Catheter locating device

Claim 3

The device of claim 1, wherein said anchoring means comprises a central portion and a pair of arm portions extending from opposite sides of said central portion, said arm portions being affixable to said patient at said predetermined location.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2, wherein said arm portions comprise flexible strap means.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1, wherein said rotatable saddle includes an upper surface, both of said upper surfaces of said anchoring means and said rotatable saddle being disposed in a common plane, and wherein said stabilizing means is located in a plane adjacent to said common plane and overlapping said upper surfaces of both said rotatable saddle and said anchoring means.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4, wherein said stabilizing means includes an outwardly extending flange portion of said rotatable saddle, and wherein said aperture includes a groove portion for retaining said flange portion of said rotatable saddle when said rotatable saddle is contained within said aperture.

Claim 7

The device of claim 1, including a plurality of said stabilizing members.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one stabilizing member is mounted on the upper surface of said rotatable saddle.

Claim 9

The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one stabilizing member is substantially circular.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1, wherein said saddle channel includes a surface which is sufficiently hard so as to prevent penetration by said catheter as said catheter is being inserted thereinto.

Claim 11

The device of claim 9, wherein said surface of said saddle channel comprises a metallic surface.

Claim 12

The device of claim 3, including locking means for locking said anchoring means to said patient.

Claim 13

The device of claim 11, wherein said locking means comprises a male locking member associated with one of said flexible strap means and a female locking member associated with the other of said flexible strap means.

Claim 14

The device of claim 1, wherein said saddle channel in said adjustable saddle includes stop means for limiting the depth to which said catheter may be inserted into said saddle channel.

Claim 15

The device of claim 13, wherein said stop means has a conical configuration adapted to mate with the shape of said catheter so as to stabilize said catheter after it has been inserted into said saddle channel.

Claim 16

A catheter device for being affixed to a patient at the location of a body fluid-carrying conduit in said patient comprising a catheter including a needle member and tubular catheter conduit means for supplying fluid to or removing fluid from said needle member, anchoring means for attachment to said patient at a predetermined location on said patient at which said body fluid-carrying conduit is located, said anchoring means including an upper surface and an aperture therein, a rotatable saddle rotatably mounted in said aperture in said anchoring means, said rotatable saddle including an aperture for receiving said catheter, said rotatable saddle further including a contact surface for contacting said body fluid-carrying conduit in said patient and a saddle channel extending between said aperture and said contact surface, and stabilizing means affixed to said rotatable saddle for preventing removal of said rotatable saddle from said anchoring means without interfering with said rotation of said rotatable saddle, said stabilizing means including at least one stabilizing member located in a plane adjacent to and overlapping said upper surface of said anchoring means whereby said device can be attached to said patient at said predetermined location and subsequently adjusted by rotating said rotatable saddle so as to align said saddle channel with said predetermined location on said patient, and said catheter can be accurately located in said body fluid-carrying conduit when it has been inserted into said aperture.

Claim 17

A catheter device for being affixed to a patient at the location of a body fluid-carrying conduit in said patient comprising a catheter including a needle member and tubular catheter conduit means for supplying fluid to or removing fluid from said needle member, anchoring means for attachment to said patient at a predetermined location on said patient at which said body fluid-carrying conduit is located, said anchoring means including an upper surface and an aperture therein, a rotatable saddle rotatably mounted in said aperture in said anchoring means, said rotatable saddle including an aperture for receiving said catheter, said rotatable saddle further including a contact surface for contacting said body fluid-carrying conduit in said patient and a saddle channel extending between said aperture and said contact surface, and stabilizing means affixed to said rotatable saddle for preventing removal of said rotatable saddle from said anchoring means without interfering with said rotation of said rotatable saddle, said stabilizing means including at least one stabilizing member located in a plane adjacent to and overlapping said upper surface of said anchoring means whereby said device can be attached to said patient at said predetermined location and subsequently adjusted by rotating said rotatable saddle so as to align said saddle channel with said predetermined location on said patient, and said catheter can be accurately located in said body fluid-carrying conduit when it has been inserted into said aperture.

Claim 18

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said saddle channel in said rotatable saddle includes stop means for limiting the depth to which said catheter may be inserted into said saddle channel.

Claim 19

The catheter device of claim 16, wherein said tubular catheter conduit means and said saddle channel in said rotatable saddle have corresponding shapes whereby said catheter is stabilized after it has been inserted into said saddle channel.

Claim 20

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said rotatable saddle includes an upper surface, both of said upper surfaces of said rotatable saddle and said anchoring means being disposed in a common plane, and wherein said stabilizing means is located in a plane adjacent to said common plane and overlapping said upper surfaces of said rotatable saddle and said anchoring means.

Claim 21

The catheter device of claim 15, including a plurality of said stabilizing members.

Claim 22

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said at least one stabilizing member is mounted on the upper surface of said rotatable saddle.

Claim 23

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said at least one stabilizing member is substantially circular.

Claim 24

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said stabilizing means includes an outwardly extending flange portion of said rotatable saddle, and wherein said central aperture includes a groove portion for retaining said flange portion of said rotatable saddle when said rotatable saddle is contained within said central aperture.

Claim 25

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said saddle channel includes a surface which is sufficiently hard so as to prevent penetration by said catheter thereinto.

Claim 26

The catheter device of claim 23, wherein said surface of said saddle channel comprises a metallic surface.

Claim 27

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said needle member includes a needle aperture whereby said body fluid can flow through said needle aperture when said needle member is inserted into said body fluid-carrying conduit.

Claim 28

The catheter device of claim 15, wherein said anchoring means comprises a central portion and a pair of arm portions extending from opposite sides of said central portion, said arm portions being adapted to be affixed to said patient at said predetermined location.

Claim 29

The catheter device of claim 26, wherein said arm portions comprise flexible strap means.

Claim 32

The device of claim 28, wherein said anchoring means comprises a central portion and a pair of arm portions extending from opposite sides of said central portion, said arm portions being affixable to said patient at said predetermined location.

Claim 33

The device of claim 29, wherein said arm portions comprise flexible strap means.

Claim 34

The device of claim 28, wherein said rotatable saddle includes an upper surface, and said anchoring means includes an upper surface, both of said upper surfaces being disposed in a common plane, and wherein said stabilizing means comprises at least one stabilizing member mounted in a plane adjacent to said common plane and overlapping said upper surfaces of both said rotatable saddle and said anchoring means so as to retain said rotatable saddle in said central aperture.

Claim 35

The device of claim 31, wherein said stabilizing means includes an outwardly extending flange portion of said rotatable saddle, and wherein said aperture includes a groove portion for retaining said flange portion of said rotatable saddle when said rotatable saddle is contained within said aperture.

Claim 36

The device of claim 31, including a plurality of said stabilizing members.

Claim 37

The device of claim 31, wherein said at least one stabilizing member is substantially circular.

Claim 38

The device of claim 28, wherein said saddle channel includes a surface which is sufficiently hard so as to prevent penetration by said catheter as said catheter is being inserted thereinto.

Claim 39

The device of claim 34, wherein said surface of said channel comprises a metallic surface.

Claim 40

The device of claim 30, including locking means for locking said anchoring means to said patient.

Claim 41

The device of claim 37, wherein said locking means comprises a male locking member associated with one of said flexible strap means and a female locking member associated with the other of said flexible strap means.

Claim 42

The device of claim 28, wherein said saddle channel in said adjustable saddle includes stop means for limiting the depth to which said catheter may be inserted into said channel.

Claim 43

The device of claim 39, wherein said stop means has a conical configuration adapted to mate with the shape of said catheter so as to stabilize said catheter after it has been inserted into said saddle channel.