Patent Publication Number: US-2015075537-A1

Title: Method and apparatus for securing a patient&#39;s hand during arthroscopy and surgery

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A Patient&#39;s hand is currently restrained for associated limb arthroscopy and surgery by capturing the patient&#39;s fingers within one end of a flexible meshed enclosure and securing the opposite end of the meshed enclosure to a support upstanding from the operating room (OR) table. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,506 entitled “Bone Aligning Apparatus” describes an early arrangement wherein the patient&#39;s hand is restrained in a vertical position on the OR table. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,487 entitled “Holding Device for Wrist/Shoulder Arthroscopy and Surgery” describes a more recent arrangement wherein the patient&#39;s hand is restrained in a supine position on the OR table. 
     One arrangement for attaching the opposite end of the meshed enclosure to a support upstanding from the OR table is described in US Patent Application Publication US2011/0178449 entitled “Traction Device”. 
     A further arrangement is found within U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/694,652 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Securing a Patient&#39;s Hand During Arthroscopy and Surgery”, which application is incorporated herein for purposes of reference. The meshed enclosure containing the patient&#39;s hand is connected with the OR table by a pole and clamp arrangement as described therein. 
     One purpose of the instant invention is to describe a simpler and less expensive arrangement for connecting the meshed enclosure containing the patient&#39;s hand to the OR table support, per se. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An extended flexible meshed enclosure is arranged between a patient&#39;s hand and a V-grooved support plate upstanding from the associated operating table for capturing the patient&#39;s fingers within one end of the meshed enclosure and for capturing the opposite end of the flexible meshed enclosure within the V-grooved support plate. To secure the meshed enclosure to the support plate a first part of the end of the enclosure opposite the hand is captured within a V-shaped groove on the top of the support plate and a second part of the end of the enclosure opposite the hand is captured within a V-shaped grove on the bottom of the support plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a front perspective view of the flexible meshed enclosure according to the invention prior to engaging a finger of an associated patient&#39;s hand; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front perspective view of the flexible meshed enclosure of  FIG. 1A  engaging a finger of the associated patient&#39;s hand prior to wrapping a hook and loop strap about the enclosed finger; 
         FIG. 1C  is a front perspective view of the flexible meshed enclosure of  FIG. 1B  with the hook and loop strap wrapped about the enclosed finger; and 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of a patient on an OR table with the flexible meshed enclosure about the patient&#39;s hand as shown in  FIG. 1C  attached to the support plate upstanding from an operating table in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As now shown in  FIG. 1A  a flexible meshed enclosure  11  of polystyrene plastic is arranged next to the finger  12  of a patient&#39;s hand  10  and is moved over the finger as shown in  FIG. 1  B. According to the teachings of the invention, a hook and loop strap  13  is positioned under the finger  12  enclosed within one end of the meshed enclosure  11  for encompassing the enclosed finger  12  as shown in  FIG. 1C . The hook and loop strap  13  can consist of a plastic tape with Velcro fasteners as supplied by International Velcro Industries of Nyon Switzerland. “Velcro” is a registered trademark belonging to Velcro Industries of Curacao, Netherlands. 
     Although one finger  12  is shown with the flexible meshed enclosure  11  encompassed thereon, for purposes of clarity, all the fingers could have flexible meshed enclosures  11  to assure adequate support to the associated limb, such as the arm  9  of the patient  8 , as depicted in  FIG. 2 . 
     An operating table, hereafter “OR” table  14 , is shown in  FIG. 2  with a support post  17  attached to the operating table side rail  15  via the OR side rail clamp  16  such as that described within U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,827 entitled “Operating Table Support Clamp”, which patent is incorporated herein for purposes of reference. The patient&#39;s hand support plate  18  is adjustably attached to the support post  17  via a threaded knob  17 A which allows movement of the inner support post  17 B, attached to the support plate via threaded knob  19 , to move the support plate in the vertical direction, as indicated. 
     The support plate  18  includes a plurality of top extending V-shaped grooves  20 A for receiving within one of the grooves a first distal part  11 A of the flexible meshed enclosure  11  opposite the patient&#39;s finger  12  which is enclosed within the hook and loop strap  13 , as shown earlier in  FIG. 1C . To further secure the meshed enclosure  11  to the support plate  18 , a second distal part  11 B of the flexible meshed enclosure  11  is received within one of a plurality of bottom extending V-shaped grooves, as indicated at  20 B. 
     As also described earlier, only one finger  12  on the hand  10  is shown enclosed within a flexible meshed enclosure  11 , yet all the fingers could be enclosed within separate flexible meshed enclosures  11  and hook and looped straps  13  to insure fixation of the hand  10  during surgery on the associated arm  9 , if required. 
     Upon movement of the support plate  18  in the upwards vertical direction, as indicated in  FIG. 2 , the hook and loop strap  13  prevents the meshed enclosure  11  from separating from the finger  12  whereas the positioning of the distal ends  11 A,  11 B of the meshed enclosure  11  within the top and bottom extending V-shaped grooves  20 A,  20 B further prevent removal of the meshed enclosure  11  from the support plate  18  during associated surgery on the patient  8 . 
     Once the surgery on the associated limb is completed, the finger  12  is detached from the flexible meshed enclosure  11  by removing the hook and loop strap  13  from the flexible meshed enclosure while the meshed enclosure  11  is removed from the support plate  18  by removing the distal ends  11 A,  11 B of the meshed enclosure  11  from the top and bottom extending V-shaped grooves  20 A,  20 B. 
     It is noted that the use of a single support plate having top and bottom extending V-shaped grooves to retain the meshed enclosure without requiring an additional plate and bolts, as required by the Prior Art of record is a substantial benefit in view of the simplification of the sterilization procedure and the advantage of material cost savings. 
     Apparatus has been shown herein for retaining the fingers of a patient&#39;s hand for applying support to an associated patient&#39;s limb without limiting the pressure applied to the limb to deter removable of the patient&#39;s hand during limb surgery.