SECURING DEVICE FOR SECURING AN INFUSION APPLIANCE

Abstract

A securing device for securing an infusion appliance to an infusion container includes a first fastening element, which is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a fastening region of the infusion container, and a second fastening element, which is arranged at a distance from the first fastening element and which is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a fastening region of the infusion appliance. At least one connection element connects the first fastening element and the second fastening element to each other. The securing device can be used for medical infusion and transfusion arrangements.

Claims

1. A securing device for securing an infusion appliance fixed to an infusion container, having a first fastening element, which is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a fastening region of the infusion container, and a second fastening element, which is arranged at a distance from the first fastening element and which is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a fastening region of the infusion appliance, and at least one connection element, which connects the first fastening element and the second fastening element to each other.

2. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fastening elements is designed in such a way that, in a fastened state, it engages around the outside of the respective fastening region at least in part and substantially transversely with respect to the securing direction.

3. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fastening elements is designed in such a way that it is connectable to the respective fastening region with form-fit engagement.

4. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fastening elements has a locking element which is connectable to the respective fastening region with force-fit and/or form-fit engagement.

5. The securing device according to claim 4, wherein the locking element is ring-shaped and has at least one open wall region along its circumferential direction.

6. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fastening elements has a profile which is provided to receive at least one portion of a profile of the respective fastening region.

7. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein the first fastening element is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a neck region of an infusion container configured in the shape of a bottle.

8. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein the second fastening element is designed in such a way that it is connectable to a drip chamber of the infusion appliance.

9. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection element has at least one strut extending between the first fastening element and the second fastening element.

10. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection element is elastically extensible at least in part.

11. The securing device according to claim 1, wherein the first fastening element and the second fastening element and the connection element are formed contiguously in one piece.

12. An infusion arrangement with a drip chamber and/or an infusion container, comprising a securing device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0019] Further advantages and features will become clear from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment set out in the drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a detail of an infusion arrangement in the region of the drip chamber, which is secured using a preferred embodiment of a securing device according to the present disclosure,

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a side view of the securing device from FIG. 1,

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a further view of the securing device from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, along a section line A-A according to FIG. 2, and

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a partially sectioned view of the infusion arrangement together with a securing device from FIG. 1, along a section line B-B according to FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A securing device 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 4 is provided for securing an infusion arrangement 2, as can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4. The infusion arrangement 2, known as such in the field of medical technology, is composed of an infusion appliance 3 and an infusion container 4, wherein for reasons of clarity, the infusion appliance 3 and the infusion container 4 are shown only in part in FIGS. 1 and 4.

[0025] The infusion appliance 3, which is also designated as an infusion system, serves to connect the infusion container 4 to a patient-side access (not shown in any detail) in a manner that allows liquid to be conveyed. For example, in the context of infusion therapy by pressure or gravity, a conveying connection of this kind allows infusion liquid from the infusion container 4 to be introduced into the patient-side access. For this purpose, the infusion appliance 3 has a piercing mandrel arranged at one end, which piercing mandrel 5 is provided for piercing a pierceable region 6 of the infusion container 4. The piercing mandrel 5 has an elongate through-opening 7 by means of which infusion liquid can be conveyed out of the interior of the infusion container 4. Moreover, the infusion appliance 3 has a drip chamber 8 which at one end adjoins the piercing mandrel 5 in the longitudinal direction of the infusion appliance 3 and which is provided to receive infusion liquid drop by drop. In addition, the infusion appliance 3 has a ventilation mechanism 9 arranged between the piercing mandrel 5 and the drip chamber 8, said ventilation mechanism 9 being indicated only schematically in FIGS. 1 and 4. The ventilation mechanism 9 is provided for controlled ventilation of the infusion container 4 during the discharge of infusion liquid. Moreover, the infusion appliance 3 has a fluid line 8a arranged at the outlet side of the drip chamber 8, which fluid line 8a is in the form of an infusion hose and, for reasons of clarity, is shown only in part. In a manner likewise not shown in any detail, the infusion appliance 3 can have an adjustment mechanism operatively connected to the fluid line 8a for the purpose of adjusting the flow of liquid through the fluid line 8a, and a connector piece which is arranged at the outlet side of the fluid line 8a and connects the fluid line 8a to the patient-side access.

[0026] The infusion container 4 of the infusion arrangement 2 is known per se and is configured in the shape of a bottle, with FIGS. 1 and 4 showing only a neck region 10 of the infusion bottle. The infusion container 4 is filled with an infusion liquid 11, as can be seen from FIG. 4. The pierceable region 6 of the infusion container 4 is provided at an elastic stopper 12. The elastic stopper 12 also serves to close the infusion container 4 and seals the latter off in an unpierced state of the pierceable region 6. The elastic stopper 12 is designed in such a way that it can be pierced sufficiently by the piercing mandrel 5 of the infusion appliance 3 from the outside into the interior of the infusion container 4.

[0027] To produce the fluid-conveying connection between the infusion container 4 and the patient-side access which, as has been described above, is not shown in any detail, the piercing mandrel 5 of the infusion appliance 3 is pushed into the pierceable region 6 of the elastic stopper 12 of the infusion container 4. As soon as the elastic stopper 12 has been pierced all the way through by the piercing mandrel 5, a fluid-conveying connection is produced, such that infusion liquid 11 from the interior of the infusion container 4 can be conveyed via the through-opening 7 into the drip chamber 8 and onwards into the fluid line 8a as far as the patient-side access. Here, the infusion appliance 3 and the infusion container 4 are connected mechanically to each other, i.e. fixed relative to each other, by the frictional engagement between the piercing mandrel 5 and the elastic stopper 12, and in this way they form the infusion arrangement 2. The securing device 1 is provided in particular to counteract an unwanted sliding movement of the piercing mandrel 5 out of the elastic stopper 12.

[0028] As can be seen from FIG. 2 among others, the securing device 1 has a first fastening element 13, a second fastening element 14, and two elongate connection elements 15 which connect the first fastening element 13 and the second fastening element 14 to each other. The first fastening element 13 and the second fastening element 14 are arranged one above the other in the longitudinal direction L of the securing device 1 and are substantially coaxial. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the first fastening element 13 and the second fastening element 14 are each ring-shaped and in each case have an open wall region 16 in the circumferential direction, resulting in what is substantially a C-shaped configuration of the fastening elements 13, 14.

[0029] Consequently, a slight elastic expandability of the fastening elements 13, 14 is obtained in a tangential direction. On their radially inner faces, the fastening elements 13, 14 each have a profile 17. These profiles 17 are each configured as a radial groove. In this way, the fastening elements 13, 14 each form a locking element 21, which is provided for producing a force-fit and/or form-fit connection.

[0030] The connection elements 15 of the securing device are each designed as struts 18. These struts 18 each extend, substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction L, from the top of the second fastening element 14 to the underside of the first fastening element 13. Moreover, the struts 18 each have a small wall thickness compared to the fastening elements 13, 14, such that the struts 18 are more easily deformable by comparison. As a result of the band-shaped cross-sectional configuration of the struts 18 as shown in FIG. 3, there is in particular an elastic extensibility of the struts 18 in the longitudinal direction L. Moreover, the first fastening element 13 and the second fastening element 14 and also the struts 18 are formed contiguously in one piece as an injection moulding.

[0031] In order to secure the infusion arrangement 2 by means of the securing device 1, the first fastening element 13 is placed with its open wall region 16 onto the neck region 10 of the infusion container 4, wherein the longitudinal axis L of the fixing device 1 is arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the drip chamber 8. Moreover, the first fastening element 13 is loaded substantially radially with respect to the neck region 10 and widened tangentially in such a way that the first fastening element 13 is pushed in the radial direction completely over the neck region 10 and locks onto the latter. The neck region 10 in this sense forms a fastening region 19 of the infusion container 4. As can be seen from FIG. 4, a form-fit and force-fit connection acts between the profile 17 on the inner face of the first fastening element 13 and a complementary profile 22 formed on the neck region 10. The first fastening element 13 engages externally around a portion of the fastening region 19, substantially transversely with respect to the securing direction F. Moreover, the second fastening element 14 is connected to the drip chamber 8 of the infusion appliance 3. For this purpose, the second fastening element 14 is placed with its open wall region 16 onto a fastening region 20 of the drip chamber 8. Moreover, the second fastening element 14 is loaded substantially radially with respect to the longitudinal direction of the drip chamber 8 and elastically widened in a tangential direction in such a way that the second fastening element 14 is pushed completely over the fastening region 20 and locks onto the latter. The profile 17 formed on the inner face of the second fastening element 14 and in the shape of a groove at least partially receives a substantially complementary profile 23 provided in the shape of a wall projection. In this way, a form-fit and force-fit connection acts between the second fastening element 14 and the drip chamber 8. The second fastening element 14 engages externally around a portion of the fastening region 20, substantially transversely with respect to the securing direction F. As a result of the securing of the infusion arrangement 2 by means of the securing device 1, it is possible to counteract an unwanted removal of the piercing mandrel 5 of the infusion appliance 3 from the elastic stopper 12 of the infusion container 4 along the securing direction F, which substantially corresponds to the longitudinal direction L of the securing device.