Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Cardiovascular
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-10
2003-04-22
Nasser, Robert L. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Cardiovascular
C606S202000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06551249
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a sphygmomanometer cuff that is wrapped around a human upper arm in measuring blood pressure to apply pressure necessary for measuring blood pressure.
BACKGROUND ART
A sphygmomanometer cuff generally consists of an outer bag
70
having a pair of strip-like cloth material overlapped and joined at the outer periphery, and an air bag
72
arranged within this outer bag
70
, as shown in
FIG. 10. A
tube
73
is attached to air bag
72
for inflating/deflating the air bag. Tube
73
is drawn out of outer bag
70
and connected to a sphygmomanometer body.
Recently, in order to improve the sensitivity to detect pulse waves, air bag
72
is formed of vinyl chloride. Because of its feature of being thin, however, air bag
72
made of vinyl chloride may wind around tube
73
when used over years as shown in FIG.
10
.
In order to solve this problem, Japanese Utility-Model Laying-Open No. 2-116406 discloses a sphygmomanometer cuff, in which an outer bag
80
and a thin-walled air bag
81
arranged in outer bag
80
are integrally adhered as shown in FIG.
11
. This adhered portion is, for example, at a tube attaching portion of air bag
81
(i.e. a coupling part of air bag
81
to tube
83
) or at opposing ends
86
of air bag
81
. Outer bag
80
and air bag
81
are made integral at these parts
85
or
86
, for example, by hot welding. The above noted publication also discloses that the tube attaching portion of air bag
81
is provided with a projecting piece, which is adhered to outer bag
80
.
In the cuff described in the above noted publication, however, outer bag
80
and air bag
81
are partially adhered and fixed each other. Therefore, when air bag
81
is fractured, air bag
81
cannot be replaced. Further, when outer bag, which is susceptible to contamination, is to be washed, air bag
81
cannot be removed from outer bag
80
. In other words, once air bag
81
is fractured, even outer bag
80
must also be replaced, resulting in waste of resources. In addition, to wash outer bag
80
is difficult.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above noted conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a sphygmomanometer cuff allowing replacement of an air bag and also preventing such an inconvenience as winding of the air bag within an outer bag and the like.
A sphygmomanometer cuff to achieve the above noted object has an air bag arranged within an outer bag, from which a tube attached to the air bag is extended outward. The outer bag is provided with an opening portion for replacing the air bag. An anti-rotating member for preventing rotation of the air bag within the outer bag is provided on at least one of a tube attaching portion of the air bag and the vicinity thereof. The tube of the air bag is drawn out of the outer bag through the opening portion.
Since the outer bag has the opening for replacing the air bag in this cuff, the air bag can be easily taken in and out through the opening portion, and replacement of the air bag is realized. Further, since the air bag has the anti-rotating member at the tube attaching portion or at the vicinity thereof, the air bag will not be displaced within the outer bag, thus eliminating any inconvenience such as winding of the air bag etc., even if torsion force is exerted on the tube with the air bag arranged within the outer bag, or the cuff is repeatedly stored away with the tube twisted.
It is noted that, though the opening portion of the outer bag for replacing the air bag may not provide opening/closing, a fastener for opening and closing the opening portion may be provided at the opening portion excluding an exit of the tube, to dose the opening portion when the air bag is placed in the outer bag. Furthermore, since the fastener is not provided at the tube exit, the tube exit can be easily found when the air bag is put into the outer bag, and thus the air bag will not be placed inside out
The anti-rotating member provided at the tube attaching portion of the air bag or at the vicinity thereof is not limited in its shape and material, as long as it has an effect of preventing rotation of the air bag within the outer bag. Conveniently, the anti-rotating member includes a fastener when the opening portion is provided with a fastener. Specifically, in such a case, when the fastener of the anti-rotating member and the fastener of the opening portion are made engageable with each other, it would be convenient for use.
In the sphygmomanometer cuff of the present invention, the anti-rotating member is fixed to the tube attaching portion of the air bag, for example, by hot welding.
Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the anti-rotating member is expanded from the tube attaching portion to the surface of the air bag. In this case, the anti-rotating member can be fixed to the tube attaching portion by hot welding, and to the surface of the air bag by adhesion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3654931 (1972-04-01), Hazlewood
patent: 3669096 (1972-06-01), Hurwitz
patent: 3906937 (1975-09-01), Aronson
patent: 4745924 (1988-05-01), Ruff
patent: 5797851 (1998-08-01), Byrd
patent: 6245023 (2001-06-01), Clemmons
patent: 0 274 735 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 2-116406 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 3-45687 (1991-09-01), None
Ashida Tameo
Yamamoto Norihito
Nasser Robert L.
Omron Corporation
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