FIXING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a fixing device for fixing a medical, cosmetic, decorative or other article to the skin of a living being, the fixing device comprising the following features: a) a first retaining element having a first piercing point, which is designed to pierce the skin, b) a second retaining element having a second piercing point, which is designed to pierce the skin, the second piercing point being arranged at a distance from the first piercing point, c) a bridge, to which the first and the second retaining element are fastened, d) a fixing portion, which is connected to the bridge or is part of the bridge, the fixing portion being designed to fix the article that is to be fixed.

Claims

1. A fixing device for fixing a medical, cosmetic, decorative or other article to skin of a living being, comprising: a) a first retaining element having a first piercing tip designed to pierce the skin, b) a second retaining element having a second piercing tip designed to pierce the skin, wherein the second piercing tip is arranged at a distance from the first piercing tip, c) a bridge, wherein the first retaining element and the second retaining element are each fastened to the bridge, d) a fixing portion connected to or which is part of the bridge, wherein the fixing portion is designed for fixing an article that is to be fixed to the skin.

2. The fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing device has at least one basic state in which the fixing device is made available by a manufacturer or which is present at least before a first use of the fixing device for fixing the article to the skin, and the fixing device has at least one use state which is different from the basic state and which is present at least during fixing of the fixing device to the skin.

3. The fixing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first retaining element and the second retaining element, when the fixing device is at least in the basic state and/or at least in the use state, are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

4. The fixing device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fixing device has a protective mechanism by which, at least when the fixing device is in the basic state, the first piercing tip and the second piercing tip are protected against being touched.

5. The fixing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fixing device is configured such that protection provided by the protective mechanism against touching the first piercing tip and the second piercing tip, is canceled in the use state.

6. The fixing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the protective mechanism is configured to be automatically activatable upon removal of the fixing device from the skin.

7. The fixing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the fixing device is configured to have a final state which is present at least after removal of the fixing device from the skin, wherein, in the final state, the first piercing tip and the second piercing tip are protected by the protective mechanism against being touched or are protected by a further protective mechanism against being touched.

8. The fixing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the fixing device is configured such that the final state can be automatically adopted upon removal of the fixing device from the skin.

9. The fixing device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the protective mechanism has at least one first protective cap which surrounds the first piercing tip when the fixing device is in the basic state, and/or the protective mechanism has a second protective cap which surrounds the second piercing tip when the fixing device is in the basic state.

10. The fixing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first protective cap is mounted so as to be longitudinally movable relative to the first retaining element, and/or the second protective cap is mounted so as to be longitudinally movable relative to the second retaining element.

11. The fixing device as claimed in claim 9 wherein the first protective cap and/or the second protective cap forms at least one fastening element for fixing the article that is to be fixed to the skin.

12. The fixing device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the protective mechanism has a spring mechanism formed with at least one spring, wherein the at least one spring has a higher spring pretension when the fixing device is in the use state than when the fixing device is in the final state.

13. The fixing device as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a securing mechanism by which the fixing device is secured in the basic state against direct application in the use state, wherein securing provided by the securing mechanism has to be canceled by a user in order to bring the fixing device to the use state.

14. The fixing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fixing portion is arranged on a side of the bridge facing toward the first piercing tip and the second piercing tip.

15. The fixing device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a receiving space between the first retaining element and the second retaining element, for receiving the article that is to be fixed o the skin.

16. The fixing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fixing device or the bridge is arch-shaped and/or U-shaped.

17. The fixing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first retaining element and/or the second retaining element are mounted so as to be pivotable and/or longitudinally displaceable relative to the bridge.

Description

[0054] The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of illustrative embodiments and with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a fixing device in the basic state,

[0056] FIG. 2 shows the fixing device according to FIG. 1 in the use state, and

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a fixing device in the basic state or in the final state.

[0058] The drawings show the fixing device schematically. The following elements can be seen: [0059] 1 fixing device [0060] 2 bridge [0061] 7 fixing portion [0062] 8 receiving space [0063] 9 article to be fixed [0064] 10 skin [0065] 20 central region [0066] 21 first side region [0067] 22 second side region [0068] 31 first retaining element [0069] 32 second retaining element [0070] 41 first piercing tip [0071] 42 second piercing tip [0072] 51 first protective cap [0073] 52 second protective cap [0074] 61 first spring mechanism [0075] 62 second spring mechanism [0076] 91 first fixing tab [0077] 92 second fixing tab

[0078] FIG. 1 shows the fixing device 1 in the basic state. The final state, adopted after use of the fixing device 1, can in turn correspond here to the basic state. It will be seen that, on the bridge 2, the first protective cap 51 is arranged in a recess in the first side region 21. The first retaining element 31 with the first piercing tip 41 is arranged inside the first protective cap 51. The first protective cap 51 completely surrounds the first piercing tip 41, such that the latter does not protrude outward. The first retaining element 31 is connected to the bridge 2 or the first side region 21 via the first spring mechanism 61. The second protective cap 52 is arranged in a recess in the second side region 22 of the bridge 2. The second retaining element 32 with the second piercing tip 42 is arranged inside the second protective cap 52. The second protective cap 52 completely surrounds the second piercing tip 42, such that the latter does not protrude outward. The second retaining element 32 is connected to the bridge 2 or the second side region 22 via the second spring mechanism 62.

[0079] The first side region 21 is connected to the second side region 22 via the central region 20. At the side of the bridge 2 facing toward the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42, the bridge 2 has the fixing portion 7, which is shown with dashed lines. The fixing portion 7 serves for fixing the article 9 that is to be fixed, by means of the article 9 that is to be fixed being received in a receiving space 8 between the first and the second retaining element 31, 32. The fixing portion 7 can also be designed with a substantially different shape than that shown.

[0080] The first protective cap 51 is arranged longitudinally displaceably in the recess of the first side region 21. The second protective cap 52 is arranged longitudinally displaceably in the recess of the second side region 22. This longitudinal displaceability means that, during the use of the fixing device 1, it is possible for the protective caps 51, 52 to be displaced rearward (or upward in the view shown in the figures), such that the piercing tips 41, 42 are exposed. This is shown in FIG. 2.

[0081] In FIG. 2, the fixing device 1 is already fastened to the skin 10 of a living being. As can be seen, the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42 have penetrated the surface of the skin 10 and are anchored therein. The first and the second protective cap 51, 52 are now displaced in an upward direction. The article 9 that is to be fixed is located in the receiving space 8 and is therefore arranged between the skin 10 and the fixing portion 7, for example clamped between them.

[0082] If, as is shown in FIG. 2, the article 9 that is to be fixed has a first and a second fixing tab 91, 92, respectively, it is possible to obtain additional fixing to the skin, by means of the first protective cap 51 or the first side region 21 exerting a compressive force on the first fixing tab 91 and/or by means of the second protective cap 52 or the second side region 22 exerting a compressive force on the second fixing tab 92.

[0083] When the fixing device 1 is removed again from the skin 10, the protective mechanism is activated again via the first and the second protective cap 51, 52, i.e. the first and the second protective cap 51, 52 move downward again, such that they cover the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42. The fixing device 1 can then look again as it does in FIG. 1.

[0084] Alternatively, the fixing device 1 can also be realized without the first protective cap 51 and/or the second protective cap 52, or entirely without a protective mechanism. Alternatively, it is also possible that, in the basic state, protective caps are fitted over the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42, from below as shown in the figures. These protective caps adjoin the first and the second side region 21, 22 but do not penetrate into the interior of the first and the second side region 21, 22. Before the fixing device 1 according to the invention is used, these protective caps have to be removed manually by the user.

[0085] FIG. 3 shows a further design option for protecting against the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42 being touched. In this case, the first and the second retaining element 31, 32 are each pivoted toward each other, such that the respective piercing tip 41, 42 is arranged in a cavity present inside the central region 20 of the bridge 2, and in this way the user is protected against touching the piercing tips 41, 42. For this purpose, the fixing portion 7 is designed such it allows the retaining elements 31, 32 to pass through, e.g. by means of the fixing portion 7 having a slit-shaped elongate recess. The retaining elements can fold in or out through this recess. In addition, the side regions 21, 22 are provided with such a recess on their respective side facing toward the fixing portion 7.

[0086] The pivoting of the first and the second retaining element 31, 32 can be effected, for example, via the respective spring mechanism 61, 62, i.e. an automatic pivoting is possible through the spring force of the respective spring mechanism 61, 62. When the fixing device 1 is removed from the skin 10 again, the first retaining element 31 and the second retaining element 32 pivot automatically to the position shown in FIG. 3 under the spring force of the respective spring mechanism.

[0087] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, it is possible to do without the protective caps 51, 52. Alternatively, the protective caps 51, 52 can initially be present at least in the basic state, but they can then be removed at least in the final state, which is shown in FIG. 3. The protective caps 51, 52 can be removed by the user, for example, when the use state according to FIG. 2 is adopted.

[0088] Alternatively, the view according to FIG. 3 can also represent the basic state of the fixing device 1. This is possible in particular in an embodiment of the fixing device 1 without the protective caps 51, 52. In this case, the fixing device 1 is made available already in the state which is shown in FIG. 3. In this case, the first retaining element 31 and the second retaining element 32 first have to be moved by manual pivoting to the mutually parallel position, as can be seen from FIG. 2, in order then to fasten the fixing device 1 to the skin 10 by piercing the skin by means of the first and the second piercing tip 41, 42. In this way, for example, a securing mechanism can be created for the fixing device 1.

[0089] If the fixing device 1 is designed with the protective caps 51, 52 and with the pivotability of the first and the second retaining element 31, 32, the protective caps 51, 52 can, for example, have recesses (slits) which each extend in the longitudinal direction and through which the respective retaining element 31, 32 can be pivoted.

[0090] Alternatively or additionally, the protective caps 51, 52 can also be arranged to be rotatable about their own longitudinal axes in the recesses of the side regions 21, 22. If the protective caps now have recesses (slits) which each extend in the longitudinal direction and through which the respective retaining element 31, 32 can be pivoted, the latter can then only be pivoted when the recesses (slits) are located in a defined position in the direction of the inner side of the fixing device 1, because the retaining elements 31, 32 automatically tend to pivot inward to the position shown in FIG. 3 through the spring force of the respective spring mechanism 61, 62. By active rotation of the protective caps 51, 52, it is now possible to control whether the position of the retaining elements 31, 32 shown in FIG. 3 is intended to be reached. The corresponding position of the protective caps 51, 52 with respect to their own longitudinal axis can be made visible to the user, for example on the side of the protective cap 51, 52 facing the user, by a graphic marking.

[0091] Alternatively or additionally, the effect whereby the retaining elements 31, 32 are pivoted automatically to the position shown in FIG. 3 can already arise upon removal of the protective caps 51, 52. If the protective caps 51, 52 surround the retaining elements 31, 32, they in fact prevent the latter from being pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 3 when the recesses (slits) of the protective caps 51, 52 are either not located in the (inward) direction, in which the spring force of the respective spring mechanism 61, 62 pulls the retaining elements 31, 32, or the protective caps 51, 52 have no recesses (slits) at all. On account of their dimensions, the protective caps 51, 52 themselves cannot be pivoted.

[0092] When the fixing device 1 is located on an article 9 that is to be fixed, the position of the retaining elements 31, 32, as shown in FIG. 3, is not reached even in the absence of the protective caps 51, 52, since the article 9 to be fixed now lies between the retaining elements 31, 32 and so prevents this. However, since the spring force of the respective spring mechanism 61, 62 causes the retaining elements 31, 32 to tend to the position as shown in FIG. 3, the fixing of the article 9 that is to be fixed in further reinforced. The article 9 that is to be fixed is as it were additionally grasped or clamped by the retaining elements.

[0093] For the same reason, however, the automatic activation of the protective mechanism ensures that the protection against touching is also automatically restored if, without being noticed, the fixing device 1 comes loose from the skin of the living being.