INTRAVENOUS PORT CAP

Abstract

An illustrated view of an exemplary port cap for application to a port allowing access to a blood stream is presented. The port cap is useful for eliminating adjustments to the port cap while being transported for chemotherapy, a blood draw and the like. The port cap is useful for sticking or adhering to the port. The port cap is further useful for providing an efficient and effective method for providing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, to the port to prevent sensitivity and to eliminate the need to constantly adjust the port cap while for instance during moving or dressing/undressing.

Claims

1. A port cap for application to a port allowing access to a blood stream, the port cap consisting of: a top; a middle portion, the middle portion configured to be a reservoir, wherein the middle portion for insertion of a numbing agent, wherein the port cap having a circular shape; and a bottom portion, the bottom portion having an adhesive, wherein the adhesive for being securely and removably coupled over a port of a patient's skin.

2. (canceled)

3. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the port cap being made of a flexible material.

4. The port cap of claim 3, wherein the flexible material being latex.

5. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the port cap being clear in color.

6. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the adhesive being a compound material.

7. The port cap of claim 6, wherein the compound material being silicone.

8. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the numbing agent being lidocaine.

9. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the numbing agent being distributed through the bottom portion of the port cap.

10. The port cap of claim 1, wherein the port cap being coupled to the patient for at least one (1) hour prior to chemotherapy or a blood draw.

11. A port cap for application to a port allowing access to a blood stream, the port cap consisting of: a top; a middle portion, the middle portion configured to be a reservoir, wherein the middle portion for insertion of a numbing agent, wherein the port cap having a circular shape, wherein the numbing agent being lidocaine, and wherein the numbing agent being distributed through the bottom portion of the port cap; and a bottom portion, the bottom portion having an adhesive, wherein the adhesive for being securely and removably coupled over a port of a patient's skin, wherein the port cap being made of a flexible material, wherein the flexible material being latex, wherein the port cap being clear in color, wherein the adhesive being a compound material, wherein the compound material being silicone, and wherein the port cap being coupled to the patient for at least one (1) hour prior to chemotherapy or a blood draw.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1A is an illustrated view of an exemplary port cap.

[0013] FIG. 1B is an illustrated side view of the exemplary port cap shown in FIG. 1A.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an illustrated view of a use of the port cap shown in FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

[0016] “Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.

[0017] Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, an illustrated view of an exemplary port cap 100 for application to a port allowing access to a blood stream is presented. The port cap 100 is useful for eliminating adjustments to the port cap 100 while being transported for chemotherapy, a blood draw and the like. The port cap 100 is useful for sticking or adhering to the port. The port cap 100 is further useful for providing an efficient and effective method for providing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, to the port to prevent sensitivity and to eliminate the need to constantly adjust the port cap 100 while moving or dressing/undressing.

[0019] The port cap 100 is preferably circular in shape, however other shapes are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, square, rectangular, oval, etc. The port cap 100 is preferably made of a flexible material, such as latex, however other types of materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, plastic, nylon, etc. The port cap 100 is preferably clear in color, however other colors are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, translucent colors.

[0020] The port cap 100 has a top 110, a middle portion 130, and a bottom 150. The bottom 150, shown in FIG. 1B, has an adhesive 151 applied. The adhesive compound material is preferably made of a silicone material, however other types of materials are hereby contemplated, including, but not limited to, polyurethanes, acrylics, cyanocrylates, etc.

[0021] The middle portion 130 of the port cap 100 is a reservoir. A numbing agent 131 such as lidocaine, benzocaine, pramoxine, dibucaine, tetracaine and the like are inserted into the middle portion 130 of the port cap 100 to be applied to an application area or port of a patient. The numbing agent 131 is distributed through the bottom 150 of the port cap 100.

[0022] Moving now to FIG. 2, an illustrated view of a use of the port cap shown in FIG. 1A is presented.

[0023] A patient 200 has a torso 210. The torso 210 has an upper portion 220, a middle portion 230 and a bottom portion 250. The upper portion 220 of the torso 210 of the patient 200 has a right shoulder 221 and a left shoulder 222.

[0024] A port 300 for access to the blood stream is coupled to the blood stream through the torso 210. The port 300 is configured to be, for this example, in the upper portion 220 significantly near the right shoulder 221 of the patient 200.

[0025] The port cap 100 is configured such that the middle portion 130 of the port cap 100 is centered over the port 300. The bottom 150 is configured to couple to the torso 210 by the adhesive 151, see FIG. 1B. The port cap 100 is preferably applied to the port 300 at least one (1) hour prior to chemotherapy or blood draw.

[0026] In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

[0028] The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0029] Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.