Low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff

Abstract

A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff includes: a first sheet formed of flexible material that is impermeable to gas; a second sheet facing the first sheet and formed of flexible material impermeable to gas; a bladder seal joining the first sheet to the second sheet around a perimeter to form an inflatable bladder within the perimeter; port means communicating pneumatically with the bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument; stiffener means contained within the inflatable bladder and formed of gas-impermeable material less flexible than the first sheet, wherein the stiffener means has a stiffener width dimension less than the bladder width dimension and is joined to the first sheet to form a non-inflatable portion of the first sheet; and securing means attached to the non-inflatable portion of the first sheet and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the cuff around the limb at the desired location so that the bladder overlaps upon itself.

1 . A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff, comprising: 
 a first sheet formed of flexible material that is impermeable to gas;    a second sheet facing the first sheet and formed of flexible material impermeable to gas;    a bladder seal joining the first sheet to the second sheet around a perimeter to form an inflatable bladder within the perimeter, wherein the bladder has a bladder width dimension and a bladder length dimension greater than the circumference of a patient's limb at a desired location;    port means communicating with the bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument;    stiffener means contained within the inflatable bladder and formed of gas-impermeable material less flexible than the first sheet, wherein the stiffener means has a stiffener width dimension less than the bladder width dimension and is joined to the first sheet to form a non-inflatable portion of the first sheet; and    securing means attached to the non-inflatable portion of the first sheet and adapted to allow a surgical user to releasably secure the cuff around the limb at the desired location so that the bladder overlaps upon itself.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet by a gas-tight stiffener seal around a stiffener seal perimeter to form the non-inflatable portion within the stiffener seal perimeter.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener means has a stiffener length dimension at least equal to the circumference of the limb at the location and less than the bladder length dimension.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cuff has sides, side edges and first and second ends outside the bladder seal, wherein the cuff includes a tie strap located between the first sheet and the second sheet near the second end and extending from the side edges, wherein the tie strap is non-releasably attached to at least the second sheet, and wherein the tie strap is adapted to assist the surgical user in releasably securing the first end of the cuff.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the cuff has sides, side edges and first and second ends outside the bladder seal, wherein the cuff includes secondary securing means attached to the second sheet near the first end, and wherein the secondary securing means is adapted to allow the surgical user to secure the cuff around the limb independently of the securing means attached to the non-inflatable portion of the first sheet.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the bladder seal is a weld that includes integral marking visible to the surgical user.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the stiffener means is sealed to the first sheet by a weld having integral marking visible to the surgical user.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the securing means is a securing strap attached to the first sheet, wherein the port means passes through the securing strap at a port location, and wherein the port means includes means to prevent detachment by a surgical user of the securing strap from the first sheet near the port location.  
   
   
       9 . A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff, comprising: 
 a first sheet formed of a gas-impermeable material having a predetermined flexibility;    a second sheet formed of a flexible material impermeable to gas;    stiffener means formed of gas-impermeable material having a predetermined stiffener flexibility less than the predetermined flexibility of the first sheet, wherein the stiffener means is located between the first sheet and the second sheet and wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet within a portion of the first sheet;    a bladder seal joining the second sheet to the first sheet around a perimeter enclosing the stiffener means to form an inflatable bladder within the perimeter, wherein the inflatable bladder has a length dimension greater than the circumference of a patient's limb at a desired location;    port means communicating with the inflatable bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the bladder and the tourniquet instrument; and    securing means for securing the cuff around the limb at the desired location so that the bladder overlaps upon itself.    
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the securing means includes a securing strip of velcro-type material non-releasably attached to the first sheet at a strip attachment location and further includes a securing strap of mating velcro-type material attached to the securing strip near a first strap end and releasably attachable by a user to the securing strip near a second strap end to secure the cuff around the limb.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the securing strap is further non-releasably attached to the first sheet at an attachment location away from the inflatable bladder.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the second sheet is non-releasably attached to the first sheet at the attachment location.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the portion has a predetermined area and wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet by a gas-tight seal having a seal area substantially equivalent to the predetermined area of the portion.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet by a plurality of welds located within the portion.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the stiffener means is joined to the first sheet by a gas-tight stiffener seal around a stiffener seal perimeter within the portion to establish a non-inflatable area within the stiffener seal perimeter.  
   
   
       16 . A low-cost disposable tourniquet cuff, comprising: 
 an inflatable bladder having a first bladder side and a second bladder side and a bladder length dimension between first and second bladder ends that is greater than the circumference of a patient's limb at a desired location, wherein the first and second bladder sides extend past the first and second bladder ends;    stiffener means contained within the inflatable bladder and formed of material less flexible than the first and second bladder sides;    port means communicating with the inflatable bladder and releasably connectable to a tourniquet instrument for establishing a pneumatic passageway for pressurized gas between the inflatable bladder and the tourniquet instrument; and    securing means including a securing strip of velcro-type material non-releasably attached to the first bladder side and further including a securing strap of mating velcro-type material extending past the first bladder end and non-releasably attached to the first bladder side at an attachment location past the first bladder end, wherein the securing strap is releasably attachable by a surgical user to the securing strip to secure the cuff around the limb.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  where the first bladder side is further joined to the second bladder side at the attachment location.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein stiffener means is joined to the first bladder side to form a non-inflatable portion of the first bladder side.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  and including a tie strap non-releasably attached to second bladder side at a location past the second bladder end, wherein the tie strap is adapted to assist the surgical user in releasably securing the second end of the bladder.