Abstract:
The combination of a tracheostomy bib and a pipe support collar includes a front wall connected to a back wall together defining a pocket which includes a pocket opening and a bottom. The front wall and back wall are connected at a right side and a left side and at the bottom to form an enclosed pocket having a pocket opening. The front wall includes an outer top edge which includes a frame for maintaining the pocket opening in an open position. The bib further includes supports for fastening the bib to the pipe support collar.

Description:
[0001]    The present invention claims priority from previously filed U.S. provisional patent application 61/378,074 filed Aug. 30, 2010 by Marsilia Didiodato under the title TRACHEOSTOMY BIB. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]    The present invention relates to devices for filtering and conditioning air inhaled through a stoma pipe and for collection of secretions emanating from the stoma pipe outlet. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    Tracheostomy and tracheotomy are surgical procedures on the neck to open a direct airway through an incision in the trachea (the windpipe). They are performed by paramedics, veterinarians, emergency physicians and surgeons. Tracheotomy and Tracheostomy refers to a procedure of cutting into the trachea and is an emergency procedure for reviving suffocating patients in order to open their airway. 
         [0004]    In emergency situations where a patient is suffocating for any number of reasons, a trachea incision is made usually through the second and third tracheal ring and a tracheostomy tube is inserted into the incision in order to allow for the passage of air into the trachea. The opening created by the incision is often called the stoma and the tracheostomy tube is often referred to as a “stoma” and/or a “stoma pipe” and/or simply as a “pipe”. The tracheostomy tube (pipe) is placed into the incision created by the physicians in order to ensure that the stoma or the opening remains open and allows for the passage way of air there through. 
         [0005]    Patients which have received tracheotomies with a pipe in place inhale and exhale the air required for breathing through the stoma pipe. This procedure circumvents the natural entryway of air into the lungs namely through either the mouth and/or the nose. The filtering and other functions that the nose and mouth carryout are no longer available to the passageway of air into the trachea. 
         [0006]    Secretions of many kinds exit from the pipe, for example if the patient coughs and/or sneezes, mucus and/or other secretions may be exhaled from the pipe outlet in an uncontrolled manner. 
         [0007]    Additionally during inhalation, there is no filtering of the air and/or prevention of particles entering directly into the lungs through the pipe. There is a need for a device which filters and conditions air inhaled through the stoma pipe and also collects and manages mucus and other secretions that are expelled from the pipe outlet. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0008]    The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of the present device a tracheostomy bib. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a back elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross sectional schematic view showing portions of the outer top edge of the frame. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front top schematic perspective view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of a tracheostomy bib. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a back elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a top front schematic partial cut away perspective view of the tracheostomy bib shown in  FIG. 8 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of the present device a tracheostomy bib. 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a front elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  is a cross sectional view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  is a back elevational view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0024]      FIG. 16  is a partial expanded cross sectional schematic view showing portions of the outer top edge of the frame. 
           [0025]      FIG. 17  is a front top schematic partial cut away perspective view of the tracheostomy bib. 
           [0026]      FIG. 18  is a front schematic perspective view of the tracheostomy bib deployed onto the neck of a person. 
           [0027]      FIG. 19  is a schematic side perspective view of the tracheostomy bib deployed onto a person. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]    The present device a tracheostomy bib is shown generally as  100 ,  200  and  300  in the attached figures. 
         [0029]    Referring first of all to the first embodiment of the present invention which is shown in  FIGS. 1 to 6  as well as in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , tracheostomy bib  100  includes the following major components, namely back wall  102 , front wall  104 , bottom  106 , outer top edge  108 , inner top edge  110 , frame  112 , wire frame  114 , a right support strip  116 , a left support strip  118 , and hook and loop fasteners  120 . 
         [0030]    Back wall  102  together with front wall  104  defines a pocket  122  having an opening  124  in the top thereof. The walls  102  and  104  may be made of any suitable material including but not limited to traditional cloths, absorbent materials, filter materials, synthetics such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and or other plastic materials. 
         [0031]    Opening  124  preferably extends from the right side  130  over to the left side  132  and the boundary of the opening is defined roughly by the outer top edge  108  on the front wall  104  and inner top edge  110  on the back wall  102 . 
         [0032]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , frame  112  preferably includes a wire frame  114  sewn into wire pocket  105  which in the drawings extends along the outer top edge  108  of front wall  104 . The wire frame  114  may also extend around the entire outer top edge  108  and inner top edge  110 . The purpose of wire frame  114  is to ensure that opening  124  is maintained in the open position  125 , thereby ensuring that there is a well defined pocket  122  having a large opening  124  as depicted in cross section in  FIG. 3 . Wire frame  114  may in fact be metal, however it may also be plastic, wood or any other suitable material which has the necessary rigidity, stiffness and flexibility to maintain opening  124  in the open position  125 . Note that outer top edge  108  is curved or U shaped when viewed from above. The legs of the U  127  defining approximately the pocket depth  129 . Pocket depth  129  is the space between the front wall  104  and the back wall  102  at the center  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2  of outer top edge  108 . 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7 to 11 , tracheostomy bib shown generally as alternate embodiment  200  includes almost of the all the same components as shown for tracheostomy bib  100  with the exception that frame  208  includes a plastic band  210  and plastic ribs  212  in addition to or instead of the wire frame  114 . The purpose of frame  208  which is comprised of plastic band  210  and plastic ribs  212  is to maintain opening  124  in the open position  125 , thereby maintaining a well defined pocket  122 . Plastic band extends around the outer top edge  108  of front wall  104  as shown in the drawings. Plastic ribs  212  are positioned in a bottom portion pocket  231  and are generally U or J shaped reinforcing and/or stiffening ribs wherein plastic band  210  together with plastic ribs  212  ensure that pocket opening  124  remains in the open position  125  having pocket depth of  129  and well defined bottom  206  having a bottom portion pocket  231 . Tracheostomy bib  200  includes the following major components, namely back wall  102 , front wall  104 , bottom  106 , outer top edge  108 , inner top edge  110 , frame  208 , a right support strip  116 , a left support strip  118 , a hook and loop fasteners  120 . Back wall  102  together with front wall  104  defines a pocket  122  having an opening  124  in the top thereof. 
         [0034]    Referring now to an alternate embodiment namely tracheostomy bib  300  shown in  FIGS. 12 through 17  includes almost all of the same components as tracheostomy bib  100 , except that the frame  312  includes a cardboard sheath  314  instead of or in addition to the wire frame  114 . Cardboard sheath  314  again functions to ensure that opening  124  is maintained in the open position  125  and that there is a well defined pocket  122 . Cardboard sheath  314  extends across the entire front wall  104 , except for a cut out portion  316  which may or may not be included. Tracheostomy bib  300  includes the following major components, namely back wall  102 , front wall  104 , bottom  106 , outer top edge  108 , inner top edge  110 , frame  312 , a right support strip  116 , a left support strip  118 , a hook and loop fasteners  120 . Back wall  102  together with front wall  104  defines a pocket  122  having an opening  124  in the top thereof. 
         [0035]    Cardboard sheath  314  could be made of other materials including sheet paper board material, sheet plastic material, sheet metal materials as well plastic band  210  and plastic ribs  212  could also be made of other materials such as wood and/or metal and/or any other materials that may be suitable. 
         [0036]    It is possible to use some features from one embodiment with another embodiment. For example tracheostomy bib  100  may include the plastic ribs  212  shown in tracheostomy bib  200  and/or the card board sheet  314  shown in tracheostomy bib  300 . 
       In Use  
       [0037]    Referring now to  FIGS. 18 and 19 , tracheostomy bib  100  is shown deployed on person  400  which has been subject to a tracheotomy and the insertion of a stoma pipe  410 . In this specification the words “stoma pipe” and simply the word “pipe” mean the same thing, namely the stoma pipe  410  which is inserted during the tracheotomy procedure as shown in  FIG. 18 . 
         [0038]    When a stoma pipe  410  is installed into the trachea of a person  400  in the neck region  402  just below the head  404 , the stoma pipe  410  is supported usually with a pipe support collar  414  as depicted in  FIG. 18 . The pipe support collar  414  simply ensures that the pipe  410  is maintained in a certain orientation comfortable to the user and ensure that unobstructed breathing of the person with the tracheotomy. Stoma pipe  414  is normally a fairly short pipe being approximately ¾ to as much 2 inches long terminating at a pipe outlet  412 . Mucus and excretions are expelled out of pipe outlet  412  and air is inhaled through pipe outlet  412  into the trachea and lungs of person  400 . Tracheotomy bib  100  is releasably secured to the pipe support collar  414  which is hung around the neck  402  of person  400 . Each of the right support strip  116  and left support strips  118  are wrapped around pipe support collar  414  as depicted and releasably held in place with hook and loop fasteners  120  positioned suitably in order to support and hold tracheostomy bib  100  in place. 
         [0039]    The outer top edge  108  of tracheostomy bib  100  is high enough such that the pipe outlet  412  terminates inside pocket  122  just below outer top edge  108  of tracheostomy bib  100 . In this manner if there are any mucus excretions expelled from pipe outlet  412 , they will be collected within pocket  122  and front wall  104  of tracheostomy bib  100  which will prevent uncontrolled disbursement of excretions from the pipe outlet  412 . 
         [0040]    As best seen in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , should person  400  sneeze or cough and expel mucus or other fluids from the pipe outlet  412  of stoma pipe  410 , they will caught and stored in pocket  122 . 
         [0041]    Fluids which are expelled from stoma pipe  410  will be held and collected at the bottom  106  of pocket  122  thereby ensuring that these excretions are kept well away from pipe outlet  412 . 
         [0042]    Similarly when a person is inhaling, the tracheostomy bib  100  acts as a filter ensuring that foreign particles are not accidentally ingested through stoma pipe  410 . 
         [0043]    It should be apparent to persons skilled in the arts that various modifications and adaptation of this structure described above are possible without departure from the spirit of the invention the scope of which defined in the appended claims.