Subatmospheric method and apparatus for expanding blood vessels to facilitate puncture with a cannula
First Claim
1. A method for distending the blood vessels comprising the veins and the arteries in an isolated portion of a patient'"'"'s body remote from the patient'"'"'s heart and thereafter puncturing one or more of said vessels with a cannula, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a chamber capable of supporting at least a partial vacuum;
(b) forming a substantially airtight seal between said chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body;
(c) restricting the venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body by circumferentially constricting the patient'"'"'s body at a point approximately coinciding with the point at which said substantially airtight seal is formed between said vacuum chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body until said venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases;
(d) subjecting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a partial vacuum within said chamber for a period of time sufficient for the patient'"'"'s systolic arterial blood pressure to engorge the blood vessels contained within said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body with blood, to substantially equalize the pressure of the blood in the veins and the arteries and to substantially distend said blood vessels;
(e) gradually increasing said constriction of the patient'"'"'s body until the arterial blood flow to said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases;
(f) venting said chamber to atmosphere and thereafter removing said chamber from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body while circumferentially constricting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a degree sufficient to substantially prevent the flow of blood to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body, whereby the blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body are in an engorged, highly visible and highly distended condition; and
(g) inserting a cannula into one of said engorged, highly visible and highly distended blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body and thereafter releasing said circumferential constriction of the patient'"'"'s body to restore normal blood circulation to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for distending the blood vessels comprising the veins and the arteries in an isolated portion of a patient'"'"'s body remote from the patient'"'"'s heart to facilitate puncture with a cannula. The preferred method comprises placing the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a chamber capable of supporting at least a partial vacuum and forming a substantially airtight seal between the chamber and the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body. Venous blood flow from the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body is then gradually restricted by circumferentially constricting the patient'"'"'s body at a point approximately coinciding with the point at which the substantially airtight seal is formed. The isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body in the chamber is then subjected to a partial vacuum for a period of time sufficient for the patient'"'"'s systolic arterial blood pressure to engorge the blood vessels with blood, to substantially equalize the pressure of the blood in the veins and the arteries and to substantially distend the blood vessels. Constriction of the patient'"'"'s body is thereafter gradually increased until the arterial blood flow to the isolated portion substantially ceases. Finally, the vacuum chamber is vented to atmosphere and removed while the circumferential constriction is maintained to substantially prevent the flow of blood to and from the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body. As a result, the blood vessels in the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body are in an engorged, highly visible and highly distended condition.
103 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for distending the blood vessels comprising the veins and the arteries in an isolated portion of a patient'"'"'s body remote from the patient'"'"'s heart and thereafter puncturing one or more of said vessels with a cannula, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a chamber capable of supporting at least a partial vacuum; (b) forming a substantially airtight seal between said chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body; (c) restricting the venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body by circumferentially constricting the patient'"'"'s body at a point approximately coinciding with the point at which said substantially airtight seal is formed between said vacuum chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body until said venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases; (d) subjecting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a partial vacuum within said chamber for a period of time sufficient for the patient'"'"'s systolic arterial blood pressure to engorge the blood vessels contained within said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body with blood, to substantially equalize the pressure of the blood in the veins and the arteries and to substantially distend said blood vessels; (e) gradually increasing said constriction of the patient'"'"'s body until the arterial blood flow to said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases; (f) venting said chamber to atmosphere and thereafter removing said chamber from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body while circumferentially constricting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a degree sufficient to substantially prevent the flow of blood to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body, whereby the blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body are in an engorged, highly visible and highly distended condition; and (g) inserting a cannula into one of said engorged, highly visible and highly distended blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body and thereafter releasing said circumferential constriction of the patient'"'"'s body to restore normal blood circulation to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for distending the blood vessels comprising the veins and arteries in an isolated portion of a patient'"'"'s body remote from the patient'"'"'s heart and thereafter puncturing one or more of said vessels with a cannula, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body within a chamber capable of supporting at least a partial vacuum; (b) forming a substantially airtight seal between said chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body; (c) evacuating sufficient air from within said chamber to create a partial vacuum within said chamber; (d) restricting the venous blood flow from and the arterial blood flow to said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body by circumferentially constricting the patient'"'"'s body at a point approximately coinciding the point at which said airtight seal is formed between said vacuum chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body by applying a circumferential constriction pressure at least equal to the patient'"'"'s systolic arterial blood pressure for a period of at least about 15 seconds; (e) reducing said circumferential constriction pressure sufficiently to permit restoration of arterial blood flow to and venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body while maintaining said partial vacuum in said chamber, thereby enabling the establishment of a rebound hyperemia in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body; (f) again restricting the venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body while said rebound hyperemia is present by circumferentially constricting the patient'"'"'s body at a point approximately coinciding with the point at which said substantially airtight seal is formed between said vacuum chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body until said venous blood flow from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases, thereby allowing the patient'"'"'s systolic aeterial blood pressure to engorge the blood vessels contained within the isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body with blood, to substantially equalize the pressure of the blood in the veins and the arteries and to substantially distend said blood vessels; (g) gradually increasing said constriction of the patient'"'"'s body until the arterial blood flow to said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases; (h) venting said chamber to atmosphere and thereafter removing said chamber from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body while circumferentially constricting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body to a degree sufficient to substantially prevent the flow of blood to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body, whereby the blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body are in an engorged, highly visible and highly distended condition; and (i) inserting a cannula into one of said engorged, highly visible and highly distended blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body and thereafter releasing said circumferential constriction of the patient'"'"'s body to restore normal blood circulation to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for distending the blood vessels in an isolated portion of a patient'"'"'s body remote from the patient'"'"'s heart and for puncturing one or more of said vessels, said apparatus comprising in combination:
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(a) a closed chamber comprised of substantially air impervious material and having an orifice at its proximal end for insertion of said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body, said chamber being capable of supporting at least a partial vacuum; (b) means for forming a substantially airtight seal between said orifice in said chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body; (c) means for evacuating air from within said chamber to create a partial vacuum within said chamber; (d) means for gradually restricting the flow of blood to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body by circumferentially constricting said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body contained within said chamber until said flow of blood to and from said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body substantially ceases, said means being located at a point substantially coinciding with the point at which said substantially airtight seal is formed between said vacuum chamber and said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body; (e) means for venting said chamber and thereafter removing said chamber from said portion of the patient'"'"'s body while continuing to circumferentially constrict the patient'"'"'s body to a degree sufficient to substantially prevent the flow of blood to and from said portion of the patient'"'"'s body; and (f) cannulation means for puncturing one or more of said distended blood vessels in said isolated portion of the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification