Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a series of devices designed to assist a patient&#39;s respiration and administer fluid to the patient, by ensuring such devices cannot be inadvertently removed from the patient in the absence of medical personnel and cause unwanted injury to the patient. At the same, time, a device is provided to assist a patient&#39;s breathing in the absence of such assistive devices, e.g., during sleep.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to a series of devices designed to assist a patient during respiration and/or invasive administering of fluid. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a series of devices designed to immobilize medical or respirational equipment inserted into a patient to avoid unwanted injury to the patient while, at the same time, ensuring effective medical treatment and/or respiration of the patient.  
         [0002]     It is well-known that several invasive devices, e.g., intravenous tubing, assistive respirational devices such as endotracheal tubing, can cause a great deal of injury if accidently pulled out of or pushed into a patient. At the same time, assisting respiration of a patient, e.g., during sedation or even sleep, without need for such assistive respirational devices, is a preferred goal.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention, to enhance respiration of an individual, especially when such individual might be unconscious.  
         [0004]     It is also an object of the present invention to enhance ease of positioning and effectiveness of assistive devices for respiration, while maintaining as much comfort as possible for the patient.  
         [0005]     It is a further object of the present invention, to enhance positioning and securing of conduits administering fluid to a patient or otherwise assisting in respiration or other medical treatment, to eliminate danger associated with use of such invasive devices.  
         [0006]     These and other objects are attained by the present invention, which is directed to a device for thrusting a jaw of a patient forwardly and having at least one curved thrusting member both pivotally and translationally mounted to fit the patient&#39;s jaw and maintain the airway passages in the patient as open as possible. The present invention is also directed to a device for establishing a vacuum within a closed, rigid cage surrounding the neck of a patient to stent the upper airway open. A device of positioning and immobilizing a conduit administering respirational gases into a patient&#39;s body is also provided, especially for securing a nasally, orally or endotracheally inserted tubing into the patient.  
         [0007]     The inventive devices provide secure, stabilization of the patient during respiration, minimizing discomfort of the patient while, at the same time, ensuring the requisite tubing cannot be inadvertently pulled out of or pushed too far into the patient. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a device for thrusting a jaw of a patient forwardly, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an alternative embodiment of the jaw thrusting device illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a device for establishing a vacuum within a closed, rigid cage surrounding the neck of a patient to stent the upper airway open, in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates an enlarged view, partially in section, of the encircled area  3  in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective view of the device shown in  FIG. 2  from an interior direction thereof;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a device for positioning a conduit in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a device similar to the one shown in  FIG. 5  and positioned about another part of a patient;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a device for positioning a tube through the nose or mouth of a patient in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  illustrates a bottom plan view in the direction of arrows  8 - 8  shown in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of a device for positioning a tube inserted into a patient through the nose, mouth or endotracheally in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of a device for positioning and securing a tracheostomy tube in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]     Referring to the drawings in the present application,  FIG. 1  illustrates a device  1  for thrusting the jaw of a patient forwardly to permit the patient to breath freely during sedation or sleeping. This device  1  can also be used to treat sleep apnea. The device  1  comprises a pair of curved thrusting members  3 , 4  designed to seat under the angle of the mandible as shown, and arranged to be both pivotally and translationally mounted to accommodate the size, shape and camber of a particular patient&#39;s jaw.  
         [0021]     More particularly, a U-shaped member  2  has two legs  18 ,  19  in the form of screws and extending through respective cylinders  6 , 5 . Jaw thrusting members  3 , 4  are pivotally and translationally mounted upon these respective cylinders  7 ,  8  respectively soldered on cylinders  6  and  5  (these cylinders are composed of metal). The jaw thrusting members  3 , 4  are each mounted upon screws  9  and  10  which are in turn positioned within respective cylinders  7  and  8  and secured in position and tilt by nuts  12 ,  11   13  and  14 . Therefore, the orientation of jaw thruster members  3  and  4 , i.e., the tilting thereof and distance from one another, can be adjusted and then fixed to accommodate any shape of a jaw of a patient.  
         [0022]     Additionally, the legs  18  and  19  of the U-shaped member is secured to a headband  24  having an adjustable circumference when positioned about a head of a patient by turning knob  22 . Reference numeral  21  illustrates bucking mechanism to secure ends of the headband  24  together. Plastic discs  25 ,  26  are mounted upon headband  24  and, in turn, comprise metallic protrusions  23  to which copper cylinders  20  are soldered and through which legs  18  and  19  pass. Extension of these legs  18  and  19  through respective cylinders  20  is fixed by tightening nuts  100  against the respective cylinders  20 . Additionally, position of legs  18  and  19  through respective cylinders  6  and  5  is fixed by tightening respective nuts  16 ,  17 ,  15 , etc.  
         [0023]     Therefore, the jaw thrusting device  1  can be adjusted to accommodate any size, shape or orientation of a patient&#39;s head and jaw, and specifically position thrusting members  3  and  4  to forwardly jut a patient&#39;s jaw to ensure unobstructed breathing, especially during sedation or sleeping. A patient&#39;s upper airway is therefore maintained patent by mobilizing the mandible and anteriorly pulling the base of the patient&#39;s tongue and soft tissue of the pharynx off the entrance to the trachea.  
         [0024]     In an alternative construction shown in the partial view of  FIG. 1A , plastic disc  29  secured to the headband  24  comprise an extending screw  30  upon which a wing nut  31  is tightened to secure leg  28  of the U-shaped member and which need not be threaded; in other features, this variant comprises the identical components shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0025]     A spring mechanism (not illustrated) for biasing the U-shaped member  2  anteriorly, can be positioned, e.g., against headband  24  and legs  18 ,  19 , or within or around protrusions  23 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates a neck supporting device  32  when a vacuum is created around the neck through tube  35  to facilitate breathing by a patient. An outer flexible material made, e.g., of plastic (not shown) surrounds the device  32  and maintains the vacuum created through tube  35 . More particularly, the device  32  is composed of a flexible membrane  33 , e.g., a foam cushion shaped to encircle a patient&#39;s neck and an inner annular opening is cut through the foam cushion  33  to define upper  36  and lower  37  extending portions. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a series of spring-loaded  40  piston  38  and cylinder  39  arrangements, made of rigid plastic, are mounted across the opening between upper  36  and lower  37  extending portions.  
         [0027]     The piston-cylinder arrangements  38 ,  39  are individually biased by the respective springs  40  from one another. The device  32  is secured around a patient&#39;s neck by velcro fasteners  39 ,  40  positioned at lateral ends thereof, with reference numeral  38  denoting a chin-rest cut in the upper extending member  36 . The neck support device  32  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  is extremely responsive to head and neck movement of a patient to comfortably accommodate the patient while a vacuum induced through tube  35  is maintained to stent the upper airway open.  
         [0028]     A device for  41  positioning and securing a conduit  49  for administering fluid to a patient, e.g., an intravenous tube, is illustrated in  FIG. 5  as comprising a flexible belt  42  arranged to be secured around a patient&#39;s thigh by velcro fasteners  43  at opposite ends thereof. A series of ratchet clamps  44 ,  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 , etc. are mounted upon the belt  42  at respective bases  50 . Each of these ratchet clamps  44 ,  45 ,  46 ,  47 ,  48 , etc. comprises an opening  51  through which the tubing  49  is passed and a coupling snap  52  arranged to secure the tubing  49  passed through the respective clamp. As best seen in  FIG. 6 , the coupling snap  52  comprises a series of gradations  101  so that the tubing  49  can be securely retained by the coupled ratchet while, at the same time, flow of fluid through the tubing  49  remains unrestricted.  FIG. 6  illustrates alternative positioning of a device similar to, but smaller than, device  41  around a forearm of a patient, instead of the patient&#39;s thigh as shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0029]      FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate a device  53  for positioning and securing nasally or orally inserted tubes into a patient. In the embodiment illustrated in these two figures, an endotracheal breathing tube  56  and tube  57  carrying air to or from a cuffed balloon  81  are orally inserted through a patient&#39;s mouth and securely retained in position, so that the respective tubing  56 ,  57  cannot be pulled out or pressed in. A fiberglass platform  54  is adjustably secured to headgear to be positioned in front of a patient&#39;s face and retain an inverted U-shaped guide  55  secured thereto by a clamp  59  and wing nut  58 . Ratchet clamps  82  and  84 , similar to the ratchet clamps illustrated in the embodiments of  FIGS. 5 and 6  supra, are secured to the underside of U-shaped guide  55  at respective bases  85 ,  86 . Reference numerals  102  and  103  denote bite pads of a patient&#39;s teeth, to prevent the patient from biting the tubing  56 ,  57  and interfering with respiration.  
         [0030]     Fiberglass platform is cut with protrusions having cushions  68 ,  83  formed of soft foam or plastic material, at ends thereof and designed to seat against a patient&#39;s cheek. The headband itself comprises straps  71  and  70  designed to respectively wrap around the top and back of a patient&#39;s head and secure a plastic support  74  to the back of the patient&#39;s head as shown to provide comfort. These straps  71  and  70  are fastened to each other with velcro fasteners  72 . An adjustable belt  67 , 80  is also provided to encircle the patient&#39;s neck and pass through a shield or guide  69  and be secured in position by ratcheting clamps or buckles  69  and  79 .  
         [0031]     The frontal platform  54  is secured to this belt  67 ,  80  through adjustable guides  60  and  61  positioned at opposite ends of the curved platform by tightening respective wing nuts  63 . These clamps or guides  60  and  61  are, in turn, secured to the respective belt member  67  or  80  through respective screws  65 ,  77  mounted upon the belt members  67  or  80  and secured in place by the respective wing nuts  66 ,  78 . Loosening the wing nuts  66 ,  78  allows the frontal platform  54  to be tilted with respect to belt members  67 ,  80  and allowing a change in angle of the frontal platform  54  with respect to the vertical, while loosening wing nuts  62 ,  63  allows the overall width of the device  53  between a patient&#39;s cheek to be adjusted, to thereby accommodate any size, shape or orientation of a patient&#39;s jaw.  
         [0032]     In  FIG. 9 , a device  87  for positioning an endotracheal tube  90  comprises a rigid, curved member  88  having adhesive pads  92  at opposite flared ends  91  thereof, with a ratchet clamp  89 , similar to the ratchet clamps in the other embodiments described supra, being secured at a bottom end of the member  88  and arranged to position and secure the tubing  90  passing therethrough.  FIG. 10  illustrates a padded device  96  attached to a tubular structure  93  composed of gel or foam through which a string  94  is passed and tied to the wings (not shown) of a tracheostomy tube. This device is designed to prevent skin breakdown on the neck of a patient while securing a tracheostomy tube.  
         [0033]     The preceding description of the present invention is merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope thereof in any way.