CA2076512A1

CA2076512A1 - Infusion system

Info

Publication number: CA2076512A1
Application number: CA002076512A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michael Alexeus
Original assignee: MEDATA AB
Current assignee: MEDATA AB
Priority date: 1990-12-13
Filing date: 1992-08-20
Publication date: 1994-02-21
Also published as: SE9003987L; SE9003987D0; SE467951B

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An infusion system comprising an infusion bag (1) and an infusion hose (2) which is normally irremovably connect-ed to the bag. As seen from the infusion bag, the system includes a shear pin (3) and a flow indicator, a clamp (4) and a check valve (5) which prevents fluid from flowing back to the infusion bag (1), and an infusion needle (6) which is connected to the free end of the hose (2) and which, in a known manner, is protected by a removable needle guard.

(Figure 1).

Description

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AN INFUSIO~_SYSTEM

The invention relates to an infusion system which is ready for immediate use.

In those cases where the need for medical treatment is acute and where, at the same time, chaos may prevail, for instance during and after a military battle, there 10 i9 a great need for simple and reliable infusion sys-tems. In ba~tle environments, it i~ necessary that less skilled and routined medics, nursin~ attendants and the like are able to administer fir~t-aid, which often involve~ the immediate administration of a fluid by infusion. The infusion systems used must be complete and also disinfected.

Hitharto, infusions have been administered in the battlefield by connecting the necesæary system compo-nents to in~usion bags which are mechanically suspendedor held raised above the injured person by a nursing attendant. It will readily be seen that this infusion method is highly likely to become contaminated when conne~ting together the various system parts or compo~
nents, and that these connections may easily loosen and cause the infusion bag to ~all to a level beneath the injured person, etc., par~icularly in stressPul battle environments, for instance.

The present invention, as defined in the characterizing clauses of respective Claims, provides a safe and reli-able infusion system which can be readily handled and which can, therefore, be effectively used under extreme-ly difficult and str~ssful situations.
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2 2~7~.~12 The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanyiny drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic view of the invention;
Figure 2 illustrates the invention when applied in practice, ~igure 3 illustratas schematically a known part of the inventive sys~em; and Figure 4 illustrates another part of the inventive system.

~he illustrated inventive system is comprised of an infusion bag 1, a shear pin or break pin 3 which is fitted in a hose connection and which also functions as a flow indicator, an infusion hose 2 which includes a clamp ~ and a check ~alve 5. Attached ~o the free end of the infusion hose 2 is a Luer cap fitting 7, to which an infusion needle 6 is fitted. In accordance with the invention, the aforesaid components are normally at-tached irremovably to one another, i.e. they cannot beseparated from one another other than by force. The hose connection 11 of the shear pin 3 prefera~ly includes a liquid filter 8 of conventional standards.

The clamp 4 is of conventional "snap-on" kind. An exam~
ple of the check valve 4 is shown in more detail in Figure ~ and, in principle, has the form of a hose length, made of silicone for instance, which is flat-tened at one end 9. The hose material tapers flown to-wards said end and there forms two very thin lips, whichnormally lie one against the other. When fluid flows through the hose, from the right as seen in Figure ~, the lips are forced apart 60 as to allow the fluid to flow freely. Should the pressure prevailing on the le~t of the check valve be higher than the pressure prevail-ing on the right of the valve, the lips will .:, . : : :. ~ ~ . ':

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automatically close the gap defined therebetween, there-with preventing fluid flow from the left as seen in the Figure. The check valve is mcunted in a tubular part 10 connected to the infusion hose 2.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically the shear pin 3 positioned in a tubular connection 11 made of transpar-Pnt, flexible plastic material. The shear pin is config-ure~ with fins which extend in the flow direction and when the infusion system is to be used the shear pin 3 is broken from without with the aid o~ the flexible tubular connection and the broken-off part o~ the pin will function as a flow indicator, as a result of its fin-like configuration. The left end 11, as seen in Figure 3, of the tubular connection 11 shall be attached to ~he infusion bag 1 and its right end shall be con-nected to the infusion hose 2. This type of shear pin is known per se.

Figure 2 illustrates how the infusion system according to the invention can be used withou~ placing the bag 1 on a level above the injured person, such positioning of ~;~
the bag being unsafe, as before mentioned~ As illustrat-ed in Figure 1, the infusion ba~ 1 is placed beneath the injured person, so that the weight of said person gener-ates the infusion-fluid supply pressure. Alternatively, the injured person himself/herself can be instructed to squeeze the bag with his/her hands, when the injury ~uffered by the person so permits.
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In accordanc~ with an alternative embodiment lying within the scope of the inven~ion, the infusion needle may be irremovably a~tached to the infusion hose and the ne~dlq covered with a protective casing 12 when the infusion system is not in use. This provides a complete infusion system.

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~ 2076~1 2 It will be understood from the a~oregoing that the inventive infusion system can be handled and used in the primary stage of treating injured people, for instance at the site of catastrophes, military battles and other instances in which there is a need for medical care and attention on a wide scale prior to the primary surgery level, and will function without the need of suspending the infusion in a fluid-drip position and irrespective of this pos~tion in relation to the injured person. The inventive infu~ion system can also be used by persons who have been trained to administer infusions but which have no particular training on the inventive sys~em. ~he invehtive system also requires the minimum of packaging space.

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Claims

1. An infusion system comprising an infusion bag (1) and an infusion hose (2) which is normally irremovably connected to the bag, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that, as seen from the infusion bag, the system includes a shear or break pin (3), a flow indicator, a clamp (4) and a check valve (5) which functions to prevent fluid from flowing back to the infusion bag (1), and an infu-sion needle (6) which is attached to the free end of the hose (2) and which is protected by a removable needle guard in a known manner.

2. An infusion system according to Claim 1, c h a r -a c t e r i z e d in that the infusion hose (2) also has a known, adjustable flow-regulating valve clamp.

3. An infusion system according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the infusion needle (6) is attached to the end of the hose (2) by means of a Luer cap fitting ( ).

4. An infusion system according to Claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the infusion needle (6) is normally irremovably connected to the end of the hose (2).