Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-21
2001-02-20
Ruhl, Dennis (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S304000, C604S904000, C604S385180, C602S047000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06191341
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to medical devices including body cavity packs and wound dressings for absorbing body fluids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous absorbent devices have been devised for a variety of applications in the medical field. Their chief objective involves the control of body fluids, particularly by absorbing such fluids. Some absorbent devices are designed to also apply pressure to body tissue in order to control the flow of body fluids, such as blood. These absorbent devices are highly beneficial, for example, after or during surgical procedures, as well as in treating a body wound.
An important function to consider when using such absorbent devices is their tendency to adhere to the body area at which they are placed, if they remain at that position for any length of time. The healing of the tissue or other tissue change, together with the absorbent device drying out, results in the absorbent device becoming attached to the body's skin or tissue. When it is time to remove the device from the patient, pain, significant discomfort, or bleeding can be experienced by the patient due to the removal of the device from a sensitive or tender body area.
The adherence between the absorbent device and the body area is typically caused by the material of the absorbent device that contacts the patient's skin or other tissue. In order to alleviate this adherence, it is known to utilize a non-absorbent material or layer outwardly of the absorbent material. This layer prevents adherence of the absorbent device to the patient's body area. To permit access to the absorbent material, it is necessary that some holes be formed through the non-adhering layer to the absorbent material beneath the non-adhering layer. In one device that uses such a non-adhering layer, at least one side, preferably the longitudinal side, of the absorbent material is laminated with a non-adhering layer. However, not all outer surfaces are laminated.
Notwithstanding the variety of medical absorbent devices that have been advanced for absorbing body fluids, it would be beneficial to provide such a device that further enhances the non-adhering feature associated with absorbent packs. In that regard, it would be advantageous to provide an absorbent pack that further reduces or eliminates any contact between the body area and the absorbent material itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a medical device or absorbent pack is provided for controlling the flow of body fluids including blood flow from body cavities, wounds and other breaches in the patient's body. In one embodiment, the absorbent pack is a body cavity pack that is used to absorb body fluids, such as blood, that might be present in the nasal, sinus or ear cavities. In another embodiment, the absorbent pack constitutes a wound dressing that can be applied, for example, to the outer skin of a patient in order to absorb or prevent flow of body fluids.
The body cavity pack includes an absorbent member that absorbs the blood or other body fluid. The absorbent member is usually elongated and has six surfaces or sections including upper and lower sections, interior and posterior ends and first and second elongated sides. In one embodiment, the absorbent member has two states related to its use as a body fluid absorbent. In its first or unexpanded state, the absorbent member is compressed or in a normal, uncompressed state. When compressed, the degree of compression is sufficient to enable the absorbent member to be comfortably and conveniently placed in the desired body cavity where it will be used to absorb body fluid. The second or expanded state of the absorbent member refers to its state or condition after it has performed its function of controlling body fluid flow by, for example, absorbing such body fluid. The size or volume of the absorbent member in its expanded state is greater than in its unexpanded state. In this embodiment, this size or volume difference depends on the particular body cavity and the size of the user or patient, i.e. whether the user is an adult or a child. Relatedly, the change to the expanded state commonly involves expansion of the width and height or thickness, and not the length because it is usually not compressed, of the absorbent member.
In another embodiment, the absorbent member is, not only not compressed, but also essentially does not expand in size when it absorbs fluid. Such an absorbent member can be made from a material that has cells or pores, for example, that enable it to absorb body fluids without expansion in size.
With respect to avoiding unwanted adherence between the absorbent member and the walls of the body cavity, an enclosure assembly completely surrounds the absorbent member. The enclosure assembly is made of a material, particularly the outer surface thereof, which has non-adhesion properties whereby such outer surface portions do not, or insubstantially, adhere to the body cavity walls. The enclosure assembly has a number of apertures through which the body fluid can pass to be absorbed by the absorbent member. Accordingly, at most, there are relatively small areas of contact between the body cavity walls and the absorbent member, particularly where the absorbent member portions are exposed through the apertures of the enclosure assembly. Preferably, when the absorbent member is compressed, the size or volume of the expanded state of the absorbent member is at least two times the size or volume of the unexpanded state thereof.
In one embodiment, the enclosure assembly includes a single enclosure member or bag. This enclosure member is also defined as having an anterior end and a posterior end. The anterior end of the enclosure member is adjacent to the anterior end of the absorbent member and the posterior end of the enclosure member is adjacent to the posterior end of the absorbent member. When the body cavity pack is located in a body cavity, the posterior ends are relatively farther away from the exit or opening associated with the body cavity, while the anterior ends are located relatively closer to the opening or exit associated with the body cavity. The enclosure member containing the absorbent member in its unexpanded state is placed in the desired body cavity. The absorbent member absorbs the body fluid that it receives through the apertures in the enclosure member. After the absorbent member absorbs the body fluid, it is usually advantageous for the absorbent member to expand to a size or volume that causes the enclosure member to contact the body cavity walls and exert a pressure there against. Such pressure application is beneficial, for example, in controlling blood flow in nasal or sinus cavities of a patient's nose. In accordance with this application, all or substantially all outer portions of the enclosure member contact the patient's body cavity, while relatively minor parts of the absorbent member through the apertures in the enclosure member are in contact with the body cavity walls.
With regard to removal of the absorbent member and the enclosure member from the body cavity, a retention or string member is preferably joined to at least one of the anterior ends of the absorbent member and the enclosure member. The opposite end of the attachment member can be taped or otherwise held to a convenient or satisfactory part of the patient's body, such as the patient's face when the body cavity is a nasal or sinus cavity. When it is appropriate to remove the absorbent member and the enclosure member of the body cavity pack, the attachment member is pulled to draw them from the body cavity, while no adherence, or substantially none, occurs between the enclosure member and the body cavity walls.
In one embodiment, a cap member is disposed about the anterior ends of the enclosure member and the absorbent member. In that regard, the anterior end portions of the enclosure member are wrapped or otherwise positioned about the anterior end of the absorbent member and the cap member i
Ruhl Dennis
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
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