CATHETER ANCHORING SYSTEM
A catheter anchoring system is provided to securely anchor to a patient's skin a catheter and fluid supply tube interconnection. The anchoring system comprises a retainer configured to receive a catheter adaptor in a variety of positions. The adaptor interconnects the catheter and the fluid supply tube. In one embodiment the adaptor has a radial recess that circumscribes the adaptor. The anchoring system additionally includes a flexible, adhesive anchor pad which can supports a tube clip, as well as the retainer. The retainer includes a channel that is configured to receive the adaptor in a snap-fit manner. The retainer also includes a plurality of laterally arranged projections that extend from a channel wall and into a channel. Each radial recess is sized to receive and to capture at least a portion of the projection of the retainer so as to inhibit the adaptor from moving within the channel.
1 . A retainer for use with a medical article having an extending member projecting therefrom, said retainer comprising:
first and second channel portions which extend about a longitudinal axis and between a proximal end and a distal end, at least one of the first and second channel portions being sized to surround at least a portion of the medical article through an arc of at least 180° about said longitudinal axis, at least one of the channel portions generally having a truncated cross-sectional shape with an opening between the proximal and distal ends, and a gap which lies between said first and second channel portions, said gap being sized so that at least a portion of the extending member extends through at least a portion of the gap.
2 . A retainer as in claim 1 further comprising a flexible anchor pad having an adhesive bottom surface and a top surface, said retainer being disposed on said anchor pad.
3 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the channel portions has a width that tapers along said longitudinal axis.
4 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein the width of the first channel portion tapers from a larger size at a point removed from the gap to a smaller size at a point adjacent to the gap.
5 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein the first channel portion is configured to receive a conical-shaped portion of said medical article so as to inhibit movement of said medical article in a first direction along said longitudinal axis, and wherein said gap is sized to receive said extending member of said medical article so as to inhibit movement of said medical article in a second direction opposite to said first direction and along said longitudinal axis.
6 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein both the first and second channel portions taper along their length, the first channel portion tapering from a larger size width at a point removed from the gap to a smaller size at a point adjacent to the gap, and the second channel portion tapering from a larger size at a point adjacent to the gap to a smaller size at a point farther from the gap.
7 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein the first and second channel portions together comprise a conical tapering channel for receiving a conical-shaped medical article.
8 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein each channel portion is sized to surround at least a portion of the medical article through an arc of greater than 180° about said longitudinal axis.
9 . A retainer as in claim 1 further comprising at least one additional gap arranged next to the other gap along the longitudinal axis so as to provide multiple positions along the longitudinal axis in which to insert the extending member of the medical article.
10 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein said gap has a consistent width measured in a direction along said longitudinal axis for receiving the extending member of the medical article.
11 . An anchoring system comprising:
a medical article having an elongated body extending generally along a longitudinal axis and a side member that projects laterally from the body, the side member having a longitudinal length; and
a retainer having a central channel extending between ends of the retainer, the central channel having an axis which extends along the channel, the channel being interposed between a pair of opposed longitudinal walls, and having a truncated generally circular cross-section with an opening, the retainer having a slot in the longitudinal walls, wherein a distance X between the slot and the end of the retainer is less than a longitudinal distance Y between the side member and the distal end of the retainer so as to provide lateral and transverse stability to the medical article when the side member is positioned in the slot, the opposed longitudinal walls together extending greater than 180 degrees about the axis of the central channel so as to generally circumscribe said central channel on both longitudinal sides of the slot.
12 . An anchoring system as in claim 11 further comprising a series of chamfers disposed at an upper end of said opposed longitudinal walls, each chamfer from said series of chamfers sloping into said slot.
13 . An anchoring system as in claim 11 , wherein the slot extends through both of said opposed longitudinal walls to define a series of slots.
14 . An anchoring system as in claim 13 , wherein at least one slot from said series of slots extends through one of said longitudinal walls, and wherein at least one other slot from said series of slots extends through the other one of said longitudinal walls.
15 . An anchoring system as in claims 14 , wherein the at least one slot is aligned in a lateral direction with the at least one other slot so as to receive portions of the side member in both opposed longitudinal walls at least when the medical article is secured within the retainer.
16 . An anchoring system as in claim 13 , wherein a longitudinal width of said slot measured along said longitudinal axis is slightly greater than the longitudinal width of the side member so as to receive said medical article in said central channel when said side member is received within said series of slots.
17 . An anchoring system as in claim 11 , wherein said retainer further comprises a first portion extending between one of said ends of said retainer and said slot and a second portion extending between said other end of said retainer and said slot, each of the first and second portions having a longitudinal length so dimensioned to be greater than the longitudinal width of the side member.
18 . A securement system for an elongated medical article including a body defined about a longitudinal axis, and a retainer including a first side and a second side that together define a space of sufficient size to receive a portion of the medical article, the retainer receiving at least a portion of the medical article within the space, and a projection extending in a direction generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the medical article, the projection being configured so as to cooperate with the medical article in a manner substantially inhibiting axial motion of the adaptor through the retainer.
19 . A securement system as in claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the retainer has a truncated cross-sectional shape with an opening parallel to the longitudinal axis and said portion is sized to surround at least a part of the adaptor through an arc of greater than 180° about the longitudinal axis.
20 . A securement system as in claim 18 , wherein the projection of the retainer comprises a generally annular ring which extends inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the retainer from the first and second sides.