Surgical tourniquet cuff system
First Claim
1. A tourniquet cuff apparatus comprising:
- a cuff having an inflatable portion and a length sufficient to encircle a limb of a patient;
the cuff including a port communicating pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff, the port having a cuff connector;
a tourniquet instrument connector mating with the cuff connector to define a connection passageway between the two connectors that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff;
a connection transducer mounted external to a remote tourniquet instrument and adjacent to the connection passageway and configured to sense the pressure in the connection passageway and to generate and wirelessly transmit a connection pressure signal representing the pressure within the inflatable portion of the cuff, wherein the connection transducer is mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector and movable therewith into and out of mating connection with the cuff connector;
an interface for receiving the wirelessly transmitted connection pressure signal, wherein the interface is mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector;
a continuous flexible tube extending from the tourniquet instrument connector to the tourniquet instrument to define therebetween a tube pneumatic passageway communicating pneumatically with the connection passageway;
an internal transducer mounted internal to the tourniquet instrument and arranged for detecting the pressure in the tube pneumatic passageway and providing a second pressure signal representing the pressure in the connection passageway;
a signal conducting member for conveying the connection pressure signal received by the interface to the remote tourniquet instrument, the signal conducting member is located outside of the flexible tube and has one end connected to the interface and an opposing end connected to the instrument; and
a controller connected to the tourniquet instrument for receiving and comparing the connection pressure signal and the second pressure signal and for initiating a fault alert in instances when those two signals vary by more than a predetermined minimum.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical tourniquet cuff system includes a tourniquet cuff with a cuff connector for communicating pneumatically with the cuff and for releasably connecting to a tourniquet instrument connector to establish a pneumatic passageway between the cuff connector and the tourniquet instrument connector. A tourniquet instrument supplies pressurized gas through the pneumatic passageway to the cuff. The tourniquet instrument connector includes a cuff pressure transducer for producing a cuff pressure signal indicative of the pressure of gas within the gas passageway near the connection. The cuff may include a cuff usage register for containing a cuff usage record and the tourniquet instrument connector may include a cuff usage register interface for reading the record. The tourniquet cuff may further include a cuff sheath forming a flexible conduit containing the cuff connector and sized to allow the connection of the cuff connector to the tourniquet instrument connector within the sheath.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A tourniquet cuff apparatus comprising:
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a cuff having an inflatable portion and a length sufficient to encircle a limb of a patient; the cuff including a port communicating pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff, the port having a cuff connector; a tourniquet instrument connector mating with the cuff connector to define a connection passageway between the two connectors that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff; a connection transducer mounted external to a remote tourniquet instrument and adjacent to the connection passageway and configured to sense the pressure in the connection passageway and to generate and wirelessly transmit a connection pressure signal representing the pressure within the inflatable portion of the cuff, wherein the connection transducer is mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector and movable therewith into and out of mating connection with the cuff connector; an interface for receiving the wirelessly transmitted connection pressure signal, wherein the interface is mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector; a continuous flexible tube extending from the tourniquet instrument connector to the tourniquet instrument to define therebetween a tube pneumatic passageway communicating pneumatically with the connection passageway; an internal transducer mounted internal to the tourniquet instrument and arranged for detecting the pressure in the tube pneumatic passageway and providing a second pressure signal representing the pressure in the connection passageway; a signal conducting member for conveying the connection pressure signal received by the interface to the remote tourniquet instrument, the signal conducting member is located outside of the flexible tube and has one end connected to the interface and an opposing end connected to the instrument; and a controller connected to the tourniquet instrument for receiving and comparing the connection pressure signal and the second pressure signal and for initiating a fault alert in instances when those two signals vary by more than a predetermined minimum. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A tourniquet cuff apparatus comprising:
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a cuff having an inflatable portion and a length sufficient to encircle a limb of a patient; the cuff including a port communicating pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff, the port having a cuff connector; a tourniquet instrument connector mating with the cuff connector to define a connection passageway between the two connectors that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff; a connection transducer mounted external to a remote tourniquet instrument and adjacent to the connection passageway and configured to sense the pressure in the connection passageway and to generate a connection pressure signal representing the pressure within the inflatable portion of the cuff; a flexible tube extending from the tourniquet instrument connector to the tourniquet instrument to define therebetween a continuous pneumatic passageway communicating pneumatically with the connection passageway; an internal transducer mounted internal to the tourniquet instrument and arranged for detecting the pressure in the continuous pneumatic passageway and wirelessly transmitting a second pressure signal representing the pressure in the continuous pneumatic passageway; an interface mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector and configured for receiving the wirelessly transmitted second pressure signal; a signal conducting member having one end connected to the interface and extending outside of the flexible tube and outside of the pneumatic passageway to the tourniquet instrument; and a controller connected to the tourniquet instrument and to a second end of the signal conducting member for receiving and comparing the connection pressure signal and the second pressure signal and for initiating a fault alert in instances when those two signals vary by more than a predetermined minimum. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of operating a tourniquet cuff having an inflatable portion and a length sufficient to encircle a limb of a patient and a port communicating pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff, comprising the steps of:
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providing the port with a cuff connector; mating the cuff connector with a tourniquet instrument connector to define a connection passageway between the two connectors that communicates pneumatically with the inflatable portion of the cuff; sensing the pressure in the connection passageway with a connection transducer mounted external to a remote tourniquet instrument and adjacent to the connection passageway, and generating a connection pressure signal representing the pressure within the inflatable portion of the cuff; wirelessly transmitting the connection pressure signal from the connection transducer to an interface that is mounted to the tourniquet instrument connector; providing a flexible tube extending from the tourniquet instrument connector to the tourniquet instrument for defining therebetween a continuous pneumatic passageway communicating pneumatically with the connection passageway; conducting the connection pressure signal from the interface along a signal conducting member that is external to the flexible tube; mounting an internal transducer to the tourniquet instrument and detecting the pressure in the continuous pneumatic passageway, and providing a second pressure signal representing the pressure in the continuous pneumatic passageway; and receiving and comparing the connection pressure signal and the second pressure signal and initiating a fault alert in instances when those two signals vary by more than a predetermined minimum. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification