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US 8,025,645 B2Granted
Guard for flexible tubing clamp and method of using same
AssigneeMedical Components, Inc.
InventorsKenneth J. Chesnin, John Stephens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamp guard (10,110,210, . . . ) for securing to flexible tubing (50) such as catheters and their extension tubes and about a clamp (60) therealong for housing the clamp at least when the clamp is in a tubing-clamping state, to prevent inadvertent contact of the clamp by a foreign body and undesirable unclamping of the clamp. The clamp guard is removable from around the clamp when desired.
Claims27
A guard for use with a tubing assembly, the tubing assembly having a length of flexible tubing and a tubing clamp disposed therealong and therearound operable between two states, an unclamping state and a tubing-clamping state occluding the flexible tubing, the tubing clamp being such that the clamp has a larger overall transverse dimension when unclamped and a smaller overall transverse dimension when clamped, comprising:
- a housing body having an interior, first and second ends and a first end wall, and having an opening extending between the first and second ends for passage therethrough of flexible tubing, the housing body adapted to self-retain on the tubing and be slidable therealong,
- the second end of the housing body having no end wall and being open and configured to receive thereinto the tubing clamp in the clamped state when slid along the tubing, whereby the housing body is adapted to receive thereinto and substantially surround the tubing clamp in the clamped state by being slid along the tubing and about the tubing clamp to thereafter prevent the clamp from inadvertently releasing from its clamped state with respect to the tubing, and to be removable from around the tubing clamp, and
- the housing body being shaped and dimensioned at its second end to receive the tubing clamp when the clamp presents a smaller overall transverse dimension by being in a tubing-clamping state but not when the tubing clamp is in an unclamped state presenting a larger overall transverse dimension.
A guard for use with a tubing assembly, the tubing assembly having a length of flexible tubing and a tubing clamp disposed therealong and there around operable between two states, an unclamping state and a tubing-clamping state occluding the flexible tubing, the tubing clamp being such that the clamp has a large overall transverse dimension when unclamped and a smaller overall transverse dimension when clamped, comprising:
- a housing body comprising at least two initially separate parts, each separate part having a first end wall and an open second end such that open second ends of the separate parts are removably securable together about the tubing clamp along the tubing,
- the first end walls each have an opening for passage therethrough of the flexible tubing, each housing part adapted to self-retain on the tubing and be slidable therealong,
- the second ends of the housing parts having no end wall and being open and configured to receive thereinto adjacent portions of the tubing clamp when the tubing clamp is in the clamped state, as the housing parts are slid along the tubing toward and about the tubing clamp, when the clamp presents a smaller overall transverse dimension by being in a tubing-clamping state but not when the tubing clamp is in an unclamped state presenting a larger overall transverse dimension,
- whereby the assembled housing body defines an interior adapted to substantially surround the tubing clamp in the clamped state to thereafter prevent the clamp from inadvertently releasing from its clamped state with respect to the tubing, and to be removable from around the tubing clamp.
1 more element
A combination of a tubing clamp and a guard, for use with flexible tubing, where the tubing clamp is disposable along and around a length of the tubing and operable between two states, an unclamping state and a clamping state occluding the flexible tubing, comprising:
- a tubing clamp having a body including a clamping section that is manipulatable between clamping and unclamping states with respect to flexible tubing, the clamp presenting a larger overall transverse dimension when in the unclamped state and a smaller overall transverse dimension when in the clamped state;
- and
- a housing body adapted to self-retain on the tubing and be slidable therealong, having an interior, first and second ends and a first end wall, and having an opening extending between the first and second ends for passage therethrough of flexible tubing, whereby the second end of the housing body has no end wall and is open and configured to receive thereinto the tubing clamp in the clamped state when slid along the tubing, and whereby the interior is sized and shaped to receive thereinto the clamp in the clamped state, through the open second end by being slid along the tubing, to thereafter prevent the tubing clamp from inadvertently releasing from its clamped state with respect to the tubing, and to be removable from around the clamp, the housing body being shaped and dimensioned to receive the clamp when the clamp presents a smaller overall transverse dimension by being in a tubing-clamping state but not when the clamp is in an unclamped state presenting a larger overall transverse dimension.
A tubing assembly comprising:
- a length of flexible tubing having a first end and a second end, wherein the tubing further comprises a fitting fixedly connected to the first end of the tubing;
- a tubing clamp disposed along and around the tubing and having a body including a clamping section that is manipulatable between two states, a clamping state and unclamping state with respect to flexible tubing, where the clamping state occludes the flexible tubing;
- and
- a housing body disposed along the tubing and having an interior sized and shaped to receive the tubing clamp into an open end thereof upon the housing body being slid along the tubing when the clamp is in a tubing-clamping state and thereafter substantially surrounding the clamp to prevent inadvertent release thereof from its clamped state, and to be removable from around the tubing clamp.
1 more element
A method of protecting a tubing clamp for clamping flexible tubing, comprising the steps of:
- providing a length of flexible tubing;
- providing a tubing clamp disposed along the length of flexible tubing and therearound and being manipulatable between two states, a tubing clamping state and a tubing unclamping state, where the clamping state occludes the flexible tubing, the tubing clamp presenting a larger overall transverse dimension when in the unclamped state and a smaller overall transverse dimension when in the clamped state;
- providing a housing body adapted to self-retain onto the tubing and having a first end wall associated with a first end of the tubing clamp and also having an open second end configured to receive thereinto the clamp in its clamped state, the housing body having an interior sized and shaped to be disposed around and about the clamp only when the clamp is in the clamped state and presenting a smaller overall transverse dimension, and being removable from around the clamp when desired;
- positioning the housing body onto the tubing;
- clamping the tubing clamp into a tubing clamping state, thereby occluding the tubing;
- and
- manipulating the housing body along the tubing to receive the tubing clamp through its open second end and to a position substantially surrounding the clamp in the clamped state and protecting the clamp from inadvertent contact by a foreign body and undesirable release from its clamping state with respect to the tubing.
4 more elements
A method of protecting a tubing clamp for clamping flexible tubing, comprising the steps of:
- providing a length of flexible tubing;
- providing a tubing clamp disposed along the length of flexible tubing and therearound and being manipulatable between two states, a tubing clamping state and a tubing unclamping state, where the clamping state occludes the flexible tubing, the tubing clamp presenting a larger overall transverse dimension when in the unclamped state and a smaller overall transverse dimension when in the clamped state;
- providing a housing body assembly having an interior sized and shaped to be disposed around and about the clamp and being removable from around the clamp when desired, wherein the housing body assembly comprises first and second housing parts each having a first end wall and an open second end configured to receive thereinto an adjacent portion of the clamp only when in its clamped state, with the first end wall of each housing part having an opening therethrough for passage of the tubing therethrough and configured for the respective housing part to self-retain onto the tubing;
- positioning the tubing clamp and housing parts onto the tubing, with one thereof on either side of the tubing clamp, such that their respective open second ends face the clamp;
- clamping the tubing clamp into a tubing clamping state, thereby occluding the tubing;
- and
- moving the first and second housing parts toward each other along the tubing to receive the adjacent tubing clamp portions through their respective open second ends and to a position substantially surrounding the clamp in the clamped state and securing the housing parts to each other about the clamp, thereafter protecting the clamp from inadvertent contact by a foreign body and undesirable release from its clamping state with respect to the tubing.
4 more elements
A guard for use with a tubing assembly having a length of flexible tubing and a tubing clamp disposed therealong operable between an unclamping state and a tubing-clamping state occluding the flexible tubing, comprising:
- a housing body having an interior, first and second ends and a first end wall and an open second end, and having opposing side walls extending between the first and second ends, and having an opening extending between the first and second ends for passage therethrough of flexible tubing, the housing body adapted to self-retain on the tubing and be slidable therealong and the open second end configured to receive thereinto the tubing clamp in its tubing-clamping state,
- the housing body thereby being adapted to receive the tubing clamp through the open second end to thereafter substantially surround the tubing clamp, by being slid along the tubing and about the clamp when the clamp is in a tubing-clamping state, to thereafter prevent unclamping of the clamp with respect to the tubing, and to be removable from around the clamp, and
- wherein the housing body includes a pair of latching projections disposed along bottom edges of the side walls and extending toward each other, to cooperate with the tubing clamp by latching beneath bottom side edges of the clamp to secure the housing body to the clamp when the housing body is moved to surround the clamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.