Patent ID: 7766880

Claim:
A medical or surgical fastener for securing a tube to a patient, said medical or surgical fastener comprising: a sterile tubular sleeve of variable length having a first aperture through which a tube can pass at a first end of the sleeve and a second aperture through which a tube can pass at the second end of the sleeve, the sleeve configured such that when lengthened along a length of a tube between the first and second apertures within the sleeve, the sleeve will grip the tube to exert a compressive gripping force evenly distributed around the tube and along the length of the tube in the sleeve and such that the sleeve will further lengthen in response to movement of the tube to increase the compressive gripping force, and when shortened the compressive gripping force will be released to permit the tube to move relative to the sleeve, wherein the sterile tubular sleeve has a perforated or foraminous wall that includes a plurality of filaments helically woven to define a plurality of openings in the wall; and attachment means configured to couple the sterile tubular sleeve to a patient such that if the sleeve grips a tube the sleeve and attachment means cooperate to secure the tube to the patient.