BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to medical conduits. More particularly, the present invention relates to tubular members for administering fluids to a patient.

2. State of the Art

Intravenous (IV) administration sets are well-known for the administration of intravenous therapeutic solutions during a medical treatment. In addition, it is common in the medical industry for patients to simultaneously receive multiple intravenous solutions through intravenous tubing that is coupled together and inserted into the patient's veins or arteries at one or more sites on the body either via peripheral or central venous catheters attached to the patient via percutaneous needle insertion sites. The multiple intravenous tubes are long and can become entangled, intertwined or twisted, making it difficult for medical personnel to determine which medication is flowing through which intravenous tube. Also, the several long tubes can create a messy and complicated working environment, especially during a medical procedure. It is particularly problematic during simple or complex anesthesia when patients are covered and the orientation of their intravenous lines changes as a result of modifying patient positioning (for example from supine to prone) and subsequent draping of various parts of the patient. It is important that the extended intravenous lines do not interfere with treatment during a medical procedure and do not become entangled.

SUMMARY

An intravenous (IV) line set includes a clear, flexible IV tubing, a first connector attached at one end of the IV tubing, and a second connector attached at the opposite end of the IV tubing.

The IV tubing has a proximal end, a distal end, and a fluid lumen extending along the tube from the proximal end to the distal end. The fluid lumen has open proximal and distal ends and is intended to remain open and unkinking along its length for passage of a therapeutic agent. The IV tubing is an extrusion preferably consisting of a single polymer.

The first connector is adapted to connect the proximal end of the IV tubing with a source of liquid therapeutic agent. The second connector is adapted to connect the distal end of the IV tubing to a patient-side connector, such that the first and second connectors are adapted to place the source of liquid therapeutic agent and patient in fluid communication through the IV tubing. Adjacent the distal end of the IV tubing, an injection site is provided through which a bolus of treatment may be administered. The administration set may also include a flow interrupt device structured to a controllably interrupt passage of flow through the IV tubing.

In accord with one aspect of the IV tubing, the IV tubing is adapted to be formed into a shape and retain the formed shape. In one embodiment, one or more malleable filaments extend along the length of the IV tubing. The filament is preferably a wire, and more preferably made of aluminum, copper, silver, steel, or iron or another metal or metal alloy that is adapted to be hand-pliable and also adapted to hold its shape without significant springiness or resilience toward prior form. The malleable filament allows the tubing to be self-retained in a coil, and then manually straightened or otherwise shaped as required to extend between a source and a destination without creating tension between the source and destination.

In accord with another embodiment, the IV tubing has a plurality of magnets extending along the length of the IV tubing. When the IV tubing is helically coiled, the magnets are aligned with each other along the periphery of the coil when the coil has a diameter of three or more inches. The magnets are arranged such that when the IV tubing is in a tightly held coiled arrangement, such arrangement is held. However, the magnets are sufficiently weak such that the IV tubing can be manually uncoiled to extend the first and second connectors as the IV tubing between the source location and the destination, such as a patient. Further, the magnets are sufficiently weak such that when the coil is uncoiled, adjacent magnets do not have any operative effect on each other when more than three inches away from each other. Thus, there is no substantial spring-like effect from pulling the intravenous line apart. After the intravenous line is connected at its proximal distal ends, the extra intravenous line can be re-coiled via attraction of the magnets to obtain an orderly working environment for medical personnel. Such re-coil of the intravenous line can be configured about medical equipment to secure and stabilize the location of the intravenous line during the procedure and recovery. The embodiment may be combined and utilized together.

