Technical Field

The invention relates to a venous port catheter fixation dressing apparatus for use in oncology and hematology patients who have a venous port catheter.

The invention is related to the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus which is frequently used in the healthcare system, especially in cancer patients, provides the reservoir to be fixed to place the port needle in the right area, shows the needle entry point, thereby does not shorten the life of the port with applications to the wrong area, consists of a transparent section where the port needle can be observed, and has the feature of adhering to the skin from its edges.

The State of the Art

The port catheter system, which is placed under the skin and is a closed system, consists of two parts, a reservoir, and a catheter. The reservoir is the part of the port catheter that can be seen and felt as swollen on the skin. At the top of the reservoir, there is a silicone septum where the port needle is inserted. The catheter, which is another part of the port catheter, is a tube that starts from the reservoir and extends to the heart and is often inserted into the external jugular vein, cephalic vein, or internal jugular vein. Custom-made huber needles are used to enter the venous port catheter. The difference between these needles and other needles is that the angle at the tip faces 90° to the side. Thereby, the damage to the septum at each entry and exit to and from the port is minimal.

During the application, the reservoir part of the port catheter under the skin can move while the port needle is inserted. In the present art, the port needle inlet is fixed by holding it between two fingers to fix the reservoir during the insertion of the port needle. However, in this case, failure to provide/maintain sterility may lead to the risk of infection. However, attempting to insert the needle in accordance with surgical asepsis also damages the port and shortens its life, since the port needle is inserted into the wrong area (to a region other than the reservoir).

After the needle is inserted, the port needle must be firmly fixed and closed. Because the inserted port needle can come off as the patients change position -especially during their nighttime sleep- and may damage both the port catheter and the patient (such as the risk of extravasation). There is no material specifically used for port catheter dressing; the area is closed with sterile gauze and adhesive tape. Although this traditional method is frequently used because it is a simple and inexpensive method, the opaque nature of the sterile gas compress does not allow for observing the catheter site and this creates an obstacle for the follow-up of possible infection symptoms. In addition, the opening/loosening of the bands used in fixation causes the needle to come out of the port reservoir. In the same way, during the removal of the port needle, it is necessary to remove the port needle by fixing it between two fingers, as in the attaching of the port needle. Otherwise, it may cause damage to the port catheter.

As a result, due to the above-mentioned negativities and the insufficiency of the existing solutions on the subject, it has become a necessity to make an improvement in the related technical field.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention is related to a venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus, which meets the above-mentioned requirements, eliminates all the disadvantages, and brings some additional advantages.

The invention was inspired by the present situation and aims to eliminate the above- mentioned disadvantages.

The main purpose of the invention is to develop a venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus that allows the needle to be inserted into the port catheter from the right place, to protect the sterility by preventing the manual intervention of the port needle, which should be placed in accordance with sterility, to prevent the movement and displacement of the needle after the needle insertion, and to ensure its stabilization. The apparatus of the invention provides the reservoir part of the port catheter, which can be movable under the skin, by adhering to the skin instead of fixing the same by hand. Determining the port needle entry point does not allow erroneous port needle entry by preventing port needle entry to the wrong area and maintaining sterility. In this sense, the apparatus of the invention fixes the reservoir area, which needs to be fixed by hand during port needle insertion, without intervention by hand. Thereby, damage to the port catheter as a result of needle entry to the wrong area is prevented. There is no standard material used for port catheter stabilization in healthcare settings. The invention also fixes the reservoir part of the port catheter and allows the application of the port dressing with tapes that adhere to the transparent skin on the edges after the needle is inserted. Thus, the port needle entry point can be observed in terms of possible complications.

After the port needle is inserted, the same needle can be used for a week. For this reason, proper fixing of the port needle will allow the catheter to be used for a week, prevent repetitive interventions, increase patient comfort, and reduce costs. While there is no such apparatus in the present state, the transparent tapes used in the present invention provide both the stabilization of the needle and the observation of the needle entry point site with the transparent tape.

Thanks to the collapsible lock system in the apparatus structure of the invention, in case of a possible error, the apparatus can be easily removed from the skin.

The opening point indicator in the apparatus structure of the invention is important to carry out the process by maintaining sterilization throughout the application process. The indicator on the transparent tape makes it easier for the applicator to adhere the tape to the skin with gloves. In the absence of an indicator, the tape will adhere to the glove.

Thanks to the port needle entry opening in the apparatus structure of the invention, it is possible to select the application area correctly.

The structural and characteristic features of the invention, as well as all the advantages, will be understood more clearly by means of the figures below and the detailed description given by referencing these figures. Therefore, the evaluation made should be made in consideration of these figures and the detailed description. Figures for Describing the Invention

Figure 1 shows the general view of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus of the invention.

Figure 2 shows the folded view of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus of the invention.

Description of the Element References

A Venous port catheter stabilizer dressing apparatus

1 Pad

2 Lock system

3 Clip

4 Port stabilizer ring

5 Port needle entry opening

6 Tape

7 Opaque strip

8 Support part

9 Opening point indicator

Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, preferred embodiments of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) of the invention are explained only for a better understanding of the subject.

The venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) of the invention contains at least one pad (1) that can adhere to the skin. Said pad is made of silicone material and is configured to identify the port catheter site. At least one port stabilizer ring (4) is included in the structure of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) to determine and fix the area where the needle insertion of the venous port catheter will be made.

There is a port needle entry opening (5) on the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A), suitable for inserting the port needle. Port stabilizer ring (4) to prevent the needle entry opening (5) of the port catheter from moving is made of a material with a hardness in the range of 2-2,5 GPa according to the modulus of elasticity. The silicone pad (1), which has the property of adhering to the skin, and the port stabilizer ring (4) are interconnected. The port stabilizer ring (4) must be designed to be separated from the skin after the port needle is inserted.

There is a lock system (2) to ensure that the said port stabilizer ring (4) is locked. The lock system (2) is the structure that can be opened and closed, which determines and fixes the area where the needle entry will be made.

Said lock system (2) has at least one clip (3). In this way, after the needle is inserted, the clip (3) in the lock system (2) is opened and the port stabilizer ring (4) is removed from the skin.

During the application, the area on the skin, into which the port needle will be inserted, is the port needle entry area (5) given in Figure 1. To prevent the inserted port needle from being dislocated, the tape (6), which has the property of adhering to the skin, is used. Said tape (6) is transparent and prevents the port needle from coming off by fixing it. There is an opaque strip (7) around the tape (6) that opens and provides the adhesiveness of the tape (6).

Another structure that prevents the port needle from being dislocated is the support part (8). Said support part (8) has a structure that opens in the shape of a cone, has the feature of a silicone pad, and supports the port needle by wrapping it with this form.

To provide an easy opening of the tape (6) by showing the opening places, the opening point indicator (9) is also located in the structure of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) of the invention.

In the use of the venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) of the invention, after the port needle is placed, the lock system (2) is opened with the help of the clip (3) and the port stabilizer ring (4) is removed from the skin. Then, the silicone pad (1), which can adhere to the skin, remains around the port catheter by adhering to the skin. The tape (6) is in the form of a transparent structure that enables the port needle to be fixed at the lower end of the silicone pad (1) (adjacent to each other). Opaque strips (7), on the other hand, are structures that allow the tape (6) to adhere (functioning like sticker adhesives) when opened on the transparent tape (6). The support part (8) is on the transparent tape (6) (corresponding to the port needle), with its round and conical sides that can be opened in the middle, by wrapping the padded transparent colored port needle, preventing it from coming off and fixing the port needle.

To solve the existing problems in the technical field and to fulfill the mentioned objectives, the invention is a venous port catheter fixing dressing apparatus (A) comprising;

• at least one pad (1) that adheres to the skin,

• port needle entry opening (5) configured to accommodate port needle insertion

• at least one port stabilizer ring (4) in connection with the pad (1) to determine and fix the area where the needle entry of the venous port catheter will be made,

• a lock system (2) that can be opened and closed, which determines and fixes the area where the needle entry will be made, to lock the said port stabilizer ring (4),

• at least one clip (3), which is in the structure of the lock system (2) and allows the port stabilizer ring (4) to be removed from the skin by being opened after the needle is inserted,

• a tape (6) with the feature of adhering to the skin, to prevent the port needle from being dislocated after insertion,

• opaque strip (7) around the tape (6), which opens and ensures the adhesiveness of the tape (6),

• a support part (8) on the tape (6), which prevents the port needle from dislocating, whose round center can be opened in the form of a cone, to coincide with the port needle,

• an opening point indicator (9) that enables easy opening of the tape (6).