Infusion guard and immobilizer

Claim 2

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having substantially parallel side edges comprising a U-shaped structure having a convex outer face and a concave inner face; means for temporarily attaching the arch to a joint immobilizer along the side edges thereof; means on the outside of the arch for temporarily clamping a flexible intravenous tube thereto; and means on the arch and spaced from said means for clamping for passing a clamped flexible intravenous tube between the means for clamping and an infusion needle beneath the arch, said arch having sufficient length in the direction of its side edges for shielding most of the tube between the means for clamping and the needle.

Claim 3

An infusion guard as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for clamping intravenous tubing comprises a parallel pair of spaced apart elongated strips on top of the arch having a generally C-shaped transverse cross section defining an open sided substantially cylindrical channel therebetween, the diameter of the channel being substantially the same as the diameter of an intravenous tube and the width of the open side of the channel being less than the diameter of an intravenous tube and wherein the means for shielding comprises an extension of the arch beyond the end of the strips.

Claim 4

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having substantially parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween; means on the side edges of the arch for temporarily attaching the arch to a joint immobilizer; a parallel pair of spaced apart elongated strips on top of the arch having a generally C-shaped transverse cross section defining an open sided substantially cylindrical channel therebetween, the diameter of the channel being substantially the same as the diameter of an intravenous tube and the width of the open side of the channel being less than the diameter of an intravenous tube for temporarily clamping a flexible intravenous tube thereto; and an open ended slot through the arch and having a closed end adjacent the end of the strips for passing a clamped flexible intravenous tube between the strips and an infusion needle beneath the arch.

Claim 5

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having substantially parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween; means on the side edges of the arch for temporarily attaching the arch to a joint immobilizer; a parallel pair of spaced apart elongated strips on top of the arch having a generally C-shaped transverse cross section defining an open sided substantially cylindrical channel therebetween, the diameter of the channel being substantially the same as the diameter of an intravenous tube and the width of the open side of the channel being less than the diameter of an intravenous tube for temporarily clamping a flexible intravenous tube thereto; and an open ended slot through the arch and having a closed end adjacent the end of the strips for passing a clamped flexible intravenous tube between the strips and an infusion needle beneath the arch.

Claim 6

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween, said arch extending a substantial distance in a direction parallel to its side edges; means on the outside of the arch for temporarily connecting a flexible intravenous tube thereto; means on the arch between said side edges and longitudinally spaced from said means for connecting for passing the flexible intravenous tubing between the means for connecting on the outside of the arch and an infusion needle beneath the arch; a substantially rigid extension on the arch for shielding a principal portion of flexible intravenOus tubing between the means for connecting and an infusion needle beneath the arch; and a half of a complementary connector along each parallel side edge of the arch for engagement with another complementary half of connector on a rigid member temporarily attached to a patient for temporarily attaching the arch to the patient.

Claim 7

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween, said arch extending a substantial distance in a direction parallel to its side edges; means on the outside of the arch for temporarily connecting a flexible intravenous tube thereto; means on the arch between said side edges and longitudinally spaced from said means for connecting for passing the flexible intravenous tubing between the means for connecting on the outside of the arch and an infusion needle beneath the arch; a substantially rigid extension on the arch for shielding a principal portion of flexible intravenOus tubing between the means for connecting and an infusion needle beneath the arch; and a half of a complementary connector along each parallel side edge of the arch for engagement with another complementary half of connector on a rigid member temporarily attached to a patient for temporarily attaching the arch to the patient.

Claim 8

An infusion guard as defined in claim 4 wherein the arch is formed of transparent material.

Claim 9

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween; a first arch portion extending along the length of the arch; a second arch portion extending along the length of the arch, said first and second arch portions cooperating for shielding a portion of flexible intravenous tubing between the means for connecting and an infusion needle beneath the arch; a longitudinal slot between the first and second arch portions and having a width greater than the diameter of intravenous tubing; means on the arch for temporarily connecting a flexible intravenous tube thereto; and a half of a complementary connector along each parallel side edge of the arch for engagement with another complementary half of connector on a rigid member temporarily attached to a patient for temporarily attaching the arch to the patient.

Claim 10

An infusion guard comprising: a substantially rigid arch having parallel side edges and a U-shape therebetween; a first arch portion extending along the length of the arch; a second arch portion extending along the length of the arch, said first and second arch portions cooperating for shielding a portion of flexible intravenous tubing between the means for connecting and an infusion needle beneath the arch; a longitudinal slot between the first and second arch portions and having a width greater than the diameter of intravenous tubing; means on the arch for temporarily connecting a flexible intravenous tube thereto; and a half of a complementary connector along each parallel side edge of the arch for engagement with another complementary half of connector on a rigid member temporarily attached to a patient for temporarily attaching the arch to the patient.

Claim 11

An infusion guard as defined in claim 6 wherein the means for clamping comprises: an elongated clamping member having an approximately cylindrical passage therethrough and a longitudinally extending opening along one edge of the passage, the width of the opening being less than the diameter of the passage, the diameter of the passage being approximately that of intravenous tubing.

Claim 12

A combined immobilizer and infusion guard adapted for use on a limb adjacent an infusion site comprising: a rigid joint immobilizer having a concave surface conforming to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; means for attaching the joint immobilizer to a portion of a limb on each side of a joint to be immobilized; and means for shielding an infusion needle including an infusion guard comprising: a U-shaped, substantially rigid arch from one side of the joint immobilizer to the other side thereof for straddling and shielding an infusion needle inserted in and supported by the limb; means on the outside of said arch for clamping a flexible intravenous tube on the arch; a rigid extension of the arch extending approximately parallel to the joint immobilizer over a principal portion of flexible intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion needle; means on the extension for passing the intravenous tube through the extension between the means for clamping and the needle; and coupling means on the arch and joint immobilizer temporarily attaching the arch to the joint immobilizer in a position over the infusion needle.

Claim 13

A combined immobilizer and infusion guard adapted for use on a limb adjacent an infusion site comprising: a rigid joint immobilizer having a concave surface conforming to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; means for attaching the joint immobilizer to a portion of a limb on each side of a joint to be immobilized; and means for shielding an infusion needle including an infusion guard comprising: a U-shaped, substantially rigid arch from one side of the joint immobilizer to the other side thereof for straddling and shielding an infusion needle inserted in and supported by the limb; means on the outside of said arch for clamping a flexible intravenous tube on the arch; a rigid extension of the arch extending approximately parallel to the joint immobilizer over a principal portion of flexible intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion needle; means on the extension for passing the intravenous tube through the extension between the means for clamping and the needle; and coupling means on the arch and joint immobilizer temporarily attaching the arch to the joint immobilizer in a position over the infusion needle.

Claim 14

A combination as defined in claim 8 wherein the rigid member comprises a first portion having a surface complementary to a fore limb and a second portion approximately complementary to an extremity and wherein the second portion is angulated relative to the first portion sufficiently to expose veins on the dorsum of an extremity.

Claim 15

A combined immobilizer and infusion guard adapted for use on a limb adjacent an infusion site comprising: a rigid joint immobilizer having a surface conforming to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; means for attaching the rigid joint immobilizer to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; a substantially rigid arch having a U-shape between its side edges from one side of the rigid joint immobilizer to the other side thereof; means for clamping an intravenous tube on the arch; a pair of parallel tracks along at least a portion of the length of the rigid joint immobilizer on opposite sides of the portion conforming to a limb; connector means complementary to the tracks along side edges of the arch for temporarily attaching tHe arch to the rigid joint immobilizer in a position over the infusion site; a rigid extension of the arch over a principal portion of intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion site comprising: a first arch portion extending along the length of the arch; a second arch portion extending along the length of the arch; and a longitudinal slot between the first and second arch portions and having a width greater than the diameter of intravenous tubing.

Claim 16

A combined immobilizer and infusion guard adapted for use on a limb adjacent an infusion site comprising: a rigid joint immobilizer having a surface conforming to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; means for attaching the rigid joint immobilizer to a portion of a limb spanning a joint; a substantially rigid arch having a U-shape between its side edges from one side of the rigid joint immobilizer to the other side thereof; means for clamping an intravenous tube on the arch; a pair of parallel tracks along at least a portion of the length of the rigid joint immobilizer on opposite sides of the portion conforming to a limb; connector means complementary to the tracks along side edges of the arch for temporarily attaching tHe arch to the rigid joint immobilizer in a position over the infusion site; a rigid extension of the arch over a principal portion of intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion site comprising: a first arch portion extending along the length of the arch; a second arch portion extending along the length of the arch; and a longitudinal slot between the first and second arch portions and having a width greater than the diameter of intravenous tubing.

Claim 17

A joint immobilizer and guard for an infusion needle comprising: a first joint immobilizer portion having a concave surface substantially complementary to a fore limb; a second joint immobilizer portion having a concave surface substantially complementary to an extremity, said second portion being angulated relative to the first portion sufficiently to expose veins on the dorsum of an extremity; and a U-shaped substantially rigid arch having a substantial length relative to its width; means for temporarily attaching side edges of the arch to the immobilizer after an infusion needle is inserted, in a position covering the infusion needle; means on the outside of the arch for temporarily clamping a flexible intravenous tube thereto; means on the arch and spaced from said means for clamping for passing the flexible intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion needle beneath the arch, said arch including a shielding portion extending along its length a sufficient distance for shielding a principal portion of the tube between the means for clamping and the needle; and coupling means on the arch and joint immobilizer for temporarily attaching the joint immobilizer to a fore limb and to an extremity for immobilizing the joint therebetween.

Claim 18

A joint immobilizer and guard for an infusion needle comprising: a first joint immobilizer portion having a concave surface substantially complementary to a fore limb; a second joint immobilizer portion having a concave surface substantially complementary to an extremity, said second portion being angulated relative to the first portion sufficiently to expose veins on the dorsum of an extremity; and a U-shaped substantially rigid arch having a substantial length relative to its width; means for temporarily attaching side edges of the arch to the immobilizer after an infusion needle is inserted, in a position covering the infusion needle; means on the outside of the arch for temporarily clamping a flexible intravenous tube thereto; means on the arch and spaced from said means for clamping for passing the flexible intravenous tube between the means for clamping and the infusion needle beneath the arch, said arch including a shielding portion extending along its length a sufficient distance for shielding a principal portion of the tube between the means for clamping and the needle; and coupling means on the arch and joint immobilizer for temporarily attaching the joint immobilizer to a fore limb and to an extremity for immobilizing the joint therebetween.

Claim 19

A joint immobilizer as defined in claim 11 wherein the first portion has a surface complementary to a forearm and the second portion has a hand grip.

Claim 20

A joint immobilizer as defined in claim 11 wherein the first portion has a surface substantially complementary to a foreleg and the second portion has a surface substantially complementary to a foot.