GB2388036A

GB2388036A - Patient fluid line and monitor lead connection box to guard against disconnection

Info

Publication number: GB2388036A
Application number: GB0218664A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Zimmerman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-19
Filing date: 2002-08-12
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Also published as: GB0218664D0; GB0206427D0

Abstract

A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard which comprises a common connection box 1 incorporating a plurality of fluid inlet connectors 2 and a plurality of fluid outlet connectors 4 linked together to allow fluid flow, a fluid access port 3 between the inlet and outlet connectors and a switch or tap 5 to control direction of flow. Preferably the box has clamps 8, 9 to hold one or more electrical lead plugs 6, 7. The inlet and outlet connectors may be linked by a lumen incorporating the access port and switch. The inlet connectors may lie adjacent to each other on one side of the connection box, with the corresponding outlet connectors lying directly opposite. The connection box may be attached to a bed or table to provide a common connection and access point and prevent trauma to the patient if the lines are accidentally pulled.

Description

PATIENT FLUID LINE AND MONITOR LEAD

DISCONNECTION GUARD

This invention relates to a patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard It Is common for critically '11 patients on an Intensive care ward, or during mayor surgery, to have connected to them several separate fluid Infusion tubes (lines) for therapy purposes, and two or more electrical leads providing electrocardiograph (EGG) montonog and oxygen saturation measurement At present' such Infusion lines and electrical leads are often poorly routed, trailing In venous directions from the patient, and are connected directly to the necessary surrounding Infusion equipment and monitors This greatly increases the risk of said lines and leads becoming tangled and snagged on the surrounding equipment during dally care activities, resulting In disconnection of the Infusion lines directly from the patient and possibly causing trauma, bleeding or air embolism This risk Is Increased further when transferring the patient In any way Immediate access to the Infusion lines may be needed at any time In order to take blood samples, to give bolus amounts of drugs or to change Infusion liquids At present access Is achieved by Incorporating extensions lines and access ports Into the Infusion lines, hovvever, this method also lengthens the lines exacerbating the problem of lines becoming tangled

-2 An object of this Invention Is to provide a common connection box situated near the head of the patient, enabling connection of infusion lines and electrical monitoring leads to the patient via said common connection box, thereby Isolating the patient from direct connection to surrounding equipment, and thus safeguarding the patient from possible trauma caused by pulled or tangled lines The common connection box also provides a point of reference' thereby enabling Immediate access to all infusion lines for sampling, administration of bolus drugs, and addton/removal of equipment such as fluid warmers, as well as providing a common point of connection for electrical leads According to the present Invention there is provided a patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard comprising a case means Incorporating two or more fluid Inlet connectors to which can be connected a lumen supplying the infusion liquid, two or more fluid outlet connectors to which can be connected a lumen through which said Infusion liquid Is supplied to patient, a means of attachment between said Inlet connector and said outlet connector thereby allowing a flow of said infusion liquid therebetvveen, two or more fluid access ports providing access to said flow therebetween said respective inlet and outlet connectors, a switch or tap device to control direction of said flow therebetween said inlet and outlet connectors and said access port, a means of releasably securing one or more electrical lead plugs Preferably said Inlet / outlet connectors and access ports Incorporated are of self sealing design Donovan design) thereby preventing any fluids and or blood flowing away from the patient, or air to enter the infusion lines should said infusion lines become disconnected, either Intentionally or accidentally

-3 It Is Intended that said Inlet connectors provide a secure push-on fit to Infusion supply lines extending from the surrounding equipment and are not of screw design thereby allowing disconnection to occur should said Infusion line become tangled or pulled However, said outlet connectors are of screw design ( known design) thereby providing a secure sealed system of infusion lines between the patient and the box.

It Is a further Intention that said common connection box Incorporates on the underside thereof an attachment means providing secure attachment to the operating table or a bed, said attachment means should be substantial enough to support the weight of the Infusion lines and electrical leads, although not heavy or bulky. Ideally, said common connection box w11 be made of plastic, the uppermost surface having segmented markings Indicating each separate said nlet/outlet infusion arrangement, said segments being a different colour- the colour coding depicting arteriole (red), Central Venus (CVP) (blue), and peripherally sited Infusions (white) accordingly Preferably, the box and Incorporated connections w11 be pre-assembled and produced stenle, be latex free, disposable and single patient use only.

-4 A specific embodiment of the Invention w11 now be described using the example of moving an Intensive Care patient with a plurality of Infusion lines from a bed to a transfer trolley with reference to the accompanying drawings In which, FIGURE 1 shows an elevated view of the disconnection guard common connection box with nleVoutlet connectors, access port, switch/tap device and releasable clamps for securing electrical lead plugs FIGURE 2 shows an attachment means between the Inlet connector, access port and outlet connector and Incorporating a swtch/tap device which controls flow of fluid therebetween FIGURE 3 shows a cross section of the common connection box,11ustratng the arrangement of a clamping member securing an electrical lead plug FIGURE 4 shows the transfer trolley, transit monitoring equipment and leads, and transit Infusion equipment and lines appropriately routed FIGURE 5 shows the patient on the bed and connected to the common connection box, and the positioning of nfuson/montorng equipment lines and leads FIGURE 6 shows the patient In position on the transfer trolley connected to the common connection box, and the common connection box connected to the transit montonng and Infusion equipment

-5- Refernng to fig. 4, prior to moving the patient, transit infusion supply lines 12 and electrical leads 13 extending from transit infusion and montonng equipment 14 to which the patient will be connected whist In transit, are appropriately routed so that they are ready to be connected once the patient has been moved to the transfer trolley 15.

Referring to fig 5, Disconnect Infusion supply lines 16 extending from I T U Infusion equipment 17 to which the patient Is currently connected from their relevant inlet connectors 2 on the common connection box 1 Unplug electrical leads 18 extending from the I T.U. monitors 19 to which the patient is currently connected from the plugs 6 & 7 held by clamps 8 & 9 I he patient Is then moved to the transfer trolley 15 with the connection box 1 and the patient supply Infusion lines 20 and electrical leads 21 remaining In stu and being moved with the patient Referring to fig 6 The appropriately routed transit infusion supply lines 12 can now be connected to the relevant inlet connectors 2 and the electrical leads 13 can now be connected to the corresponding plugs 6 & 7 clamped by 8 & 9 Note that the connection box 1 Is situated and remains at the head of the patient throughout the manoeuvre and remains connected to the patient

- lt s ntended that the common connecton box s ncorporated nto nfuson equipment whenever there Is a plurality of infusion lines The purpose being that If at any time infusion lines and or electrical leads are accidentally pulled, or caught on any equipment, tension In the lines vail only reach the connection box and not the patient, thus avoiding possible trauma A second specific embodiment of the invention relating to Operating Theatres during mayor surgery w11 now be described with reference to fig 7 and 8 In vhch, FIGURE 7 shows Infusion supply lines, the common connection box, and patient supply lines FIGURE 8 shows the patient positioned on the operating table, the common connection box relative to the patient and theatre Infusion and monitoring equipment Dunng mayor surgery a patient mill usually have connected to them multiple infusion supply lines and monitoring leads as described In the previous example Due to sterile surgical fields and patient positioning, once the

patient Is positioned it Is often difficult to gain access to these infusion lines Access may be required for venous reasons throughout surgery such as blood samples taken, addton/removal of equpmenV'nfuson lines and bolus amounts of drugs to be given

Infusion supply lines are usually prepared prior to surgery and are connected to the patient during Induction of Anaesthesa Extension lines and an access port are often added to said lines In order to solve the problem of reduced access due to patient positioning and avoiding disruption to the surgical field

However, this also lengthens the lines adding to the problem of lines becoming entangled and again increases the risk of trauma to the patient If the lines become caught on surrounding equipment.

Referring to fig 7 Infusion supply lines Including CVP and Arteriole pressure transducing lines 24 are prepared and primed as usual However, these are not connected directly to the patient but are connected to the relevant inlet connectors 2 on the common connection box 1 Patient supply Infusion lines 20 are connected to the relevant outlet connectors 4 and once primed are connected to the patient during Induction of anaesthesia Referring to fig 8 The patient Is then positioned on the operating table and the common connection box 1 Is positioned at the head of the patient and may be appropriately secured to the operating table. Theatre electrical monitoring lead plugs 25 can now be attached to plugs 6 and 7 secured to the common connection box 1 by clamps 8 and 9 The Anaesthetist now has access to all Infusion lines and can add or remove further infusion fluids and or blood as necessary via the common connection box 1 Connecting the patient to the Theatre monitors 23 and Infusion equipment 22 via the common connection box 1 prior to surgical preparation allows Immediate access to Infusions to be gained via the access ports 3 thereafter without causing disruption to the surgical team or the patient during surgery

-8 The common connection box 1 eliminates the need for three-vay taps and extensions to be added to infusion lines, thereby reducing the risk of lines getting snagged and possible trauma afforded to the patient When the surgery is completed the Theatre infusion supply lines 24 are disconnected from connectors 2 and theatre electrical monitoring leads 25 are detached from plugs 6 and 7 on the common connection box 1 The common connection box 1 remains connected to the patient via infusion lines 20 and is used to connect the patient to monitors/'nfuson equipment thereafter It is intended that the present invention can be used wherever a patient has a plurality of infusion lines and or electrical monitoring leads Including Theatres, Intensive Care, Coronary Care, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and more. This invention provides a means of reducing the risk of trauma afforded to patients from tangled or snagged infusion lines and electrical leads, and also provides a point of reference for access and the addition and or removal of extra Infusion lines and or equipment

Claims

i -9 - CLAIMS

1 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard composing a case means Incorporating two or more fluid Inlet connectors to which can be connected a lumen supplying the infusion liquid, two or more fluid outlet connectors to which can be connected a lumen through which said Infusion liquid is supplied to patients a means of attachment between said Inlet connector and said outlet connector thereby allowing a flow of said Infusion liquid therebetween, a fluid access port providing access to said flow therebetween said respective inlet connector and said outlet connector, a switch or tap devices to control direction of said flow therebetween said Inlet and outlet connectors and said access port 2 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In

Claim 1 wherein said case means Incorporates a means of reieasably clamping one or more electrical lead plugs 3 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 wherein said means of attachment between said inlet connector and said outlet connector composes a lumen incorporating said access port and said switch or tap device thereby controlling direction of said flow therebetween said Inlet connector said outlet connector and said access port

-10 CLAIMS continued 4 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 wherein said inlet connectors are disposed adjacently to each other and at the same and / or different spacing from each other on the same side of said case means, said outlet connectors being disposed adjacently to each other on the opposite side of said case means and Iyng directly opposite said Inlet connector to which it is attached 5 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 or Claim 3 wherein said access port is disposed on the upper surface of said case means and lies In the same plane as said inlet connector and said outlet connector to which it is connected 6 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 or Claim 3 wherein said switch or tap device is disposed on the upper surface of said case means and lies In the same plane as said inlet connector and said outlet connector and said access port to which it Is connected 7 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 or Claim 3 wherein said means of attachment connecting said Inlet connector to said outlet connector and Incorporating said access port and said switch or tap device Is contained Stun said case means

CLAIMS continued 8 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein disposed on the upper surface and toward one longitudinal end of said case means one or more substantially concave depressions provide seating for said electrical monitoring lead connecting plug, said depression having on one side a locating recess Into which a clamping member locates, and on the opposite side of said depression and In the same plane as said locating recess a vertically protruding arm provides catchment to said clamping member.

9 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 2 or Claim 8 wherein said clamping membems elongate and at one longitudinal end and on one side of said clamping member two or more integral keyways provide catchment onto opening of said locating recess and toward the other longitudinal end of said clamping member an orifice allows protrusion of said catchment arm.

10 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed in Claim 2 or Clam 8 or Claim 9 wherein said clamping means Include deforming said clamping member over said electrical monitor lead plug, one longitudinal end of said clamping member being Inserted Into said locating recess the other longitudinal end extending to and being retained by said catchment arm

-12 CLAiMS contnued 11 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In Claim 1 or any one of Claims 3 to 7 vvheren said Inlet connectors and said outlet connectors and said access ports are of self sealing design 12 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In any preceding Claim wherein said case means Is elongated and said inlet connectors are disposed along one elongate side and said outlet connectors are disposed along the opposite elongate side thereof.

13 A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard as Claimed In any preceding Claim wherein at each elongate end of said case means an eye clip or similar clip device Is incorporated providing support for additional lumens and or electrical leads 14.A patient fluid line and monitor lead disconnection guard substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1 to 8