Peripherally inserted catheter

Details Peripherally inserted catheter Peripherally inserted catheter

2000-02-10

2003-04-08

Casler, Brian L. (Department: 3763)

Surgery

Means for introducing or removing material from body for...

Treating material introduced into or removed from body...

C604S523000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06544251

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements to peripherally inserted catheters. In particular, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing damage to the catheter by a clamp used to prevent flow through a soft tube, which exits from a patient's limb.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Peripherally Inserted Catheters (called PICCs), like other types of intravenous catheters, are inserted through a vein in a patient's arm. The catheters often remain in place throughout the course of the patient's treatment and therapy.
A PICC catheter includes a long insertion tube
14
, which is inserted into a specific vein at an intervention point near the bend of the patient's arm
FIG. 1
of the drawings shows a prior art PICC
10
with an exterior soft tube
12
which communicates with the insertion tube
14
at a surgical tag device
16
which is stitched to the patient's arm at the insertion point. A soft ferule
18
covers the end of the exterior soft tube. The ferule
18
is a sleeve, which surrounds the exterior soft tube and includes a small diameter tube therein, which runs between an injection site device
20
at the end of the catheter and the exterior soft tube
18
. A clamp
22
is provided about the exterior soft tube
12
to prevent fluid flow through the catheter
10
when medication is not being inserted into the catheter
10
or blood is not being taken from the catheter
10
.
FIG. 2
illustrates a PICC inserted into a vein at an injection point of the patient. While not illustrated, certain catheters have two exterior soft tubes, which exit in a “Y” shape. One exterior soft tube is used to inject medication; the other to withdraw blood from the patient.
A problem exists with the prior art PICC of
FIG. 1
in that the clamp
22
may ride or “creep” along the soft exterior tube
12
toward the larger diameter soft ferule
18
which forms a sleeve about the end of the exterior soft tube (as shown in FIG.
3
). When the clamp
22
is engaged about the soft ferule
18
and the tube inside it, the clamp pinches or crimps the tube within the ferule or the end of the exterior soft tube at pinch point
24
with a high probability of permanently deforming or collapsing or even severing the soft tube or the tube within the ferule. In that situation, bacteria are provided with a path into the interior of the soft tube
12
and directly into the patient's body. As illustrated in
FIG. 2
, a bacteria path is provided directly into the patient's heart, thereby creating an exceptionally dangerous situation.
3. Object of the Invention
A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved PICC where its exterior soft tube clamp is prevented from sliding from the exterior soft tube onto the larger diameter ferule, thereby preventing possible permanent deformation, collapse or severing of the exterior soft tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object identified above is incorporated in an improved PICC where its soft ferule includes a “ball-like” structure between the soft exterior tube and the soft ferule. The ball-like arrangement prevents the clamp from sliding from the exterior soft tube onto the soft ferule.


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patent: 3903895 (1975-09-01), Alley et al.
patent: 3924632 (1975-12-01), Cook
patent: 4230109 (1980-10-01), Geiss
patent: 4329987 (1982-05-01), Rogers et al.
patent: 4335717 (1982-06-01), Bujan et al.
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patent: 4417890 (1983-11-01), Dennehey et al.
patent: 4493696 (1985-01-01), Uldall
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patent: 5624413 (1997-04-01), Markel et al.
patent: 6112111 (2000-08-01), Glantz

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