Abstract:
A medical device anchor is disclosed. The apparatus consists of an anchor base with an adhesive side that is attached to a location proximate the patient. The second side of the anchor base includes hook and loop type fasteners that cooperate with a medical device retaining strap that also includes hook and loop type fasteners. A cable/sheath anchor base is also provided to secure any cables, sheath, wires, or the like that may extend from the medical device being used. The cable/sheath anchor base is also provided with an adhesive side and a hook and loop fastener side that engages a cable/sheath anchor strap in a similar manner to that of the medical device anchor base.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to medical devices and, more specifically, to a medical device anchor for releasably holding the medical device to a patient and/or patient&#39;s drape covering with the present invention comprising a planar flaccid sheet forming a medical device anchor base, a medical device anchor strap for holding a medical device sheath about the medical device and for then securing the medical device to the medical device anchor base, a probe-cable/sheath anchor base attachable to a patient, a patient&#39;s drape covering, or to a structure, such as a table or hospital bed, and a probe-cable/sheath anchor strap securable about the probe cable or cables for releasably holding the cable or cables to the probe-cable/sheath anchor base. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    There are other devices designed as holders for medical devices. While these holders may be suitable for the purposes for which they where designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described. 
         [0005]    It is thus desirable to provide a simple method of releasably securing a medical device to a patient or patient&#39;s drape covering within easy reach for repeated use. 
         [0006]    It is further desirable to provide a plurality of anchor pads having an adhesive first side, hook and loop fasteners on the second side, and corresponding hook and loop straps securable about the sheathed medical device and the sheath device cables, which are then themselves releasably attachable to a respective probe-cable/sheath anchor pad which is also provided with an adhesive first side and a hook and loop type fastener second side. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0007]    A primary object of the present invention is to provide a means for releasably positioning a medical device onto a patient or patient&#39;s drape covering or garment. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present invention is to provide medical device anchor comprising a pair of adhesive hook and loop anchor bases releasably securable to a patient and/or patient drape. 
         [0009]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide medical device anchor straps having hook and loop material on each side thereby securable to the anchor bases. 
         [0010]    Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide medical device anchor bases comprising pliable sheet material having a first side and a second side with the first or bottom side having a peelable release sheet covering an adhesive layer providing means for attachment to a patient or patient&#39;s drape covering and a second or top side having hook and loop material for attachment of a respective anchor strap. 
         [0011]    An additional object of the present invention is to provide medical device anchor straps having anchor base mating hook and loop type fastening material thereon. 
         [0012]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a medical device anchor strap of sufficient length to encircle a portion of a medical device so that by virtue of the encircling strap the medical device releasably attaches to the hook and loop portion of the medical device anchor base that is, in turn, releasably attached to either the patient or patient&#39;s drape. 
         [0013]    A yet further object of the present invention is to provide an anchor strap of sufficient length to encompass the medical device cables so that by virtue of the strap the medical device cables releasably attaches to the hook and loop portion of the medical device anchor base, there again releasably attached to either the patient or patient&#39;s drape. 
         [0014]    A still yet further object of the present invention is to provide strap means for securing a protective sheath over the medical device and medical device cables. 
         [0015]    Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
         [0016]    The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a medical device anchor for holding a medical device to a patient and/or patient&#39;s drape covering through an adhesive/hook and loop anchor base; a medical device anchor strap for encircling a portion of a provided medical device thereby securing the medical device to the medical device anchor base; a probe-cable/sheath anchor base attachable to a patient, patient&#39;s drape covering, or structure, such as a table or bed, and a probe-cable/sheath anchor strap securable about the medical device&#39;s probe-cable(s) for releasably holding the medical device probe-cable(s)/sheath to the probe-cable/sheath anchor base 
         [0017]    The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
         [0018]    The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS 
       [0019]    Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the use of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures.
     10  medical device anchor     12  medical device anchor base     14  medical device anchor base first side (adhesive)     16  medical device second side (hook and loop)     18  medical device anchor strap     20  medical device anchor strap first side (hook and loop)     22  medical device second side (hook and loop)     24  medical device anchor strap end retainer     26  medical device cable/sheath anchor base     28  medical device cable/sheath anchor base first side (adhesive)     30  medical device cable/sheath anchor base second side (hook and loop)     32  medical device cable/sheath anchor strap     34  medical device cable/sheath anchor strap first side (hook and loop)     36  medical device cable/sheath anchor strap second side (hook and loop)     38  medical device cable     40  medical device cable protective sleeve     42  patient drape/cover   P ultrasound probe   C peelable adhesive side cover   U patient   A 1  directional arrow   A 2  directional arrow   
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0042]    In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
           [0043]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of prior art. 
           [0044]      FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of the medical device anchor of the present invention. 
           [0045]      FIG. 3  is an orthographic view of the medical device anchor of the present invention. 
           [0046]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the components of the medical device anchor. 
           [0047]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the medical device anchor in use for an ultrasound probe. 
           [0048]      FIG. 6  is a continued top view of the medical device anchor in use for an ultrasound probe. 
           [0049]      FIG. 7  is another continued top view of the medical device anchor in use for an ultrasound probe. 
           [0050]      FIG. 8  is an illustrative view of the medical device anchor in use for an ultrasound probe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0051]    The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims. 
         [0052]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , shown is an illustrative view of prior art. Medical devices placed on a patient, such as ultrasound probes, are difficult to anchor and tend to fall off sometimes breaking or becoming contaminated. Furthermore, a rubber band is utilized to hold a sheath over the device head but the band often breaks easily while stretching over the device head. Additionally, another band then needs to be stretched over the medical device and pulled down to secure the sheath to the device cables, which is both cumbersome and time consuming. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a medical device anchor that will releasably hold a medical device and its attendant cables in place. 
         [0053]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , shown is an illustrative view of the medical device anchor of the present invention. The present invention provides a means for anchoring a medical device to a patient and/or the patient&#39;s drape covering that comprises a medical device anchor base with an adhesive bottom layer and a hook and loop type fastener top layer with a cooperating medical device anchor strap secured about a sheath that covers the medical device wherethen the device and its anchor strap are releasably securable to the anchor base. The cables for the medical device are also sheathed and are further provided with a patient/drape releasable securement that comprises a cable/sheath anchor base and a cable/sheath anchor strap securable to the cable/sheath anchor base. 
         [0054]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , shown is an orthographic view of the medical device anchor  10  of the present invention. Shown are the components of the medical device anchor  10  comprising medical device anchor base  12  having a first side (bottom)  14  that includes a peelable adhesive surface area as denoted at C (as will be discussed further below) and also including a second side (top)  16  having one component of a hook and loop type fastening system. Also seen in the Figure is medical device anchor strap  18 . Medical device anchor strap  18  has a first side  20  and a second side  22  each of which includes one of either hook or loop type fasteners that cooperate with the corresponding hook or loop type fastener on the second (top) side  16  of the medical device anchor base  12 . Medical device anchor strap  18  also includes a strap end retainer  24 . Indicated at  26  is the medical device cable sheath anchor base which includes a first side (bottom)  28  having a peelable adhesive surface and a second side (top)  30  having a hook or loop type fastener thereon. Lastly in this Figure is seen the medical device cable sheath anchor strap  32  having a first side  34  and a second side  36 , with cooperating hook and loop type fasteners on each. 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , shown is a perspective view of the components of the medical device anchor  10 . Seen in the Figure is the medical device anchor base  12  with the first (bottom) side  14  that includes the peelable adhesive (discussed below) and the second (top) side  16  having one element of a hook and loop type fastener thereon. The medical device anchor strap  18  is seen with its cooperating first and second sides  20 ,  22  with their hook and loop fasteners and the strap end retainer  24 . The medical device sheath anchor base is indicated at  26  with the first (bottom) side  28  including a peelable adhesive layer and the second (top) side  30  having (as above regarding the anchor base  12 ) one element of a hook and loop type fastener. The medical device sheath anchor base attaches to the cable sheath anchor strap  32  which includes a first side and a second side  34 ,  36  both incorporating hook and loop type fasteners as will be discussed below. 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , shown is a top view of the medical device anchor in use for an ultrasound probe P. Shown, for illustrative purposes, is an ultrasound probe P being inserted into the medical device anchor strap  18  as indicated by directional arrow A 1 . The anchor strap  18  is held in relation to the medical device anchor base  12  through the cooperating hook and loop type fasteners present on both. In the Figure, a portion of the anchor strap  18  has been placed through the strap end retainer  24 . It should be noted that the medical device (in this case the ultrasound probe P) and the medical device anchor strap  18  may be placed in any desired position or at any angle on the medical device anchor base  12  through the use of these hook and loop fasteners as shown. The precise placement of the medical device by means of the present invention is enhanced by the fact that the anchor base  12  itself is positionable proximate the patient by peeling away the adhesive cover C (as seen in  FIG. 3 ) on the first side or bottom  14  of the medical device anchor base  12  and then attaching it as desired to either the drape or cover on the patient or on the patient herself. This will be explained further in the discussion of  FIG. 8 . 
         [0057]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , shown is a continued top view of the medical device anchor  10  in use with an ultrasound probe. It should be emphasized that though an ultrasound mechanism is seen in the Figures herein, it is only used as a single example of a device that needs to be placed in close proximity or in contact with the patient&#39;s body. Likewise, the sheath or protective coverings generally placed around these devices are omitted for clarity in the Figures thus far presented. The device P has been placed within the medical device anchor strap  18  and the strap is cinched in the direction indicated by directional arrow A 2 . As in the previous Figures, the medical anchor base  12 , the cable/sheath anchor base  26 , and the cable sheath anchor strap  32  are also shown. 
         [0058]    Turning now to  FIG. 7 , shown is another continued top view of the medical device anchor  10  in use for an ultrasound probe P, as in the previous Figures. Shown, for illustrative purposes, is an ultrasound probe P placed within the medical device anchor strap  18 , which is then cinched about the medical device P, as indicated by the directional arrow A 2  in  FIG. 6 , enabling the probe to be attached in the required position on the medical device anchor base  12  that preferably has already been adhesively fixed to a patient&#39;s drape once the peelably removable adhesive covering C is removed (as seen in  FIG. 3 ). Also provided is means for selectively positioning and anchoring the medical device cable  38  by placing the cable/sheath anchor base  26  in the desired position and fixing the cable  38  thereto with the cable/sheath anchor strap  32 . The cable/sheath anchor base is fixed in position by peeling off the adhesive cover C as seen in  FIG. 3  and adhering the adhesive side  28  to the patient, the patient&#39;s drape or robe, examination table, bed, or the like to prevent the cable  38  from snagging or getting in the way or contaminating the sterile field. Note that a plurality of cable/sheath anchor bases and cable/sheath anchor straps could be employed if the situation warranted—to string the cable/sheath along a desired path or around various barriers. 
         [0059]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , shown is an illustrative view of the medical device anchor  10  in use for an ultrasound probe P. Again, the ultrasound probe is used merely as an example of the type of medical device that the current invention could be utilized with. In this Figure the medical device P is enclosed within a sheath or protective sleeve  40 . As can be seen from the Figure, the cable/sheath  38  is attached to the drape or cover  42  by both the cable/sheath anchor base  26  and the cable/sheath anchor strap  32 . The medical device is positioned through use of the medical device anchor base  12  and the medical device anchor strap  18 . 
         [0060]    It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. 
         [0061]    While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.