US3051179A - Tourniquet - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1962 R. A. DWYER 3,051,179

TOURNIQUET Filed July 15, 1959 5,551,179 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 n l le 1 3,051,179 TOURNIQUE'I Russell A. Dwyer, Wolverine, Mich. Filed .lilly 15, 1959, Ser. No. 827,306 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-327) This invention relates to tonrniquets and, in particular, to tourniquets used in association with intravenous needle manipulation.

One object of this invention is to provide a tourniquet which is quickly and easily applied to the limb where blood flow is to be retarded or interrupted, yet which does not -pinch the skin or ilesh and which does not produce bruises or wounds therein.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing character which as a result of its novel construction automatically produces a snubbing or locking action upon the tourniquet band yet which by a simple mo-tion of the hand instantly lrelaxes the snubbing or locking action so as to release the tourniquet band and re-establish the flow of blood either partially or wholly, as desired.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing character in which the tourniquet band can be tightened or released by the use of one hand so that the operator is enabled to employ his other hand for the manipulation of the intravenous needle.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing character wherein the operator may gradually release the tourniquet band and accordingly gradually release the pressure of blood, so as to re-establish the flow gradually rather than suddenly, as in prior tourniquets in which the tourniquet band is abruptly released.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of an improved tourniquet according to one form of the present invention, in its band-snubbing or locking position, :but with the 'free ends of the tourniquet band cut away in cross-section to show the snubbing groove 4and slot construction more clearly, and with the limb to which the tourniquet is applied shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE l, with the tourniquet handle pulled by the band into band-snubbing or locking position;

FIGUR-E 3 is a cross-section similar to FIGURE 2, but With the tourniquet handle turned into band-releasing position; and

IFIGURE 4 is a cross-section similar to FIGURE 2,- but showing a modicataion of the invention.

Hitherto, the use of tourniquets has been ordinarily attended with discomfort to the patient arising from the fact that the skin or flesh of Ithe limb to which the tourniquet was applied was pinched =by pulling the skin'against the handle or other locking device, particularly when the locking device contained relatively sharp edges. Furthermore, such prior tourniquets could not be conveniently manipulated with one hand of the operator but only by the use of both hands. This has been particularly disadvantageous where the tourniquet has been used in connection with intravenous needle manipulation, such as for intravenous feeding, blood transfusions and the like. As a result, the physician, nurse or other operator has been handicapped in the manipulation of the needle by this necessity of having to employ both hands for the adjustment of the tourniquet. Finally, the tension of the tourniquet yband in prior tourniquets could not conveniently be released without employing both hands, and, when so released, permitted an abrupt release of the blood pressure with a consequent sudden surge of the blood and a resultant strain on the heart and other parts of the circulatory system.

The tourniquet of the present invention eliminates these disadvantages by providing a tournique which can be adjusted with .one hand, leaving the other hand free for the manipulation of the needle, yet without causing any pinching of the skin or ilesh of the patient. Moreover, the tourniquet of the present invention has an automatic selfsnubbing action on the band or cable which automatically locks the tourniquet band in its attained position merely by releasing the tourniquet handle. Finally, the tourniquet of the present invention enables the tension of the tourniquet band to be released gradually, and with lthe use of only one hand of the operator, thereby ite-establishing the ow of blood in a gradual manner without abrupt action or sudden surge and consequently without strain upon the heart or circulary system. Y

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE l shows a limb L, such as the arm of a patient, to which has been applied a tourniquet, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention. The tourniquet 10 consists generally of an elongated operating member or rod 12 and a resilient or elastic flexible band or cable or limbconstricting element 14 by which the constricting action is applied to the limb L. In FIGURES l and 2, the tourniquet 10 is shown with the operating member 12 and band 14 in a snubbed or locked position wherein the tension of the band 14 is temporarily held constant by the automatic snubbing and self-locking action inherent in the construction of the invention. The band 14 is preferably of elastic deformable material of the elastomer group of materials, such as natural or synthetic rubber or compositions thereof, or of resilient synthetic plastic material. When it is in position on the limb L, or adjusted ready to be `applied thereto, the .band 1'4 has a loop or bight 1'6 with perpendicular intermediate portions 18 and Ztl passing through the operating member 12, and terminating in free end portions 22 and 24 respectively (-FIG- URE 2).

' The -band 14, as shown in FIGURE l, is of elongated approximately rectangular cross-section and its intermediate portions `18 and 20 pass through a pair of openings in t-he apertured yforward end portion -34 of the operating member 12 consisting of .a notch 26 and slot 28 respectively which they snugly Ibut slidably fit. The mouths 25 and 27 of the notch 26 and slot 28 respectively have substantially sharp corner edges 29 and 31 which cooperate in performing the snubbing action.

' The operating member 12 is of elongated cylindrical shape with a cylindrical outer surface and a handle portion 30, and has its `center line or longitudinal axis 32 disposed substantially perpendicular to the medial plane of the loop or bight v16. The operating member 12 is preferably made from synthetic plastic material because of the ease .of sterilization, `and for convenience and visibility is preferably made from transparent -synthetic plastic matcrial. The notch 26 is located to one side of the handle portion 30 and spaced transversely of the center line or longitudinal axis 32 of the cylindrical operating member 12 in the apertured forward end portion 34 of the operating member 12. The notch 26 extends toward the forward end 35 thereof from an open recess 36 having a ilat :bottom surface 38 which extends the entire length of the recess 36 and the notch 26 communicating therewith. A tongue 40 extends over the notch 26 approximately halfway over the 'length of the bottom surface 38 so as to terminate at 42 at `approximately the outer edge of the tourniquet band portion 18 While the inner edge is against the inner end `44 of the notch 26, leaving a gap 46 between the tongue end 42 and the recess end '4S of slightly greater width than the width of the hand 14. The slot 28 is located on the opposite Iside of the center line or axis 32 from the notch 26 and is approximately parallel to the notch 26 (FIGURE 2).

In the operation of the tourniquet of the present invention, let it be assumed that the `free end portions -22 and 24 of t-he tourniquet Vband 14 have been inserted through their Yrespective notch 26 and slot 28 and pulled to the point |where the loop or bight 16 is of approximately the size of theportion of the limb L to-which it is to be applied. The operator then grasps the handle portion 30 of the :operating member 12 and pulls the 4loop 16 over the limb L to the position at Iwhich he wishes to apply the band 14, whereupon he pulls further on the lfree end portion 22'to tighten or constrict the loop 16 against the limb L, at the same time turning the handle portion 30 of the operating member 12 as shown in yFIGURE 3 so as to straighten out the previous perpendicular relationship .between the loop 16 and intermediate portion 18 from approximately right angles to an obtuse angle (FIGURE 3), thereby reducing the snubbing or locking action upon the intermediate portion 18 at the corner edge portion 29 of the notch mouth 25. At

the same time, the previous right angle at the corner edge 31 becomes an acute angle with enhanced locking or snubbing action upon the ' band portions 16 and 20. The result of this is that the free end portion 22 of the loop or bight 16 of the band 12 now slides easily and smoothly through the notch 26 so long as the operating member 12 is held in the position of FIGURE 3 to which it has been rotated counterclockwise as shown by the single-headed arrow 50. The loop 16 may -thus be enlarged or contracted in this partly-rotated position of the operating member 12 (FIGURE 3) merely by pulling on the free end 22 or permitting the resilience of the band 16 to pull upon the latter, as indicated lby the double-headed arrow 52 in FIGURE 3.

When the band 14 has been |tightened sulciently to constrict the flow of blood to halt it altogether, depending upon the tightness .of the loop or lblight 16 upon the limb L, the operator releases the handle portion 30 of the operating member 12, whereupon the tension and elasticity of the band loop 16 acting against the inner edges of the notch 18 and slot 20 respectively in opposite directions pulls 4upon the handle 12 in a clockwise direction opposite to that shown by the arrow 50 in FIGURE 3, thereby rotating the handle 12 from the releasing position of FIGURE 3 into the snubbing or locking position of FIGURE 2. Due to the right-angle relationship of the intermediate band portions 18 and 20 at the corner edges 29 and 31 ywith the adjacent portions of the band loop or bight 14, the snubbing action mentioned above immediately and automatically resumes its operation, thereby preventing further slippage of the free end portion 22 of the band 14 through the'notch 26 and consequently locking the loop 16 in its attained position.

If, now, the operator wishes to relax the constricting action of the loop 16, he again turns the operating member 12 counterclockwise, as shown by the arrow 50 in FIGURE 3, thereby permitting a part of the free end portion 22 of the band 14 to .pass through the notch 26, enlarging the loop or bight 16 and consequently relaxing its constricting grip on the limb L. As `a result, the blood flow is again resumed, either partially or wholly, according to Ithe desire of the operator, thereby enabling such resumption to take place gradually without abrupt change and consequently without a sudden strain on the heart or other part of the circulatory system. When the loop 16 has become sutciently enlarged in this manner, the operator releases his grip upon the operating member 12 with the result that if any tension still exists in the loop 16, it again pulls the operating member 12 into the position shown in FIGURE 2, and snubbing again occurs. It, however, the loop 16 is now loose upon the limb L, the operator with one hand can pull the operating member 12 in a direction away trom the limb L, enlarging the Cil loop 16 and enabling the tourniquet '10 to be easily removed from the limb L. These manipulations can be made with the use of but one hand of ythe operator, leaving the other hand free for manipulation of the intravenous needle, if desired. i

The modified tourniquet, generally designated 60, shown in FIGURE 4 is generally similar in construction to that 1 shown in FIGURES l to 3 inclusive, and similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals. The tourniquet 60 diiters only from the tourniquet 10 by the fact that in place of the intermediate portion 20 of the band 14 passing through a slot 28, as in FIGURE 1,- the end portion 62 in FIGURE 4 is secured within a recess 64 of -approximately rectangular cross-section-corresponding to the approximately rectangular cross-section of theV band 14 and either cemented or otherwise anchored in position. This has been done by the insertion of an anchor pin or fastener y66' in a `hole 68 drilled inward from the lforward end 35 of the operating member 12 partway overlapping the recess 64 so as to indent the end portion 62 and by its resiliencefldeform it so as to hold it securely within the recess 64.

The operation of the modiiied tourniquet 60 is similar to that described above in connection with the tourniquet 10 .of FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive, and possesses a similar snubbing or locking action upon the band 14, and similar one-hand manipulation characteristics.

What I claim is:

1. A tourniquet comprising an elongated elastic flexible limb-constricting elemeuthaving opposite end portions and Va limb-constricting loop portion `disposed bet-Ween said end portions, and an elongated operating member having its -longitudinal axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the medial plane of said loop portion, said operating member including a handle portion and an apertured constricting-element-receiving portion disposed axially -from said handle portion, said apertured portion having a pair of openings therein spaced apart from one another in a direction transverse to the center line of said operating member with the mouths of said openings on one side of said apertured portion having snubbing edges therea-t, one of said openings passing through said operating member, one of said end portions of said limbconstricting element passing through one of said openings and the other of said end portions entering the other of said openings with the opposite ends of said loop portion bent sharply at said snubbing edges relatively to said end portions in snubbed locking relationship with said apertured portion.

2. A tourniquet, according to claim 1, wherein the operating member has a longitudinal recess in one side thereof and wherein the through opening comprises a notch extending longitudinally along said opera-ting member from said recess.

3. A tourniquet, according to claim 1, wherein the openings are disposed adjacent one end .of the operating member.

4. A tourniquet, according Vto claim 1, wherein the openings `are disposed approximately parallel to one another on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said operating member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 268,407 Hughes Dec. 5, 1882 1,302,062 McFarlane Apr. 29, 1919 1,379,093 Freeberg 1 May 24, 1921 1,566,235 Sheehan Dec. 15, 1925 1,911,815 Deringer et al. May 30, 1933 1,979,508 Denbel Nov. 6, 1934 2,893,394 'Ihomsen July 7, 1959

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