Surgery – Instruments – External pressure applicator
Reexamination Certificate
2003-11-07
2004-12-21
Truong, Kevin T. (Department: 3731)
Surgery
Instruments
External pressure applicator
Reexamination Certificate
active
06833001
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tourniquet, more particularly to a controllable tourniquet that improves the finger pressing components to reduce the patient's discomfort while maintaining the effect of a tourniquet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The tourniquet invented by Johann von Esmarch in 1886 was at first a rubber bandage, primarily used for controlling the bleeding due to the rupture of larger arteries when other stanching methods do not work effectively. The tourniquet should be tied at the position above the bleeding wound of the limbs (just to the extent that the bleeding can be stopped). Lift the wounded limb up for several minutes and place a towel or any other soft tissue onto the tying position to prevent causing abrasion to the tissue. After the tourniquet is applied, the blood circulation of the tissue below the tying position will be stopped. Once the blood circulation is stopped for a long time, hypoxia and necrosis will occur. Therefore, it is inappropriate to tie a tourniquet too long, and it is necessary to release the tourniquet for 30 seconds to one minute once every half an hour and allow the blood to circulate. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly label the appropriate tying time on the tourniquet. The user can then refer to this information to release the tourniquet for necessary treatment.
Besides the first-aid application for stopping the bleeding, a tourniquet can also be used for intravenous injection or blood drawing, in which the tourniquet is applied to the injecting position of the upper limb, so that the unobvious vein can show up under the skin. The vein at the injecting position below the tourniquet is where the blood flows back to the heart, and is deformed by an external pressure of the tourniquet. The cross-sectional area of the vein is reduced; the blood circulation is blocked; the pressure of the vein at that place is increased; and the vein is expanded partially. Therefore, the vein can show up under the skin.
When a tourniquet is used to assist injection, the traditional tourniquet which is a slim circular rubber tube is usually used. In general, the circular rubber tube is stretched to a fixed position for its application. The stretching process also involves a tugging action on the skin which will discomfort the patient. Furthermore, when the tourniquet is released, it usually causes the syringe needle to puncture and give more pain to the patient. After the injection of blood drawing is completed, a piece of cotton for stopping the bleeding is generally used to press the injecting position after the syringe is withdrawn. Such arrangement will create a situation that medical staffs may have a chance to contact the patient's blood, and increase the risk of being infected. Therefore, the inventor of this invention disclosed a controllable tourniquet, and proposed a solution to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional circular rubber tube being tugged on the skin and the syringe needle being punctured deep inside the skin. In
FIG. 1
, the tourniquet of the present invention comprises a flat long elastic bandage
1
, a fine-tune latch
2
, and a finger pressing component
3
. The fine-tune latch
2
is used to adjust the tightness of the elastic bandage
1
, and the finger pressing component
3
is pressed to exert pressure to the tourniquet, so that the medical staff can use the finger pressing component
3
to press the injecting position for stopping the bleeding, and avoid touching the patient's skin and blood. By replacing the finger pressing component
3
, the tourniquet can be used for different patients. However, after the invention was invented for a while, the inventor found that there are more issues, which include the operation of the fine-tune latch still having the tugging action on the skin and discomforting the patient. There is a problem about the design of the finger pressing component; when it is in use, an external force must be applied to the finger pressing component in order to accomplish the effect of stopping the bleeding. In general, it takes about 30 to 60 minutes for the coagulation of the blood of a regular patient. Due to the abnormal metabolism of the hematoblasts in the blood, it generally takes longer time for the blood coagulation of an irregular patient such as a hemophiliac or a patient with problem of liver function. Therefore, the long time pressing on the finger pressing component
3
creates an issue to medical staffs as well as patients.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to improve the design of the finger pressing component, so that when the tourniquet is pressurized to stop the bleeding for a long time, the tourniquet can be used for fixing itself in a position without the need of pressurizing manually.
The secondary objective of the present invention is to avoid the tugging action on the skin and reduce discomfort to the patient when the tourniquet is adjusted.
The present invention comprises a finger pressing component, a horizontally adjustable fixture disposed respectively on both ends of the finger pressing component, a knob disposed in the middle of the finger pressing component; wherein a vertical movement caused by the vertical rotation of the knob exerts pressure to the finger pressing component, and the knob will not be in direct contact with the skin. Therefore, when the knob is rotated, it will not have a tugging action on the skin; when the tourniquet is fixed, it will not discomfort the patient. The fixture on both ends of the finger pressing component can make a horizontal adjustment, so that when the tourniquet is stretched to a fixed position, the fixtures on both sides of the finger pressing component can make a slight adjustment by means of the horizontal adjustment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4102343 (1978-07-01), Schneider
patent: 4125115 (1978-11-01), Mayo et al.
patent: 6746470 (2004-06-01), McEwen et al.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Truong Kevin T.
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