Mounting bracket for medical device
A mounting bracket is provided for holding a medical device adjacent a medical apparatus. The mounting bracket includes spring arms that allow the bracket to be spring loaded and inserted between a medical apparatus and a pole. The bracket includes fingers for flexibly receiving a medical device thereon, so that the device may be securely mounted adjacent the medical apparatus. The bracket includes a base having the first spring arm and second spring arm extending therefrom.
1 . A bracket comprising:
a first pole clamping arm having a concave-shaped hand member;
a second device clamping arm having a pair of resilient clamping fingers; and
the pole clamping arm and the device clamping arm formed as one integral piece.
2 . The bracket of claim 1 wherein the first pole clamping arm and device clamping arm are joined to form a pair of spring arms.
3 . The bracket of claim 2 wherein the bracket is mounted between a pole abutting the pole clamping arm and a medical apparatus abutting the device clamping arm and the pair of spring arms exert an outward force against the pole when mounted.
4 . The bracket of claim 3 which is molded as one piece of a glass filled nylon compound.
5 . The bracket of claim 3 wherein the device clamping arm includes a guide member protruding therefrom for engaging a side of the medical apparatus and helping to position the bracket in a compressed condition when mounted between the pole and the medical apparatus.
6 . The bracket of claim 1 wherein the second device clamping arm includes a first finger having a resting surface, and a second finger having a substantially L-shaped clamping surface and the first finger being bendable away from the second finger so that a device may be inserted between the fingers and maintained between a clamping surface and a resting surface.
7 . The bracket of claim 6 wherein the device is a cylindrically shaped, extracorporeal blood treatment device that is securely held by the device clamping arm.
8 . The bracket of claim 6 wherein the first finger and second finger each include an arm portion that join each finger to a base, and each arm portion extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base and each arm portion extends substantially longitudinally to the other.
9 . The bracket of claim 8 wherein the first pole clamping arm extends from the base.
10 . The bracket of claim 8 wherein the hand member is a generally C-shaped member that includes a circumference of between approximately 90 to 180°.
11 . The bracket of claim 10 wherein a strut is attached to the second device clamping arm, the strut extending at least partially parallel to a bisecting line that extends across an opening of the hand between a proximal point and a distal point on the C-shaped member, so that applying pressure on the strut will direct an angular clamping force on the C-shaped member in order to easily clamp the bracket to a pole.
12 . The bracket of claim 8 wherein the hand member is generally V-shaped.
13 . The bracket of claim 8 wherein the pole clamping arm is clamped to a pole carried by a medical apparatus, the pole extending parallel to the side of the medical apparatus, and guide member on said bracket having an L-shape to engage said medical apparatus.
14 . The bracket of claim 1 further comprising a guide member protruding from the device clamping arm at approximately a 90° angle, the guide member for abutting a side of a medical apparatus to which the bracket is mounted.
15 . A spring arm bracket comprising:
a first arm having a first abutment surface;
a second arm flexibly connected to the first arm at a base, the second arm having a second abutment surface;
the bracket having a rest condition where the first arm is extended fully from the second arm; and
the bracket having a mounted condition where the first arm is compressed toward the second arm so that a force of about 20-30 pounds is generated at the first and second abutment surface, when mounted.
16 . The bracket of claim 15 wherein the first and second arms are molded as one piece.
17 . The bracket of claim 15 wherein the first abutment surface comprises a C-shaped hand member for clamping onto a pole, and the second abutment surface is a generally L-shaped guide member for engaging a side of a medical apparatus when the bracket is in the mounted condition.
18 . The bracket of claim 15 wherein the second arm includes first and second fingers for engaging a medical device that is mounted onto the bracket between the fingers so that the medical device is mounted adjacent a medical apparatus and a pole, between which the bracket is compressed.
19 . The bracket of claim 15 further comprising a third arm portion for providing a second finger that is adjacent a first finger of said second arm that clamps to a medical device disposed between the first and second finger.
20 . A method of mounting a medical device to a medical apparatus comprising the steps of:
providing a spring arm bracket having a first and second arm forming spring arms and the second arm having clamping fingers;
inserting the bracket between a pole and the medical apparatus in order to compress the spring arms;
generating an outward force by the spring arms due to the compression between the pole and the medical apparatus;
maintaining the bracket in a vertical position; and
inserting a medical device between the clamping fingers so that the medical device is maintained in a position adjacent the medical apparatus.
21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:
attaching tubes between the medical device and a dialysis machine.