Safety device for clamp for medical solution administration systems
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to safety devices and safety methods and in particular to safety devices for use in the medical profession. Specifically, it relates to safety devices and safety methods for medical solution administration systems. 
     In the prior art, numerous methods of clamping medical solution lines have been used. Some have merely been common pinch type clamps, other have had the capability of providing a partial clamping action to control the solution flow (varying from full flow to complete cut-off), None of these clamps have had any safety device connected with the clamp. 
     The present invention is designed to provide a device and method to assure safety in medical solution administration system for continuous intravenous therapy. From time to time there have been reported instances of near catastrophes in the administration of medical solutions. 
     Most present day clamps operate somewhat similarly. A wheel or roller-like element of the structure is moved by a finger or thumb of the operator up and down an inclined plane in order to wedge or squeeze a small tube. This squeezing compresses the tubing as the roller moves downward on the inclined plane and decompresses the tubing as the roller moves upward on the inclined plane. At various points between fully closed and fully open, the tubing has a relative graduated opening for adjusted flow. In other clamps, a roller operating on a more or less straight track merely closes or opens the passageway in the tubing. The roller may have short axle-like projections on each side and operate in track-like slots. 
     In any event, these clamp devices are subject to operation without any safety device to interrupt the operator or face the operator to take deliberate action to operate the clamp. Thus, in a plurality of medical solution administration lines to a patient, or even just a single such line to a patient, a medical attendant has no deterring force to cause the attendant to observe what line is selected or what adjustment is made. Merely reaching out and making an adjustment to a line could prove disastrous, perhaps fatal. 
     In the present invention the medical attendant is forced to deliberately remove the safety flap or cover and in so doing has the opportunity to observe the label on the line selected. Thus, a margin of safety is injected into the operation of the medical solution administration system. 
     The clamps are usually inserted on the tubing between the drip chamber from the medical solution supply and the injection structure at the injection site on the patient. 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method to induce safety into the routine of medical attention to the operation of medical solution administration systems. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a safety device to force deliberate action by a medical attendant in operating a medical solution administration system. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety device to force deliberate attention by a medical attendant in selecting a medical solution line for ajustment in a medical solution administration system. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a safety device that can be secured in place on the clamp structure of the medical solution administration system. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a typical clamp of the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a sideview of a typical clamp of the prior art; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a labeled safety flap on a clamp; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a labeled safety flap on a clamp; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial side view and sectional view of a first embodiment of a retaining means on a safety flap; and 
     FIG. 6 is a partial side view and sectional view of a second embodiment of a retaining means on a safety flap. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a typical clamp of the prior art is shown at 10 for a medical solution administration system. 
     In FIGS. 3 and 4, a safety flap on a typical clamp is shown at 22 for a medical solution administration system. 
     There are variations in the existing clamps, but most have the structures for typical clamps 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for the prior art. In the prior art clamps 10, they are composed of a typical body 12 and a typical roller 14 that is held in and rolls up and down in a track-way within the body 12. As the roller 14 is rolled upward or downward in the track-way in the body 12, it compresses or decompresses the tubing 16 to control the flow of the medical solution passing through. 
     The tubing 16 is shown coming from the medical solution supply point at 18 in FIG. 1 and the tubing 16 is shown extending toward the patient at 20. The clamp 10 is normally placed on the tubing 16 of the medical solution administration system between the drip chamber (not shown) of the medical solution supply point at 18 and the injection structure (not shown) at the injection site on the patient at 20. 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a typical clamp with safety flap or cover is shown at 22. The safety flap or cover 30 is shown attached to a typical clamp body 24 by a hinge means 32. The safety flap or cover 30 can be seen covering the typical roller flow control 26 in the body 24. A label 34 is shown on the exterior side of the safety flap or cover 30. 
     The tubing 28 passes through the body 24 and under the roller 26 in the usual way. Arrows in FIGS. 3 and 4 indicate the direction of flow of the medical solution through the clamp with safety flap or cover 22. 
     It is to be noted that the clamp portion of the typical clamp with safety flap or cover 22 is similar to typical clamp 10 of the prior art. The structures of the clamps are also similar (body 12 and body 24, roller 14 and roller 26, and tubing 16 and tubing 28 passing through the clamps). 
     The flap or cover 30 may be of any suitable material, normally a material the same as the clamp body 24. The hinge means 32 may be a separate hinge or a hinge means that is integral with the flap or cover 30, or it may be integral with and monolithically formed or molded with both the flap or cover 30 and the clamp body 24. 
     Where the hinge means 32 is separate it may be suitably attached to the flap or cover 30 and the clamp body 24 by an adhesive or other suitable means. 
     Where the hinge means 32 is integral with the flap or cover 30 it may be suitably attached to the clamp body 24 by an adhesive or other suitable means. 
     It is to be undestood that other methods of providing a hinge means 32 is within the scope and intent of this invention. 
     The label 34 may be tape-like material adhesively attached to the flap or cover 30, on which the medical solution being used in the medical solution administration system may be written by the administering physical or medical attendant. The area of the label 34 on the flap or cover 30 may also be of a surface finish on which it is possible to write with pen or pencil as hereinbefore mentioned for the tape-like material. 
     It is to be understood that other methods of providing a label 34 on the flap or cover 30 is within the scope and intent of this invention. 
     Thus, in order for a medical attendant to adjust the flow of the medical solution flowing through the tubing 28, the medical attendant must first deliberately raise or lift the flap or cover 30 in order to operate the roller 26 in the body 24, instead of merely reading and making the adjustment. Thus, the added attention will induce added care, or safety, in making the adjustment. 
     It is to be noted that the configuration of the flap or cover 30 may be varied in size or shape as long as the flow control mechanism is covered. Such variations in the configuration are within the scope and intent of this invention. 
     A further safety measure is added in that the medical attendant is induced to read the label 34 to assure that the correct line 28 has been selected, particularly where may be a plurality of tubing lines 28. 
     As a further safety measure, the flap or cover 30 may have a snap-type fastening at the end as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. 
     A first embodiment of a snap fit is shown in FIG. 5 where the flap or cover 36 has the free end turned or bent at 90° with a lip 42 on the end of the turned or bent portion. The lip 42 snaps over a companion lip 40 on the end of the clamp body 38. Thus, a medical attendant must positively take deliberate action to unsnap the flap or cover 36 in order to adjust the flow of medical solution as hereinbefore described. At the same time this positive deliberate action induces the attention of the medical attendant to read the aforementioned label. Thus, two safety actions are provided by this invention. 
     A second embodiment of a snap fit is shown in FIG. 6 where the flap or cover 44 has the free end turned or bent at 90°  with a groove, slot, or recess 50 on the inboard face of the turned or bent end. The groove, slot, or recess 50 in the turned or bent end snaps over a mating lip 48 on the body 46. Thus, a medical attendant must positively take deliberate action to unsnap the flap or cover 44 in order to adjust the flow of medical solution as hereinbefore described. At the same time this positive deliberate action induces the attention of the medical attendant to read the aforementioned label. Thus, two safety actions are provided by this invention. 
     A third embodiment, not shown, is to provide the reverse of the structure shown in FIG. 6, whereby the groove or slot or recess is provided in the outer face of the body 46, and a lip is provided on the inboard face of the turned or bent end of the flap or cover 44. The lip in this embodiment would snap into the mating groove or slot or recess as hereinbefore described in reverse manner. 
     A fourth embodiment, not shown, is for the turned or bent end of the flap or cover 36 or 44 to merely fit over the end of the body 38 or 46 respectively in a friction fit. 
     Accordingly, modifications and variations to which the invention is susceptible may be practiced without departing from the scope and intent of the appended claims.