Abstract:
A catheter retainer comprising a member of synthetic plastics material having a central hole wholly or partly defined by a pair of resilient catheter-gripping jaws, and a resilient catch member for holding the jaws in their relatively closed position. The catheter retainer is preferably an insert that snaps into a coupling member which is carried by a pad of adhesive dressing material.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Catheters and tubing of various type and size often have to be retained in a patient for extended periods of time. This invention is directed to a catheter retainer which can accommodate different size catheters and tubes and securely hold them in position. The catheter retainer of this invention is easy to manipulate. 
     Steer et al. in British Pat. No. 1,571,657 disclose a two piece coupling system designed to retain an ostomy pouch around a stomal opening. 
     Chen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,546 disclose medical grade adhesives having one or more water soluble or water swellable hydrocolloids dispersed in a viscous elastic binder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to a catheter retainer comprising a member of synthetic plastics material having a central hole wholly or partly defined by a pair of resilient catheter-gripping jaws, and a resilient catch member for holding the jaws in their relatively closed position. The jaws and the catch are preferably integral with and form parts of the member. 
     According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a catheter retainer which comprises a pad of surgical dressing material having one surface for contacting the skin of a wearer, a central hole, and a pair of catheter gripping jaws mounted within a coupling member secured to the other surface of the pad. The jaws may be formed by two appropriately-shaped surfaces of a single insert of a resilient plastics material. The insert may be snapped into position behind a resilient flange located on the coupling. It may carry pegs by which the jaws may be opened and closed using the fingers, to release or secure the catheter as the case may be. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of one example of catheter retainer according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of the catheter retainer illustrated in FIG. 1. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The catheter retainer illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes an adhesive pad or dressing 10 having a surface 12 for engaging the skin of the patient surrounding the region where the catheter is to be inserted. The adhesive pad or dressing 10 is of medical grade and preferably consists of one or more water soluble or swellable hydrocolloids dispersed in a viscous elastic binder as taught by Chen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,546. The pad 10 has an opposed surface 16 to which a layer of polymeric material 18 such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc., is suitably bonded. A hole 14 is provided in the pad or cut in the pad according to the size needed. 
     An adhesive pad having a polymeric film bonded to one side suitable for use as part of the catheter retainer of this invention is commercially available under the trademark Stomahesive. 
     As illustrated in the figures, a coupling member 20, preferably of circular form, is secured to layer 18. The coupling member can be affixed to layer 18 by use of adhesives, heat welding, or other suitable means. The coupling member 20 includes a flange 22, a rim 24, and resilient flexible inwardly directed skirt or strip 26 which extends around the rim. The coupling member 20 may be injection molded from any suitable synthetic plastics material. Such coupling member is taught by Steer et al. in British Pat. No. 1,571,657. 
     A catheter gripping disc 28 is illustrated in the figures. The disc 28 includes a marginal rim portion 44 of a diameter and axial thickness chosen to fit snugly with rim 24 and be trapped between the layer 18 and the skirt 26. The disc 28 is held in place by the resilience of the skirt 26. 
     This disc 28 is preferably molded from a single piece of plastics material, for example high-density polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene, and is made in a special shape to define jaws 32, 34 between which a catheter 36 or other tube can be clamped. As seen in FIG. 2, the disc 28 has a central portion 38 that includes an arcuate hole 40 that mergers with a catheter slot 42, a first limb section 45, and a base pad 46. The limb 45 is connected to pad 46 by an integral hinge 50, the limb 45 thereby being enabled to oscillate about the hinge 50 in the plane of the disc. The other end of the limb has a hook 52 which co-operates with a series of hooks or notches 54 on the base pad 46. Jaws 34 on the limb 45 are disposed opposite to jaws 32 on the base pad 46 and a catheter 36, in use, is gripped between the jaws when the hook 52 is engaged with an appropriate one of the notches 54. Although only two notches 54 are illustrated, obviously more notches may be provided. In this way a number of different catheters of different external diameters may be held in position. 
     This disc 28 has three upstanding pegs 56, 58 and 60 to allow manipulation of the limb 45 relative to the base pad 46. The pegs 56 and 58 are squeezed towards each other using for example the thumb and first finger in order to grip a catheter between the jaws; in this operation the resilience of the hook 52 causes it to tend to engage one of the notches or hooks 54. In order to release the catheter, the peg 60 is lifted (i.e. pulled away from the peg 58) so disengaging the hook 54 from its associated notch and allowing the limb 45 to spring back in a generally anticlockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2. 
     The configuration of marginal rim 44 is chosen in accordance with the configuration of coupling member 20. Thus, it is preferred that both be circular. Similarly, the configuration of central portion 38 can be varied but it is preferred that it be circular and extend upwards from rim 44. 
     The disc 28 can be sold separately from the pad-coupling 20 combination, and can readily be snapped into the coupling thereof when it is desired to convert a pad-coupling combination from ostomy bag use to catheter retaining use. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the disc embodying catheter-gripping jaws may be carried by any suitable support and may be secured to the body of the user in any convenient way, e.g., by adhesive. 
     Accordingly the present invention resides in a disc of resilient plastics material comprising a pair of jaws capable of gripping a catheter and holdable together by a catch and notch arrangement, or its mechanical equivalent. 
     It will be appreciated that variations may be made in the particular shapes and materials herein disclosed, without departing from the invention. In this specification the term &#34;catheter retainer&#34; is intended to include a retainer for retaining in position tubing which extends into a human or an animal body.