Mounting bracket for medical device

Abstract

A mounting bracket is provided for holding a medical device adjacent a medical apparatus. The mounting bracket includes spring arms that allow the bracket to be spring loaded and inserted between a medical apparatus and a pole. The bracket includes fingers for flexibly receiving a medical device thereon, so that the device may be securely mounted adjacent the medical apparatus. The bracket includes a base having the first spring arm and second spring arm extending therefrom.

1 . A bracket comprising: 
 a first pole clamping arm having a concave-shaped hand member;    a second device clamping arm having a pair of resilient clamping fingers; and    the pole clamping arm and the device clamping arm formed as one integral piece.    
     
     
         2 . The bracket of  claim 1  wherein the first pole clamping arm and device clamping arm are joined to form a pair of spring arms.  
     
     
         3 . The bracket of  claim 2  wherein the bracket is mounted between a pole abutting the pole clamping arm and a medical apparatus abutting the device clamping arm and the pair of spring arms exert an outward force against the pole when mounted.  
     
     
         4 . The bracket of  claim 3  which is molded as one piece of a glass filled nylon compound.  
     
     
         5 . The bracket of  claim 3  wherein the device clamping arm includes a guide member protruding therefrom for engaging a side of the medical apparatus and helping to position the bracket in a compressed condition when mounted between the pole and the medical apparatus.  
     
     
         6 . The bracket of  claim 1  wherein the second device clamping arm includes a first finger having a resting surface, and a second finger having a substantially L-shaped clamping surface and the first finger being bendable away from the second finger so that a device may be inserted between the fingers and maintained between a clamping surface and a resting surface.  
     
     
         7 . The bracket of  claim 6  wherein the device is a cylindrically shaped, extracorporeal blood treatment device that is securely held by the device clamping arm.  
     
     
         8 . The bracket of  claim 6  wherein the first finger and second finger each include an arm portion that join each finger to a base, and each arm portion extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base and each arm portion extends substantially longitudinally to the other.  
     
     
         9 . The bracket of  claim 8  wherein the first pole clamping arm extends from the base.  
     
     
         10 . The bracket of  claim 8  wherein the hand member is a generally C-shaped member that includes a circumference of between approximately 90 to 180°.  
     
     
         11 . The bracket of  claim 10  wherein a strut is attached to the second device clamping arm, the strut extending at least partially parallel to a bisecting line that extends across an opening of the hand between a proximal point and a distal point on the C-shaped member, so that applying pressure on the strut will direct an angular clamping force on the C-shaped member in order to easily clamp the bracket to a pole.  
     
     
         12 . The bracket of  claim 8  wherein the hand member is generally V-shaped.  
     
     
         13 . The bracket of  claim 8  wherein the pole clamping arm is clamped to a pole carried by a medical apparatus, the pole extending parallel to the side of the medical apparatus, and guide member on said bracket having an L-shape to engage said medical apparatus.  
     
     
         14 . The bracket of  claim 1  further comprising a guide member protruding from the device clamping arm at approximately a 90° angle, the guide member for abutting a side of a medical apparatus to which the bracket is mounted.  
     
     
         15 . A spring arm bracket comprising: 
 a first arm having a first abutment surface;    a second arm flexibly connected to the first arm at a base, the second arm having a second abutment surface;    the bracket having a rest condition where the first arm is extended fully from the second arm; and    the bracket having a mounted condition where the first arm is compressed toward the second arm so that a force of about 20-30 pounds is generated at the first and second abutment surface, when mounted.    
     
     
         16 . The bracket of  claim 15  wherein the first and second arms are molded as one piece.  
     
     
         17 . The bracket of  claim 15  wherein the first abutment surface comprises a C-shaped hand member for clamping onto a pole, and the second abutment surface is a generally L-shaped guide member for engaging a side of a medical apparatus when the bracket is in the mounted condition.  
     
     
         18 . The bracket of  claim 15  wherein the second arm includes first and second fingers for engaging a medical device that is mounted onto the bracket between the fingers so that the medical device is mounted adjacent a medical apparatus and a pole, between which the bracket is compressed.  
     
     
         19 . The bracket of  claim 15  further comprising a third arm portion for providing a second finger that is adjacent a first finger of said second arm that clamps to a medical device disposed between the first and second finger.  
     
     
         20 . A method of mounting a medical device to a medical apparatus comprising the steps of: 
 providing a spring arm bracket having a first and second arm forming spring arms and the second arm having clamping fingers;    inserting the bracket between a pole and the medical apparatus in order to compress the spring arms;    generating an outward force by the spring arms due to the compression between the pole and the medical apparatus;    maintaining the bracket in a vertical position; and    inserting a medical device between the clamping fingers so that the medical device is maintained in a position adjacent the medical apparatus.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising the steps of: 
 attaching tubes between the medical device and a dialysis machine.