Inflatable arm sleeve
OwnerRobert Donaldsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inflatable arm sleeve prepares an arm to receive a hypodermic needle. The inflatable arm sleeve comprises a tubular bladder and a pump mechanism. The tubular bladder is further formed with a needle aperture. The tubular bladder is placed around the arm in the manner of a sleeve such that the needle aperture is positioned over the vein of the arm. The pump mechanism introduces compressed air into the tubular bladder such that pressure is applied to the arm from all directions around the arm except the needle aperture. The applied pressure will force blood into the unpressurized region of the vein underneath the needle aperture. The increase in pressure increases the diameter of the vein to make it easier to insert the hypodermic needle into the vein.
Claims12
A medical device comprising:
- wherein the medical device comprises a tubular bladder, a connector, and a pump mechanism;
- wherein the connector attaches the pump mechanism to the tubular bladder;
- wherein the medical device is configured for use with a patient;
- wherein the medical device is configured for use with a hypodermic needle;
- wherein the medical device is adapted to prepare an arm of a patient to receive the hypodermic needle;
- wherein the tubular bladder is adapted to be placed around the arm in the manner of a sleeve;
- wherein the pump mechanism introduces compressed aft into the tubular bladder such that pressure is adapted to be applied to the arm;
- wherein the tubular bladder further comprises a needle aperture;
- wherein the needle aperture is an aperture formed through the tubular bladder;
- wherein the tubular bladder is adapted to be placed such that the needle aperture is adapted to be positioned over a vein of the arm;
- wherein the applied pressure to the arm by the tubular bladder is adapted to force blood into an unpressurized region of the vein underneath the needle aperture;
- wherein the increase in pressure is adapted to increase the diameter of the vein to make it easier to insert the hypodermic needle into the vein;
- wherein the tubular bladder is an inflatable structure that forms a sleeve;
- wherein the tubular bladder comprises a shell, a chamber, and the needle aperture;
- wherein the chamber is a sealed hollow structure formed within the shell;
- wherein the needle aperture is formed through the shell;
- wherein the chamber receives pressurized gas from the pump mechanism;
- wherein a volume of the chamber increases as the chamber receives the pressurized gas from the pump mechanism;
- wherein the shell is a gas impermeable structure;
- wherein the shell comprises a first sheet and a second sheet;
- wherein the first sheet attaches to the second sheet;
- wherein the first sheet is further defined with a first edge, a second edge, a third edge, and a fourth edge;
- wherein the second sheet is further defined with a fifth edge;
- a sixth edge, a seventh edge, and an eighth edge;
- wherein the first sheet further comprises a first aperture;
- wherein the second sheet further comprises a second aperture;
- wherein the first aperture is a negative space formed through the first sheet;
- wherein the second aperture is a negative space formed through the second sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.