for a range of different occlusion pressures, comprising:

a first digital tourniquet substantially rigid support body having first and second cuff channels with lengths sized to accommodate a non-inflatable elastomeric planar cuff having a first width, the support body sized and configured to hold a digit thereon with the cuff extending outwardly therefrom in cooperating engagement with the support body to hold the digit at a desired occlusion pressure, wherein the first and second closely spaced cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body;

a second digital tourniquet substantially rigid support body having first and second cuff channels with lengths sized to accommodate a non-inflatable elastomeric planar cuff having a second width that is greater than the first digital tourniquet cuff first width, the support body sized and configured to hold a digit thereon with the cuff extending outwardly therefrom in cooperating engagement with the support body to hold the digit at a desired occlusion pressure, wherein the first and second closely spaced cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body; and

first and second planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuffs having a width between about 1-20 mm and a rod attached to an end portion thereof, the first cuff having a first cuff width configured for insertion into the first support body and the second cuff having a second cuff width that is greater than the first cuff width and is configured for insertion into the second support body,

wherein the first and second support bodies comprise at least one deformable projection member that, in operation, are in communication with a respective cuff and rod held in the support body and configured to deform in response to force applied by the rod upon tensioning of the cuff to allow the rod to translate to a resting secure position and to provide an audible and/or tactile indication to a clinician of when a target occlusion pressure has been reached.

38. A digital tourniquet comprising:

a support body sized and configured to define a digit support surface for a target digit of a patient, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart closely spaced cuff channels that are oriented such that at least a major portion of each cuff channel extends substantially side-by-side downwardly under or upwardly over the digit support surface; and

a planar non-inflatable elastomeric cuff that is slidably insertable through the first and second channels of the support body so as to extend through the first channel above and away from the digit support surface, then down and into the second channel to provide a cuff with a curvilinear portion that extends outward from the support body digit support surface, wherein the support body further comprises at least one deformable member configured to operatively communicate with the cuff, the at least one deformable member configured to automatically yield or break when the cuff is tensioned above a target amount to provide a tactile and/or audible alert to a clinician that a target occlusion pressure has been achieved,

wherein the digit support surface is curved, the tourniquet further comprising at least one rod extending across the first channel and through a first end portion of the cuff, wherein the rod holds the first end portion of the cuff in position in the first cuff channel, and wherein, in operation, the rod communicates with the at least one deformable member to force the deformable member to automatically yield or break when the cuff is tensioned above a target amount to provide the tactile and/or audible alert to a clinician that a target occlusion pressure has been achieved whereby after the deformable member yields or breaks the rod then moves deeper into the first channel to engage rod retaining shoulders projecting from an inner wall of the cuff channel.

39. A single-use disposable digital tourniquet, comprising:

a substantially rigid block support body defining a digit contact outer surface and an opposing upper or lower outer surface, the digit contact surface being concave relative to the block body and sized and configured to hold a digit thereagainst, wherein the digit contact surface comprises first and second cuff apertures spaced apart in a lateral (sagittal) direction, wherein the support body and digit contact surface span at least a major portion of a width of a target digit, the support body comprising first and second spaced apart cuff channels sized and configured to receive a cuff, the first cuff channel aligned with the first cuff aperture and the second cuff aperture aligned with the second cuff channel, wherein the first and second cuff channels extend substantially side-by-side in a depth direction of the support body between the digit contact surface and the opposing outer surface; and

a non-inflatable elastomeric cuff having opposing first and second end portions, the first end portion attached to the block support body in the first cuff channel, the cuff extending out of the first cuff aperture and into the second cuff aperture, wherein the cuff extends through the second cuff channel in a single direction so that the second end portion of the cuff resides below the opposing outer surface of the block body, whereby the cuff and the block body cooperate to apply a target safe occlusive pressure to arteries in opposing sides of a target digit, and wherein the cuff and support body are held in a sterile package for medical use;

the tourniquet further comprising a pivoting clamp that is attached to the block body proximate the opposing outer surface of the block body away from the digit contact surface and is configured with a user accessible lever that allows a user to manually pivot the clamp between open and closed positions, the clamp configured to pivot toward an inner wall of the second channel to securely hold a primary surface of the cuff against the inner wall of the second channel in the closed position.