Abstract:
A medical tubing tether device secures medical tubing to a patient to prevent the medical tubing from being inadvertently removed from the patient&#39;s nose. The device includes a tether comprising a loop configured to be positioned around a person&#39;s neck. A fastener is attached to said tether. The fastener is configured for removably coupling medical tubing to the tether.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
       [0001]    The disclosure relates to medical tubing supports and more particularly pertains to a new medical tubing support for securing medical tubing to a patient to prevent the medical tubing from being inadvertently removed from the patient&#39;s nose. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tether comprising a loop configured to be positioned around a person&#39;s neck. A fastener is attached to said tether. The fastener is configured for removably coupling medical tubing to the tether. 
         [0003]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
         [0004]    The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of a medical tubing tether device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a detailed view of an adhesive of an embodiment of the disclosure attaching medical tubing to the tether. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0011]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new medical tubing support embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
         [0012]    As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the medical tubing tether device  10  generally comprises a tether  12 . The tether  12  comprises a loop  14  configured to be positioned around a person&#39;s neck  16 . The tether  12  may comprise a flexible strap  18  made of cloth, leather or like material. The tether  12  has a first break  20  therein to define a first free end  22  and a second free end  24 . The tether  12  includes a first lateral side  26  and a second lateral side  28  each coupled to and extending between the first  22  and second  24  free ends. The tether  12  may have a width extending from the first lateral side  26  to the second lateral side  28  measuring between approximately 1.0 cm and 2.5 cm. 
         [0013]    At least one medical tube  30  is provided. The medical tube  30  may include a feeding tube, an oxygen tube or the like. A fastener  32  is attached to the tether  12 . The fastener  32  removably couples each medical tube  30  to the tether  12 . The fastener  12  may be centrally positioned between the first free end  22  and the second free end  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The fastener  32  may include an adhesive  34  positioned on an outer surface  36  of the tether  12 . The fastener  32  may further include a cover  38  removably attached to the adhesive  34 . The tether  12  is attachable to each medical tube  30  such that each medical tube  30  is positionable between the cover  38  and the adhesive  34  to secure each medical tube  30  to the tether  12 . 
         [0014]    A coupler  40  is attached to the tether  12 . The coupler  40  releasably couples the first  22  and second  24  free ends together. The coupler  40  includes a first mating member  42  positioned proximate the first free end  22  and a second mating member  44  positioned proximate the second free end  24 . The first mating member  42  is engageable with the second mating member  44  to releasably attach the first free end  22  to the second free end  24 . The coupler  40  may comprise snaps. 
         [0015]    An alternative embodiment is shown in  FIG. 5 . Unless mutually exclusive or otherwise described, the alternative embodiment is identical to the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the tether  12  may have a second break  46  therein to define a third free end  48  and a fourth free end  50 . A connector  52  is attached to the tether  12 . The connector  52  releasably couples the third  48  and fourth  50  free ends together. The connector  52  may comprise complementary portions  54 ,  56  of hook and loop fastener. One of the complementary portions  54 ,  56  of hook and loop fastener may be positioned adjacent to the fastener  32 . Each of the complementary portions  54 ,  56  of hook and loop fastener may comprise elongated strips. 
         [0016]    In use, the tether  12  is secured around the neck  16  of a patient using coupler  40 . The medical tube  30  is positioned on the adhesive  34  and is secured to the tether  12  by positioning the cover  38  over the medical tube  30  and onto the adhesive  34 . When sufficient force engages the medical tube  30 , either the first  22  and second  24  free ends and/or the third  48  and fourth  50  free ends will release from each other. In this manner, the device  10  helps to prevent inadvertent removal of the medical tube  30  from the patient&#39;s nasal cavity and redistributes force exerted on the medical tube  30  onto the tether  12 . 
         [0017]    With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         [0018]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. 
         [0019]    A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.