Dialysis drain bag drainage device

Details Dialysis drain bag drainage device Dialysis drain bag drainage device

1999-11-15

2001-05-29

Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)

Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea

Filling means with receiver or receiver coacting means

With puncturing connecting means

C141S114000, C004S661000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237654

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Individuals suffering from kidney disease are frequently required to undergo peritoneal dialysis. This involves the use of a transfer set including a plurality of dialysis drain bags. The drain bags are in the form of flexible, expandable plastic containers typically formed of two thick sheets of plastic which are seamed or sealed about their entire peripheral edges. An elongated fill tube extends from one edge of the container.
When the drain bag or container is filled or dialysis completed, the patient or nurse typically carries the drain bag to a toilet or a special fluid waste sink. The patient then holds the drain bag in one hand and uses scissors or another sharp implement to clip an upper corner of the bag. The patient then tips the bag allowing the fluid contents of the bag to drain from the bag into the toilet.
This arrangement poses several problems. The filled drain bag is cumbersome to handle and heavy, especially for elderly patients. Further, despite careful handling, it is difficult not to spill fluid contents of the drain bag onto the patient during the draining process.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a dialysis drain bag drainage device which is capable of simplifying the drainage of fluid contents from a dialysis drain bag.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a drainage device capable of rupturing an opening in and draining the fluid contents of a flexible walled container, such as a dialysis drain bag.
In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a pierce element mounted on a holder. The holder supports the pierce element with respect to a waste receiving receptacle to enable the pierce element to rupture a container brought into engagement with the pierce element so as to drain the fluid contents of the container directly into the waste receptacle.
The pierce element may take one of a number of difference forms as long as the pierce element provides at least one sharp tip or sharp edge in an upstanding position for engagement with the flexible container. The pierce element may comprise a knife blade having a sharp tip and/or sharp edge, a razorblade having a sharp edge, a pointed apex of a conical shaped member, a triangular shaped end portion on an elongated shank having a sharp apex and/or sharp upper edges, or an arrowhead shape having two or four circumferentially spaced sharp edges.
In another aspect, the holder and pierce element are fixedly mounted in a receptacle having an open end, a sidewall and a base. The holder is fixedly mounted on the base of the receptacle with the pierce element pointing outward toward the open end of the receptacle and surrounded by the sidewall of the receptacle. The receptacle is preferably formed with apertures allowing fluid flow therethrough. In one aspect, the receptacle is formed of a wire mesh.
In another aspect of the present invention, the receptacle includes a separate inward tapered, wall having an open lower end. The wall is mounted in the receptacle and angles inward from the open end of the receptacle toward the pierce element for directing the flexible walls of a container into contact with the pierce element to ensure rupturing of the flexible walls of the container by the pierce element.
In another aspect, the wall extends concavely across the of the receptacle below the open end of the receptacle. The tip of the pierce element extends through the inner wall for engagement with a flexible container. This aspect of the invention receives the entire sidewall of the flexible container to ensure rupturing of the sidewall by the pierce element.
In yet another aspect of the invention, at least two arms are coupled to the holder or support. Mounts are formed on the outer end of each arm for engagement with the rim of the waste receptacle, such as the rim of a toilet bowl or sink, for supporting the holder and the pierce element in an upright position within the waste receptacle.
In yet another aspect, the pierce element or blade and the base are connected to a surrounding receptacle by means of a plurality of angularly outward and upward extending arms or rods which are connected to the surrounding receptacle. The receptacle includes rim mounts for mounting the entire receptacle on the rim of a waste receptacle, such a toilet bowl or sink. The rods support the pierce element above the base wall of the receptacle, which base wall includes a plurality of apertures allowing fluid flow therethrough into the waste receptacle. A safety lid is pivotally mounted to the receptacle and movable from a safety closed position overlaying the pierce element and an open position allowing use of the pierce element to rupture a fluid filled container dropped into engagement with the pierce element. A safety member in the form of a cup is removably mountable over the pierce element to cover the pierce element when the drainage device is not in use.
In another aspect, a safety cover is pivotally attached to the sidewall of the receptacle and carries a tubular member sized to encompass the pierce element when in a first position. The safety cover is pivotal to a second position spaced from the open end of the receptacle allowing passage of the drain bag into the receptacle.
The inner wall, in another aspect, may be movably mounted in the receptacle for movement from a first position wherein the aperture in the inner wall is spaced above the pierce element so as to enable the inner wall to act as a shield covering the pierce element from exposure. The inner wall is also movable to a second position wherein the pierce element projects through the aperture in the inner wall to engage with a fluid filled container or drain bag.
In another embodiment, the inner wall, if employed, is fixed in position and the pierce element itself is movably mounted within the receptacle for movement from a first retracted position within the lower portion of the receptacle and spaced below the inner wall to a raised position wherein the pierce element extends through the aperture in the wall or is otherwise in position for engagement with a drain bag disposed within the receptacle.
The pierce element may be connected to a handle projecting from the receptacle for movement between the first and second positions independent of the use of the inner wall. Alternately, the pierce element may be rotatable mounted within the receptacle for movement from one position wherein the shape edges of the pierce element project downwardly toward the bottom of the receptacle and an opposite, rotated position wherein the pierce element projects upwardly toward the open end of the receptacle for engagement with the drain bag.
The present drainage device provides a simple means for draining the fluid contents of a flexible container, such as a dialysis drain bag. The present drainage device is inexpensive in manufacturing cost, easy to use and, more importantly, eliminates the need to support a filled drain bag while snipping one end of the drain bag and then manipulating the bag to drain the contents of the bag into a toilet as in previous drainage procedures.
The present invention enables the drain bag to be quickly and easily drained of fluid contents by any individual, particularly the elderly or incapacitated which have difficulty in supporting a filled drain bag for an appreciable length of time. The filled drain bag need only be impaled on the pierce element of the present invention which quickly ruptures the bag and drains the contents thereof without any additional handling or manipulation by the user. The present drainage device also minimizes the possibility of spillage of the bag contents which could contaminate clothing, hands, and/or surfaces surrounding the waste receptacle.


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