Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION -
The present invention relates to bandages, and more
particularly to pressure bandages. -
It is a common procedure to aspirate arterial blood
with a needle and syringe to obtain a blood sample. After removal
of the needle from the blood vessel, it is the recommended proce-
dure in a hospital for the attendant, such as a nurse, to apply
pressure to the site for approximately five minutes. Other than
for special patients, pressure is applied to the site not neces-
sarily to prevent bleeding, but to prevent a local hematoma.
Normally blood will pass from the vessel through the ;
puncture site to the skin where it will clot. However, if pres-
sure is not applied to the puncture site, blood will collect sub-
cutaneously, and if contaminated through blood adjacent the skin,
could lead to a local hematoma, resulting in soreness at the ~:
puncture site. In unusual situations, where unattended, the
local hematoma may lead to septicemia, a possible morbid condi-
tion. Thus, pressure is applied to the puncture site to prevent
the subcutaneous collection of blood and local hematoma, without
applying sufficient pressure to cut off circulation of blood.
Certain patients, for example, diabetics and hemophil-
iacs, may continue to bleed if left unattended. Some patients
may be placed on a heparin therapy after cardio-vascular surgery,
and will continue to bleed after aspiration of arterial or venous
blood, samples of which are periodically necessary for analysis.
Sometimes the susceptibility of the patient to excessive bleeding
is unknown, and pressure is applied to the puncture site as a
precaution to determine whether prolonged bleeding will be pres-
ent.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal feature of the present invention is the
provision of a bandage for applying controlled pressure to a
puncture site.
The bandage of the present invention includes an
absorbent pad means for placement over the puncture site, with
the pad means being expansible responsive to wetting by liquid.
The bandage also has means for securing the pad means over the
puncture site and for applying pressure with the pad means
against the site.
A feature of the present invention is that the pad
means applies pressure to the puncture site responsive to bleed-
ing from the site. ~ -
Another feature of the invention is that the amount of
pressure applied by the pad means to the puncture site after
placement is generally proportional to the extent of bleeding
from the site.
~ Yet another feature of the invention is that the band-
age of the present invention eliminates the need for an attendant
to apply digital pressure to the puncture site after aspiration
of blood.
Further features become more fully apparent in the fol-
lowing description of the embodiments of this invention and from
the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS -
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one embodiment of
the bandage of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the bandage
of Fig. l;
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Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a
step in the wrapping of the bandage of Fig. 1 about a patient's
limb;
Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the bandage of Fig. 3 as
wrapped about the patient's limb;
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of another
embodiment of a band for the bandage of Fig. l;
Fig. 6 is an elevational view of another embodiment of
the bandage of the present invention;
Fig. 7 is a plan view, taken partly in section, of
the bandage of Fig. 6 as wrapped on a limb of the patient;
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of another -;
embodiment of a band for the bandage of the present invention;
and
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of another
embodiment of a pad structure for the bandage of the present
invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a pres-
sure bandage generally designated 20 having a flexible band 22and an absorbent pad or pad means 24 secured to one end 26 of
the band by an adhesive bearing tape strip 28. The bandage 20
has a tape strip 30 extending from the other end 32 of the band
22, with a release sheet 34 covering the adhesive on an extend-
ing end portion 36 of the tape strip 30.
The flexible band may be made of any suitable material
elastic or non-elastic, such as Tyvek, a trademark of E. I. du
Pont de Nemours, a nonwoven, or cloth. The band 22 has a length
sufficient to extend around the limb of a patient for a purpose
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which will be described below. The absorbent pad 24 is of the
type which expands responsive to wetting by liquid, such as
blood, and preferably generally proportional to the amount of
wetting which takes place. A suitable pad for the bandage of
the present invention may be a tampon sold by various companies,
such as the tampon Tampax, a trademark of Tampax Corporation or
Kotex, a trademark of Kimberly-Clark Corporation. The inner por-
tion 38 of the pad may be made of a mass of organic fibers, such
as slightly compressed cotton linters, or a compressed mixture
of cotton linters and tubular fibers, such as rayon, and may be
relatively rigid. In the latter case, the cotton linters pro-
vide absorbency to the pad, and the tubular fibers provide spring-
iness to the pad when wetted. Another suitable structure for the
pad may be a compressed synthetic foam or natural sponge material.
Additionally, a compressed dehydrated material, such as cellulose
may be used. The inner portion of the pad may be wrapped with a
cover 40 of a nonwoven material to maintain the structural integ-
rity of the pad. The pad 24 preferably has a cylindrical shape,
but other suitable shapes for the pad may include elliptical, -
rectangular, triangular or polygonal. Where the pad has a planar
surface for facing the patient's skin, the surface preferably
has a relatively narrow width.
After aspiration of blood from a vessel V of a patient's
limb L, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the absorbent pad 24 is placed
over the puncture site S which is defined by the aspirating nee-
dle after removal, and a slight pressure is exerted by the attend-
ant's finger F against the pad 24 over the site S. Next, the
band 22 of the bandage is wrapped around the limb, as indicated
by the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. The attendant's finger
F is removed from the absorbent pad 24 as the band 22 is wound
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over the outer portion of the pad, and the other end 32 of the
band 22 is secured in place on the outer surface of the band
with the tape strip 36, as shown in Fig. 4. ~-
As thus placed, the bandage 20 applies pressure with
the absorbent pad 24 against the puncture site S leading to the
vessel V. Accordingly, the bandage provides an immediate closure
for the puncture site S, and initially may provide sufficient
pressure against the puncture site S to stop bleeding and close
a channel V by counterpressure defined by the puncture at the
site. However, if there is a continued bleeding from the site,
the blood enters the absorbent pad, and the pad expands somewhat
due to the wetting, thus placing additional pressure against the
site, since the band offers more resistance to expansion than
the tissue underlying the skin. Bleeding from the patient and
expansion of the pad 24 may continue until the puncture site is
completely closed, thus stopping the bleeding, as shown in Fig.
4. Moreover, closure of the puncture site by the applied pres-
sure prevents subcutaneous bleeding, and a possible local hema- .
toma resulting from such bleeding, since the counterpressure
extends to the artery itself. After the bandage has been placed,
as described, the attendant may leave the locality of the patient,
and return in approximately five minutes to check and remove the ;
bandage. If the patient is normal, the bleeding will have stopped,
and subcutaneous bleeding and local hematoma will have been pre-
vented. If the patient continues to bleed after removal of the
bandage, the attendant will be apprised that the patient is sus-
ceptible to a bleeding condition, such as hemophilia, and may ~-
take appropriate action such as reapplying the bandage. Accord-
ingly, the pressure bandage of the present invention prevents
the formation of local hematoma, and frees the attendant for
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other duties while pressure is being applied to the puncture
site in a safe manner.
Another embodiment of the bandage of the present inven-
tion is illustrated in Fig. 5, in which adhesive 40 is located
on the band 22 adjacent its other end 32. The adhesive 40 on -
the band is covered by a release sheet 34, which is removed dur-
ing placement of the bandage on the patient's limb, as described
in connection with the bandage of Figs. 1-4.
Another embodiment of the bandage of the present inven-
tion is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, which is particularly usefulfor placement on a limb of larger dimensions where aspiration has
taken place, such as the femoral artery in the thigh. As illus-
trated in Fig. 6, the bandage 20 has an absorbent pad 24, as des-
cribed in connection with Figs. 1-4, and an adhesive bearing tape
strip S0 having a medial portion 52 attached to the pad 24, and
end portions 54a and 54b extending on opposite sides of the pad
24. A pair of release sheets 56a and 56b cover the adhesive on
the tape end portions 54a and b. ~-
In use, the absorbent pad 24 is placed over the punc-
ture site with the appropriate amount of digital pressure, andthe release sheets 56a and b are removed from the end portions
54a and b of the strip 50, after which the end portions 54a and
b are attached to the patient's limb L, as shown in Fig. 7. The
bandage of Figs. 6 and 7 operates in a manner similar to the
bandage of Figs. 1-4 in applying pressure and closing the punc-
ture site to prevent subcutaneous bleeding and local hematoma of
the patient.
Another embodiment of a band 60 for securing the
absorbent pad to the patient is illustrated in Fig. 8, in which
the pad (not shown) is secured to the band intermediate its
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outer ends 62 and 64, or adjacent an end, as desired. The band
has a sufficient length to extend around the limb of the patient,
and has a cohesive material 66 and 68, such as latex, located on
opposed surfaces of the band ends 62 and 64. During placement
of the bandage, the ends of the band are wrapped about the
patient's limb and secured together by the cohesive material 66
and 68 to retain the bandage in place. It is apparent that many
other securing means may be used to retain the pad in position,
such as a tie extending from the pad and having a sufficient
length to extend around the patient's limb, such that the ends
of the tie may be tied together about the limb.
In Fig. 9 there is shown a retaining member 70 having a
recess 72 to receive and hold the pad 24. A band 74 is secured
to a generally planar surface 76 of the retaining member 70
remote the pad 24, such that the retaining member stabilizes the
pad to apply even pressure against the patient when the band is
secured to the patient's limb.
The foregoing detailed description is given for clear-
ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should
be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to
those skilled in the art.
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