MEDICAL LINE ANCHORING SYSTEM
An anchoring system includes a simply-structured device which permits a portion of a catheter tube or similar medical article to be easily anchored to a patient, desirably without the use of tape or needles and suturing. A unitary retainer desirably includes a base connected to a cover by way of a flexible hinge. The retainer is attached to a flexible anchor pad including an adhesive bottom surface, which can be attached to the patient's skin. A catheter is secured to a fitting, which in turn mounts to the retainer. Mounting the fitting to the retainer can be accomplished by inserting posts of the retainer through holes of the fitting, or by mounting the fitting within a channel defined by mounting structures integral to the retainer. The cover is then positioned over the base, by bending the flexible hinge, and latched to the base. Several embodiments of the latching mechanism are disclosed. In one form, the latching mechanism includes one or more posts on the base which can be releasably locked into corresponding slotted holes in the cover.
1 . A retainer for securing a medical line having a fitting to the body of a patient, the retainer comprising:
a base that defines a receiving area for receiving a portion of the fitting;
a cover coupled to the base;
means for releaseably latching the cover to the base without substantially moving the received portion of the fitting; and
means for limiting longitudinal movement of the medical fitting in both longitudinal directions relative to the retainer and in a non-occlusive manner, said movement limiting means being located at least partially beneath the cover when the cover is latched to the base.
2 . A retainer as in claim 1 additionally comprising a flexible anchor pad having an adhesive layer on one side, and the retainer is attached to the flexible anchor pad on an opposite side.
3 . A retainer as in claim 1 , wherein the cover is permanently linked to the base.
4 . A retainer as in claim 3 , wherein the cover and the base are integrally formed such that the retainer has a unitary construction.
5 . An anchoring system for securing a medical line to the body of a patient, the system comprising:
a medical line including a fitting; and
a retainer including a base that defines a receiving area for receiving a portion of the fitting of the medical line, a cover coupled to the base, the cover being movable between a closed position, in which at least a portion of the cover extends over at least a portion of the receiving area, and an open position, in which the receiving area is at least partially open, a coupling operating between the base and the cover to releasably connect a portion of the cover to the base with the cover in the closed position and without substantially moving the received portion of the fitting, and interacting structure which is adapted to engage at least a portion of the fitting in a non-occlusive manner and to inhibit longitudinal movement of the fitting through the retainer when the fitting is placed within the receiving area, the interacting structure being located at least partially beneath the cover with the cover in the closed position.
6 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the fitting comprises a wing clamp and a rigid box clamp engaged with the wing clamp, and at least one hole extends through corresponding wings of the box clamp and the wing clamp.
7 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the fitting comprises a rigid clamp having a longitudinal groove sized to receive the medical line.
8 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the cover is smaller than the base.
9 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the cover has a width sufficient to stabilize a section of the fitting located within the retainer.
10 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the interacting structure comprises at least one post extending at least partially between the cover and the base with the cover in the closed position.
11 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the interacting structure includes at least two posts disposed on the base.
12 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the coupling comprises a post extending from the base and a corresponding opening in the cover.
13 . The anchoring system of claim 5 , wherein the interacting structure comprises at least one post disposed on the base and configured to extend into at least one hole of the fitting.
14 . The anchoring system of claim 13 , wherein the post comprises a shaft and a radial extension, the shaft engaging with the fitting and the radial extension engaging with a cover surface with the cover in the closed position.
15 . The anchoring system of claim 13 , wherein the cover has width in a longitudinal direction that is wider than a width of the at least one post.
16 . The anchoring system of claim 13 , wherein the coupling comprises the at least one post and at least one opening sized to receive at least a portion of the post with the cover in the closed position.
17 . An anchoring system for securing a medical article to the body of a patient, the medical article having an irregularly shaped fitting that is non-uniform in its circumference, the anchoring system comprising:
an anchor pad having an upper surface and a lower surface; and
a retainer comprising,
a base being coupled to the anchor pad,
a plurality of irregularly shaped walls extending generally perpendicular to the base and being arranged relative to each other so as to secure the irregularly shaped fitting therebetween, at least a portion of the secured irregularly shaped fitting having a lateral width greater than a distance between said irregularly shaped walls, and
a cover movable coupled to the base so as to move between a first position and a second position at least when the irregularly shaped fitting is not disposed between the irregularly shaped walls, the cover lying above at least part of the base when in the first position.
18 . An anchoring system according to claim 17 , wherein the cover is coupled to the base by a flexible coupling.
19 . An anchoring system according to claim 17 further comprising at least one post arranged between the base and the cover when the cover is in the first position, wherein the post extends generally upward from the base.
20 . An anchoring system according to claim 19 , wherein the cover includes a receptacle for receiving at least a portion of the post when the cover is in the first position.