Clamp Safety Lock with Printable Area
A safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end and a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.
This application claims the priority to the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/957,343, entitled “Clamp Safety Lock with Printable Area,” filed on Aug. 22, 2007. The specification of the above-identified application is incorporated herewith by reference.
BACKGROUNDCatheters are commonly used to supply or withdraw fluids to internal areas of the body. Certain catheters are left in place to provide repeated access for such fluid transfers. In these cases, a proximal end of the catheter which remains accessible outside the body must be sealed between uses to prevent fluids from leaking out and contaminants from entering the body.
Tubing clamps are used with many such catheters having proximal ends located at diverse parts of the body. As such catheters may be left in place for extended periods, the clamps may be accidentally opened (e.g., by patient activity). This may cause significant problems, such as infection due to foreign contaminants entering the catheter and contamination of external surfaces by bodily fluids.
In addition, because of the many applications for catheters, it is often useful to provide information regarding the specific use of a catheter. As multiple catheters may be used on a patient for different purposes, easily distinguishing the catheters becomes important.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect the present invention is directed to a safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end and a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.
The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and to the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The present invention relates to devices for closing the proximal ends of catheters and other medical tubes to prevent leaks and contamination by external materials.
The exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a safety clamp lock which assures that a clamp on the end of the catheter or other medical conduit remains closed despite forces applied accidentally thereto during normal patient activity. Many catheters have an end cap to prevent a catheter from completely opening when a clamp is accidentally opened. However, these caps are often insufficient to completely isolate the catheter. The safety lock according to the invention prevents the clamp from opening in the first place unless the safety lock has first been disengaged. The exemplary safety lock may be added to a clamp without modifying the clamp itself, thus making it useful for enhancing the utility of a wide range of existing devices.
In addition, the safety lock according to embodiments of the invention comprises at least one display area on which information may be displayed for presentation to a user. For example, a planar display area may be provided on which information may be printed or otherwise displayed. Printed, etched or molded writing, symbols, drawings, etc. may be applied to the display regions of the safety lock. The display regions are preferably oriented so that, when in place on a catheter, they are visible to a person operating the clamp and the safety lock.
As shown in
The safety lock 100 comprises an attachment band 102 connected by a body 110 to a engagement face 106 extending therefrom. The attachment band 102 forms a first attachment point to the clamp 150 and has dimensions sufficient to allow a locking end 152 of the clamp 150 to be inserted therethrough until the lock 100 is in place. For example, the locking end 152 is threaded through the attachment band 102, until a clamping protrusion 156 abuts the attachment band 102. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, the locking end 152 is designed to engage a clamping end 154 to retain the clamp 150 in a closed configuration over a catheter or other medical conduit which extends through an opening 160 with the clamping protrusion 156 locking the locking end 152 in the closed position. In this position, the attachment band 102 is captured by the clamp 150 preventing removal of the safety lock 100 therefrom.
The engagement face 106 of the safety lock 100 limits movement of the locking end 152 when the safety lock 100 is attached to the clamp 150. It also provides a second attachment point of the lock 100 to the clamp 150. More specifically, the engagement face 106 prevents the locking end 152 from moving away from the clamping end 154 preventing disengagement of the locking end 152 form the clamping end 154 while the lock 100 remains in place. The engagement face 106 comprises a protrusion 120 that reaches into the clamp 150 and extends into the slot 158, to secure the position of the safety lock 100. A raised area 108 projects from an end of the protrusion 120 to engage an edge of the slot 158. As this raised area 108 slides over the edge of the slot 158, the user receives tactile feedback providing an alert that the safety lock 100 is in the locked position over the clamp 150 (i.e., to the left in
The body 110 comprises planar surfaces and rounded profiles arranged to follow contours of the clamp 150 with an inner surface of the body 110 contoured to lie generally along an outer surface of the clamping protrusion 156 when the safety lock 100 is in the locked position over the clamp 150 while the engagement face 106 lies over and covers the portion of the lock extending from the locking end 152 to the slot 158. The body 110 also comprises geometrical features that facilitate disengaging the lock 100 including, for example, a step 122 providing an abutment surface on the body 110 which a user may engage to push the safety lock 100 (to the right in
An additional feature of the body 110 may be used to assist in opening the clamp 150 when desired while disengaging the safety lock 100. In the exemplary embodiment, a second step 124 may be formed on the underside of the body 110 which, when engaged on a clamp, faces an upper surface of the clamping end 154 abutting the locking end 152. When the user desires to open the clamp 150, a force is applied to the step 122 to slide the safety lock 100 toward the locking end 152 (to the right in
After the safety lock 100 has been translated to the right into the disengaged position, the clamp 150 may be opened in the usual manner as shown in
The safety lock 100 is preferably provided with several flat surfaces that may be advantageously used to display graphical information. In the exemplary embodiment, the safety lock 100 comprises two substantially planar display surfaces 112, 114 formed on the body 110. The display surfaces 112 and 114 form a printable area of the safety lock 100, such that graphical information may be printed, etched molded or applied thereon. The graphical information may include, for example, written instructions, warnings, diagrams, drawings, color coding and any other information.
According to the invention, various modifications may be carried out on the safety lock to address specific needs. For example, as shown in
For example,
As shown in
As shown in
The present invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, material and arrangement of parts. Accordingly, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments. The specifications and drawings are, therefore, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Claims
1. A safety lock for a clamp closing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the lock comprising:
- a first attachment at a first end thereof, the first attachment being sized and shaped to receive therein a portion of the clamping end, the first attachment abutting the clamping projection to define a maximum travel of the lock along the clamping end toward the locking end; and
- a second attachment at a second end thereof preventing the locking end from moving away from the clamping end.
2. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a step forming an abutting surface facilitating manual displacement of the projection from the slot to release the lock.
3. The safety lock according to claim 2, wherein the step is substantially perpendicular to a surface of a portion of the lock adjacent to the first attachment.
4. The safety lock according to claim 2, wherein the step is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to a surface of a portion of the lock adjacent to the first attachment.
5. The safety lock according to claim 1, further comprising a first substantially planar surface for displaying graphical information, the substantially planar surface facing away from the clamp when the lock is locked thereto.
6. The safety lock according to claim 5, further comprising a second substantially planar surface for displaying graphical information wherein the first and second substantially planar surfaces are angled with respect to one another for viewing from different angles.
7. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment comprises an opening sized to receive therein an open end of the clamp.
8. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the first attachment comprises a projection for gripping a portion of the clamp.
9. The safety lock according to claim 8, wherein the projection comprises a pair of one of projections and detents.
10. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the second attachment comprises a projection which, when the lock is locked to a clamp, is received within a corresponding slot formed in the locking end of the clamp.
11. The safety lock according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement surface protruding laterally from the projection to engage a side wall of the slot.
12. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein the second attachment comprises a projection for gripping a portion of the locking end of the clamp.
13. The safety lock according to claim 12, wherein the second attachment comprises a pair of one of projections and detents.
14. A method of closing clamp for sealing a therapeutic fluid conduit, the clamp comprising a clamping end and a locking end which wrap around a fluid conduit receiving space wherein, when in a clamped position, the locking end mates with the clamping end to maintain a clamping projection in the fluid conduit receiving space, the method comprising:
- attaching a first attachment of a safety lock over a clamping end of the clamp;
- closing the clamp over the conduit by engaging the locking end of the clamp with the clamping end thereof; and
- coupling a second attachment of the safety lock to the locking end of the clamp to retain the clamp closed over the conduit.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first attachment is coupled to the clamping end by threading the locking end of the clamp through an opening in the first attachment and sliding the lock along the clamp to the clamping end.
16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising pushing a step of the safety lock toward the locking end to disengage the second attachment from the locking end.
17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first attachment includes a first opposed pair of one of snaps and detents, further comprising the step of inserting a portion of the clamp between the first pair to lock the clamp to the lock.
18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second attachment includes a second opposed pair of one of snaps and detents, further comprising the step of inserting a portion of the clamp between the second pair to lock the clamp to the lock.
19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising inserting a protrusion of the second attachment into a slot of the clamp to secure the lock to the clamp.
20. The method according to claim 14, further comprising displaying graphical information on a first substantially planar surface of the lock.
21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising displaying graphical information on a second substantially planar surface of the lock, the first and second substantially planar surfaces being angled with respect to one another for viewing from different angles.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 20, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 26, 2009
Inventor: Stephen C. Miller (Queensbury, NY)
Application Number: 12/194,656
International Classification: A44B 21/00 (20060101);