Abstract:
A device for organizing wire or tubing comprising a base having top and bottom surfaces; at least one retention member associated with and raised above the plane of the base. The retention member has a first side, second side, and an upper surface, a slit defined between the first and second side, the slit having upper and lower openings, the upper opening extending from the upper surface toward the base, the lower opening extending to a horizontal channel defined between the first and second sides. The channel has a larger diameter than the width of the slit lower opening. The first and second sides of the retention member have sufficient deformability so as to be separable to enable the width of the slit to be increased to permit insertion of at least one length or loop of wire or tubing into the slit and into the channel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit of copending U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/374,352, filed Aug. 17, 2010, entitled Sterile Intravascular Wire, Catheter and Equipment Retention Device, and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to devices for removably retaining loops of wire or tubing in an organized manner. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Catheterization and vascular procedure labs commonly use towels and sheets to hold articles, such as catheter wires, tubes, and the like, on the procedure table. These wire or tube-like articles may initially be set up on the table in set of loops, which must be held in position to avoid the material memory which can cause the article to revert to a relatively straight length. Such articles may become hidden between layers of towels, making it difficult to see what articles are available and to have ready access to them. Furthermore, such articles are often rendered unusable because they become contaminated when attempts are made to find and free the articles from the towels that are holding multiple articles. 
         [0004]    It would be desirable to have an apparatus which provides ready access to such articles while organizing and maintaining them in a desired configuration (for example, a series of loops). It would be desirable to have an apparatus which would allow articles to be held in a desired orientation and be easily removable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    One exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a device for organizing and managing loops or segments of wire or tubing in an operating room environment comprising a generally planar base having a top surface and a bottom surface; at least one retention member associated with and raised above the plane of the base top surface and comprising a first side, a second side, an upper surface, a slit defined between the first and second side, the slit having an upper opening and a lower opening, the upper opening extending from the upper surface toward the base, the lower opening extending to a generally horizontal channel defined between the first and second sides, the channel having a larger diameter than the width of the lower opening of the slit, wherein the first and second sides of the retention member have sufficient deformability so as to be separable to enable the width of the slit to be increased to permit insertion of at least one length or loop of wire or tubing into the slit and into the channel. 
         [0006]    Other features will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The drawings disclose exemplary embodiments in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures of which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a variation of the first exemplary embodiment showing several retention devices on a single base. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure having a first exemplary configuration of a plurality of slits  336 ,  337 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure having a second exemplary configuration of a plurality of slits  446 ,  447 , and  448 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of a retention device  10  having a base  20  which may be generally flat. The base may be made of a flexible or rigid material. Flexible materials include, but are not limited to, fabric (woven, nonwoven or blends or mixtures thereof), plastic, metal, composite, wire, cellulose, wood-based products, paper, synthetic, rubber, mesh, mixtures and combinations thereof and the like. Rigid materials include, but are not limited to, plastic, metal, ceramic, wood, fiberboard, composite, mixtures and combinations thereof and the like. The base may comprise a single layer, multiple layers or a laminate of any of the foregoing materials. In one exemplary embodiment the base may comprise a sheet of felt-like fabric. In one exemplary embodiment the base material is capable of being sterilized. In one exemplary embodiment the base material is made of a bioinert material. In one exemplary embodiment the base material may be treated with a microbiocide or antimicrobial composition. 
         [0014]    The base has a top surface  22  and a bottom surface  24 . In one exemplary embodiment the base comprises a first base material layer  26  and a second base material layer  28 . A holder  30  may be sandwiched between the two layers  26 ,  28 . The holder  30  may be made of a deformable material, such as, but not limited to, rubber, foam, Styrofoam, plastic, or the like. The holder  30  may have a generally dome-shaped upper surface  32  and a flat bottom surface  34  (not shown). The upper surface  32  has a slit  36  extending generally vertically downward toward the holder bottom surface  34 . The slit  36  may be straight, curved, angled, undulating, jagged or other shape. The slit  36  is defined by first side wall  40  of the holder and a second side wall  42  of the holder. The slit  36  extends through the first base material layer  26 . A generally horizontal channel  44  is formed in the base  20 , which includes the first base material layer  26  and the holder  30 . In one exemplary embodiment the channel  44  is raised above the height corresponding to the edges of the base  20 . The channel  44  has a diameter greater than the width of the slit  36  opening as measured from the edge of the first to the edge of the second side. By deformable it is meant that the first and second side walls  40 ,  42  proximate to the slit  36  can be separated slightly by force, thereby widening the width of the slit  36 . 
         [0015]    In another exemplary embodiment the base may be formed of a single layer of material having variable thickness, the thickness increasing from the edges toward the center of the base top surface. In one exemplary embodiment the thickening shape provides a dome-shaped appearance. In this exemplary embodiment the base bottom surface is generally flat. 
         [0016]    The slit may be foil led by laser cutting, knife, hot wire, poured into a mold or other conventional slit-creating technique. The channel may be similarly formed. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a variation on the first exemplary embodiment in which the device  10  includes several holders  30  spaced apart and incorporated into the base  10 . 
         [0018]    In a second exemplary embodiment, shown in  FIG. 3 , a retention device  100  has a base  120  which may comprise a generally flat single first layer of material (it being understood that the first layer may comprise a single sheet, multiple sheets, a laminate of layers, or the like). A holder  130  may comprise a block of material. The holder  130  may be generally parallelepiped-shaped, cubic, hemispherical, or other regular or irregular shape. The holder  130  has a top surface  132  and a bottom surface  134  (not shown). The holder  130  has a slit  136  formed therein extending generally from the top surface  132  toward, but not reaching, the bottom surface  134 . The slit  136  is defined by a first side wall  140  and opposing second side wall  142  of the holder. A generally horizontal channel  144  is formed in the holder  130  such that the bottom of the slit and the channel  144  form a continuous opening. The diameter of the channel  144  is greater than the width of the slit  136 . In this embodiment the holder  130  may be affixed, either permanently or removably, to the base  120 . If removably, the base  120  may be attached by any conventional attachment mechanism, such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fastener, hooks, buttons, snaps, adhesive, and the like. 
         [0019]    In a third exemplary embodiment, shown in  FIG. 4 , a holder may be adapted to have a plurality of slits.  FIG. 4  shows an embodiment in which the device  300  has a holder  330  having two perpendicular slits  336 ,  337 .  FIG. 5  shows a fourth exemplary embodiment in which a device  400  has a holder  430  several slits  446 ,  447 , and  448 . The multiple slits can enable the device to hold more than one item, or to hold an item in either of at least two orientations. 
         [0020]    Items which may be inserted into the device include, but are not limited to, wire, tubing, balloons, catheters, fabric, and the like. Wire and tubing, for example, may be a short length or a number of loops. In operation, using the first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2  as an example, a user grasps the item  200  to be inserted and presses it down into the slit  36 . The first and second side walls  40 ,  42  deform or flex slightly in the sense that they separate to increase the size of the slit  36  gap, thereby permitting the item  200  to be inserted. The item  200  is inserted down into the slit  36  and into the channel  44 . Since the channel  44  has a diameter greater than the width of the slit  36 , the item  200  inserted generally clears the slit  36  and is held in the channel  44 . The first and second side walls  40 ,  42 , no longer being urged away from each other, deform or flex back to generally their original orientation, thereby causing the slit  36  gap to recover to generally its original width. This results in the item  200  held in the channel  44  to be retained therein as the slit  36  gap blocks the item  200  from being accidentally removed from the holder  30 . When a user wants to remove the item  200 , the user grasps the item  200  and pulls it upward, causing the side walls  40 ,  42  to flex and create a sufficiently wide gap in the slit  36  to permit the item  200  to move up through the slit  36  and to be removed. 
         [0021]    The flexible or deformable construction of the holder permits the item  200  to be held, yet not itself deformed. Where the item  200  is a series of loops of wire (which, left unfettered, would tend to straighten into a straight length), the retention device  10  can hold the loops in the desired orientation, preventing the wire from straightening out and becoming unwieldy. In a catheterization procedure room, where typically the physician uses a number of items  200 , such as wires, catheters and tubes, each being a generally straight length or a series of loops, the retention device of the present disclosure can hold the various items in a neat and organized condition until needed. The retention device permits easy removal while securely holding the items. The retention device can be laid out on or partially draped over a patient or a nearby table. The retention device can be rendered sterile. The top surface  22  of the base  20  can be formed so that it can be printed on, such as by using a pen or marker to indicate what size wire is being held by a particular holder  30 . 
         [0022]    Although only a number of exemplary embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims. 
         [0023]    While the methods, equipment and systems have been described in connection with specific embodiments, it is not intended that the scope be limited to the particular embodiments set forth, as the embodiments herein are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. 
         [0024]    As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0025]    “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. 
         [0026]    Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal embodiment. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes. 
         [0027]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit being indicated by the following inventive concepts. 
         [0028]    It should further be noted that any patents, applications and publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.