US3403677A - Combined fluid supply apparatus and surgical drape support - Google Patents

Description

C. A. STRUVE Oct. 1, 1968 COMBINED FLUID SUPPLY APPARATUS AND-SURGICAL DRAPE SUPPORT Filed Oct. 22, 1965 ATTORNEY .5

United States Patent O 3,403,677 COMBINED FLUID SUPPLY APPARATUS AND SURGICAL DRAPE SUPPORT Clemens A. Struve, 5211 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Tex. 78412 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 502,245 2 Claims. (Cl. 128205) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The fluid supply apparatus and surgical drape support is formed from a single, unitary tube which extends from beneath an impervious drape across the face of a patient to a source of air or other fluid. The portion of this single tube above the patients face is formed with openings to provide fluid to the nose and mouth of the patient while permitting an impervious drape to be maintained in close contact with the sides of the head. Additionally, the lower end of the single tube is shaped to a form which is inserted beneath the patient support to permit the tube to operate as a support for the drape above the patients face.

This invention relates to a breathing tube and particularly to an apparatus used for supplying air or oxygen to a patient undergoing surgery of the eyes, ears, nose or portions of the head, above the nose.

When a patient is underging surgery to the eyes, ears, nose, or other portions of the head above the nose, an impervious plastic drape which adheres to the skin is often used to shield the sterile area from the nose and mouth. With the impervious plastic drape covering the nose and mouth, despite the fact that they may be receiving a suflicient supply of oxygen, patients often feel they are experiencing difliculty in breathing.

With the present invention, the plastic or other impervious air-proof material is held away from the patients face, allowing a jet of air or oxygen to be supplied to the patient which is very comforting and reassuring to a patient who is apprehensive about having his mouth and nose covered while under local anesthesia and during surgery.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for impervious drapes used in surgery so as to keep a portion of the impervious drapes suspended and out of contact with the patients nose and mouth.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device which supplies fluid to a patient under an impervious drape.

It is another object of the present invention to furnish a jet of fluid to the face of the patient, beneficial to the patients mood.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which accomplishes the aforementioned objectives and at the same time allows complete freedom and flexibility of the patient during surgery.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent upon reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the invention taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the nozzle of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the apparatus of the invention is comprised generally of a length of tubing 10, formed of copper, or the like. A portion of the tubing is formed into a base 12 which 3,403,677 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 can be inserted between the mattress pad 14 and the operating table 16 supporting a patient 18.

One end of the tubing 20 forming the base 12 is connected to a source of air or oxygen supply 22. The opposite end of the tubing 24 is curved upward and over the patient 18 in the vicinity of the patients chest or shoulders.

A right angle 25 then directs the tube toward the nose and mouth of the patient, in which area the tube is looped forming a circle 26 above the nose and mouth of the patient.

As can be more readily seen in FIG. 3, the terminal end 28 of the tube is crimped shut and a plurality of holes 30 are formed on the inside of the circular portion of the tube forming a nozzle so that when oxygen or air under pressure is furnished to the tube it is emitted through the holes 30 into contact with the nose and mouth of the patient.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tube is designed so as to suspend the impervious drapes 8 so that they are out of immediate contact with the nose and mouth of the patient and at the same time the tube is curved so as to avoid the cheek area of the patient.

While the tube of the apparatus may be made of rigid tubing, it is preferable that the tubing possess a degree of flexibility so as to provide an eflicient and swift means of adjustment and so that it may be made adjustable for use with children as well as adults.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described herein, various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for supplying fluid from a fluid supply source to the nose and mouth of a patient reclining upon a support while maintaining an impervious drape in close contact with portions of the patients head below the eyes to protect sterile areas of the patients body from the nose and mouth, comprising a unitary tube having an open end adapted for attachment to said fluid supply source and a closed end, said tube being formed to provide a base section adjacent said open end, a support section adjacent said closed end and a connecting section extending between said base and support sections to maintain said base and support sections in spaced relationship, said support section being of L-shaped configuration and including a first leg adapted to extend transversely to the patient across said support and a second leg formed to extend substantially perpendicular to said first leg and being of a length to extend beneath said drape from a position beneath the chin of said patient to a termination point above the nose and mouth of said patient, said second leg being provided on the underside thereof facing said support With a plurality of fluid exit apertures spaced from the closed end of said tube, and said base section being formed to provide a mounting portion extending away from said connecting section in the directionof extension of said first leg of said support section, said-mounting section being adapted for insertion beneath said support to maintain the second leg of said support section in position above the nose and mouth of the patient.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the end portion of the second leg of said support section adjacent to the closed end of said tube is formed into a substantially circular loop of a diameter suflicient to encircle a portion of a patients face above the nose and mouth, said loop being of a size to permit said drape to be maintained in close contact with the sides of the head of such patient, and said fluid exit apertures being formed in said loop.

(References on following page) References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS i UNITED STATES PATENTS w 988,069 4/1951 France.

2 437 7 9 Kilgore et 1 2 5 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Plifl'ltll)? Examiner.

2 764 152 9 195 b 12g 142 3 5 W. E. KAMM, Assistant Examiner.

Images