VENIPUNCTURE SITE PROTECTOR AND METHOD OF USING SAME

摘要

A venipuncture site protector having a slotted securement, which has mounted thereto, a transparent tapered body member defined by a slotted rear wall at its proximal end and a perforated front wall at its distal end. The rear wall and front wall are integrally connected to a flange having a tube receiving slot that is aligned with another tube receiving slot disposed in the rear wall as well as a slot within the slotted securement. The rear wall and the front wall rise up to a dome apex from which an internal wall depends into the interior space of the dome. The internal wall is disposed between the rear wall and the front wall and includes yet another tube receiving slot that is sufficiently wide to receive therein an I.V. tube associated with an I.V. connected catheter but not sufficiently wide to allow the I.V. connected catheter to pass therethrough. The interior wall is disposed at about an angle of 60 degrees relative to the front wall and at about an angle of 30 degrees relative to the rear wall which walls cooperate in facilitating the capture of the I.V. tube at two different points: one point being within a tube-anchoring stop disposed in the internal wall and thus completely enclosed within the internal space of the dome. The internal wall also cooperates with the rear wall to facilitate wedging the I.V. connected catheter in friction tight engagement with internal wall and against the rear wall that functions to limit the distance the I.V. connected catheter can be lifted from a venipuncture site. With the I.V. tubing and the I.V. connected catheter being secured within the interior space of the dome, dislodgment of the I.V. tube and the I.V. connector catheter becomes impossible or at least extremely difficult without first<custom-character file="US20040167475A1-20040826-P00999.TIF" wi="151.6" he="8.4" id="custom-character-00001" alt="text missing or illegible when filed"/>