Arthroscopy drape and collection pouch

An arthroscopy drape is provided that has an open top collection pouch connected therewith. The pouch is connected adjacent to a fenestration or opening in the drape through which a patient's limb will extend for an arthroscopy procedure. Connection of the collection pouch to the drapery panel is provided over a relatively small area whereby articulation of the joint on which the procedure is being performed will have little if any effect on the position of the drapery panel relative to the patient and operating equipment covered thereby, thus maintaining the sterile condition of the operating room.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to surgical drapes. More particularly, but 
not by way of limitation, this invention relates to an improved 
arthroscopy drape that aids in maintaining sterile techniques in the 
operating room. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In order to prevent infection in the operating room when performing 
arthroscopic surgical procedures, it is necessary to follow aseptic 
draping techniques to avoid the possibility of infecting the patient. More 
recently, and with the advent of HIV and other infectious viruses, it is 
also highly desirable to be able to protect the operating room personnel 
as much as possible from infection by contact with body fluids of infected 
patients. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to be able to avoid contact 
with and to collect all waste body fluids that result from an invasive 
procedure during an operation such as an arthroscopy. 
It has been common procedure in operating rooms for many years, to cover 
the patient with sterilized drapes in all areas except where the operation 
is being performed. Once the drapes have been placed in position, it is 
important to the maintenance of the aseptic condition of the operating 
room that the drapery not be moved from the patient or from covered 
equipment. 
In performing many of the arthroscopic operations, it is necessary that the 
limb of the patient upon which the operation is being performed be moved 
to be certain that the proper range of motion is maintained in the 
effected joint. During such movement, it has been extremely difficult, if 
not impossible, to prevent movement of the drapery covering the patient. 
Thus, great care must be exercised to avoid exposing a portion of the 
operating room equipment or a portion of the patient and thereby violating 
the required aseptic procedure. 
A conventional method for collecting body fluids of a patient undergoing an 
arthroscopic procedure has been to attach a collection pouch to a surgical 
drape by an adhesive material. The surgical drape has an opening that 
allows the limb to penetrate the drape, and the collection pouch has a 
window and an opening arranged so that the limb can pass through the pouch 
with the portion to be operated on located at the center of the pouch. 
While this design is a great improvement over techniques and apparatuses 
that existed prior to it, the design and method of using adhesive to 
secure the collection pouch to the surgical drape has presented problems. 
During many arthroscopic procedures the limb of the patent must be moved 
considerably from side to side, and during this movement the collection 
pouch has moved the drape severely which can violate aseptic technique. 
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved 
arthroscopy drape that includes a collection pouch that is securely 
adhered to a drape panel, but one that permits substantial relative 
movement of the collection pouch relative to the drape panel without 
disturbing the position of the drape relative to the patient. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention then provides in one aspect an improved arthroscopy drape 
comprising a drape panel having a first opening therein and that is sized 
and arranged to cover the necessary portion of the patient and associated 
operating apparatus. A resilient material covers the first opening and has 
its periphery connected to the panel. The resilient material has an 
aperture therein sized to receive the limb of the patient. An open top 
collection pouch having a bottom and a window therein which generally 
corresponds to the opening in the panel, but slightly smaller than the 
opening, that is connected to the resilient material which covers the 
opening and arranged so the open top or the collection pouch is located 
above the limb of the patient. The pouch includes a second opening and has 
a resilient material covering the second opening. The resilient material 
in the pouch has an aperture therein for receiving a portion of the limb 
of the patient. 
In another aspect, this invention provides an improved open top collection 
pouch for use with a drape panel that has a flexible body having a window 
and an opening therein, a resilient material covers the opening and is 
arranged to be secured to the drape panel only along the periphery of the 
window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a known surgical drape that has a fluid collection pouch 
10 connected thereto by an adhesive material to a panel 12 forming part of 
the drape. The panel 12 has an opening 14 extending therethrough for 
receiving a limb of the patient. A second opening 16 is provided in the 
collection pouch 10 through which the limb can extend to leave the joint 
that is being operated on located over the collection pouch 10. 
The collection pouch 10 is an improvement over apparatus previously used in 
that it provides the means for collecting essentially all of the body 
fluids produced during an arthroscopy operation. The upper edge of the 
collection pouch 10 is provided with a malleable wire 18 that can be 
formed somewhat as illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the surgeon will have 
easy access to the joint. In order to be certain that the collection pouch 
10 does not become dislodged from the panel 12, adhesive materials were 
placed along the upper edge 20 of the collection pouch 10 extending 
entirely across the upper edge of the pouch 10 as illustrated by the 
dimension line 22. In addition, adhesive strips were placed at 24 and 26 
and adhesive strips were placed at 28 encircling the periphery of the 
opening 14. The collection pouches were securely adhered to the drape 12. 
However, and as can be seen in FIG. 2, articulation of the joint to check 
alignment or range of motion causes the pouch 10 to move severely to one 
side pulling the drapery panel 12 in the direction of the arrows 30. Thus, 
while the pouch 10 provides for collection of the body fluids produced 
during the operation, there is a possibility of uncovering a portion of 
the patient which was previously draped and thus violating the aseptic 
condition of the operating room. The present invention helps to alleviate 
this problem. 
Referring to FIGS. 3-6, there is shown therein and generally designated by 
the reference character 112, an improved arthroscopy drape that is 
constructed in accordance with the invention. The drape 112 includes panel 
113 that is attached to a collection pouch 110. (FIG. 3 is a rear 
elevation view of only the collection pouch 110.) 
Referring to FIG. 4, the drape 112 and pouch 110 are illustrated in a top 
plan view with the pouch 110 expanded into a generally conical 
configuration. The pouch 110 has a window 111 formed in a flexible body 
114 that overlies a resilient, elastic material 115 that is disposed to 
cover an opening formed in the drape 112. 
A second opening 116 is located directly across the pouch 110 from the 
window 111. The opening 116 is covered by a resilient material 117 that is 
adhered, along its peripheral edges, to the pouch 110. 
Encircling the upper edge of the collection pouch 110 is a malleable 
stiffening member 118. The stiffening member 118 is provided so that the 
pouch 110 in which the body 114 is formed from a flexible yet waterproof 
material, can be held in a generally conical configuration as is 
illustrated in FIG. 4. 
An aperture 130 is formed in the resilient material 115 and is sized to 
receive a thigh 132 of a patient as is shown in FIG. 5. A second aperture 
134 is formed in the resilient material 117 of the pouch 110 and is sized 
to receive a calf 136 of the patient as illustrated in FIG. 5. At its 
lower end 138, the collection pouch 110 is provided with a drain tube or 
opening 140 which is provided with a removable plug 142 for preventing 
fluid through the drain tube 140 when installed therein. 
Referring again to FIG. 4, one means for attaching the collection pouch 110 
to the drape panel 113 is shown. It can be seen that the upper edge of the 
collection pouch 110 is attached to the drape panel 113 along a relatively 
short dimension line 140, which is generally coextensive with the upper 
edge of window 111. Adhesive provided along a peripheral edge 128 secures 
the collection pouch 110 to drape panel 113 about the peripheral edge 128 
of the window 111. In lieu of the adhesive, the collection pouch 110 can 
be welded, fused to or otherwise suitably attached to the drape panel 113. 
Referring now to FIG. 4A, a second means for securing the collection pouch 
110 to the drape panel 113 can be seen. The peripheral edge 128 of window 
111 is attached to resilient elastic material 115 which thereby secures 
the pouch 110 to the drape panel 113. This latter method of attachment 
allows for additional mobility of pouch 110 relative to drape panel 113. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the use of the drape 112. As shown in those 
figures, the patient's leg is shown extending through the aperture 130 in 
the resilient material 115 up to the thigh 132. The calf 136 of the 
patient extends through the aperture 134 in the resilient material 117 of 
the collection pouch 110. Thus, the knee of the patient is exposed for the 
arthroscopic operation. Also in FIG. 5, a tube 150 is shown connected to 
the drain tube 140 with the closure member 140 removed therefrom to permit 
the flow of body fluids from the collection pouch 110 through the tube 
150. 
As previously mentioned, under a first means for attaching the collection 
pouch 110, the collection pouch 110 is secured or attached to the drapery 
panel 113 only along the peripheral edge 128 of the window 111 in the 
pouch 110. Across the top of the pouch 110 the attachment extends only for 
the distance indicated by the dimension line 140. Accordingly, it can be 
seen that the attachment of the collection pouch 110 to the panel 113 is 
along a distance that is less than 10 percent of the periphery of the open 
end of the collection pouch 110. 
With such a small zone of connection, the patient's leg can be moved during 
the operation as shown in FIG. 6 or through a full range of motion, with 
little or no movement of the collection pouch 110 being imparted to the 
panel 113. Thus, the drape 112 with the attached improved collection pouch 
110 provides a method of maintaining the sterile environment of the 
operating room without the danger of moving the drape off of any portion 
of the patient or off of any apparatus that has been covered thereby. 
The substantial difference in attachment between the prior art collection 
pouch 10 of the drape 12 and the connection of the pouch 110 of this 
invention of the new drape 112 can clearly be seen by comparing FIGS. 1, 4 
and 4A. The effects of articulation or movement of the leg of the patient 
can be clearly seen by comparing FIGS. 2 and 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the 
movement to the leg to the left places a load on and does move the drape 
panel 12 in the direction indicated by the arrows 30. By contrast, 
articulation of the leg to the left as shown in FIG. 6 has little, if any, 
effect on the drape 112 due to the small area of connection of the 
collection pouch 110 to the panel 113. 
While the detailed description hereinbefore relates the use of the new 
surgical drape in connection with the performance of an operation on a 
patient's knee, it will be understood that the new surgical drape is 
equally applicable to other arthroscopic procedures. 
Further, it will be understood that the embodiments described herein are 
presented by way of example only and that many changes can be made thereto 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by 
the claims.