EP-3405226-B1 - INJECTION SITE TARGETING DEVICE

EP3405226B1EP 3405226 B1EP3405226 B1EP 3405226B1EP-3405226-B1

Inventors

FINK, Ezekiel
HANES, ROBERT E.
HENRY, JOEL
SCHROEDER, Bruce

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20170120

Claims (14)

An apparatus for targeting an injection site using anatomical landmarks, comprising: a first landmark identifier (210, 310, 410, 810, 910, 1010); a second landmark identifier (220, 320, 420, 820, 920, 1020); and a targeting band (230, 330, 430, 830, 930, 1030) connected with the first landmark identifier at a first end and the second landmark identifier at a second end, and the targeting band is further comprising a marker (240, 340, 440, 840, 940, 1040) identifying the injection site on the targeting band, wherein the marker comprises a needle guide, characterized in that at least a portion of said targeting band is linearly deformable in an axial direction under slight tension.
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first landmark identifier, second landmark identifier, and targeting band are formed integrally.
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second landmark identifiers comprises a through-hole.
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tensioning member (350, 415) connected to one of the first and second landmark identifiers and configured to maintain tension on the targeting band after the first and second landmark identifiers are positioned on landmarks.
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tensioning member is pivotably connected to one of the first and second landmark identifiers.
The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the tensioning member is a mechanical slide.
The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a fastener (250, 270, 360) connected with the one of the first and second landmark identifiers, said fastener being configured to fix the position of the apparatus on a head of a patient.
The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first landmark identifier is connected with the fastener, and the tensioning member extends between the second landmark identifier and the fastener.
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a fastener connected with the first landmark identifier and configured to secure the apparatus to the patient; and a tensioning member extending from the fastener to the second landmark identifier and being configured to fix the position of the second landmark identifier on the patient.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 9, wherein the targeting band includes at least a portion that is non-deformable under small amounts of tension.
The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the marker is a through hole in the non-deformable portion of the targeting band.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 9, wherein the marker is on the linearly deformable portion of the targeting band.
The apparatus according to claim 1 or 9, wherein at least a portion of the targeting band is constructed of a material that has a negative Poisson's ratio.
The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the fastener is a headband.

Description

Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/281,496, filed January 21, 2016. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for targeting an injection site. Background In medical procedures, it can be important to administer an injection or place a treatment device at a specific site on the body. Nerve blocks, for example, can be used to manage, treat, and prevent pain. The efficacy of a nerve block, however, depends largely upon the ability of a health care professional to correctly identify the relevant nerve(s) and the injection site(s) associated with the relevant nerve(s), and to administer the appropriate pharmaceuticals in close proximity to the identified nerve without encountering structures, such as blood vessels, that are hidden beneath the skin. Nerves are typically located using anatomical landmarks, motor-evoked potential, or ultrasound. Each nerve-finding technique has advantages and drawbacks. However, they all generally require a significant amount of training beyond that of a general practitioner. Further, nerve finding via motor-evoked potential or ultrasound also requires costly equipment that requires additional training and may not be available in all clinical settings. Thus, there exists a need for a device that facilitates the administration of nerve blocks by eliminating the "guess work" associated with identifying injection sites. Further, the device increases the number of medical professionals, such as doctors of different specialties, and the like, that can administer nerve blocks in a clinical setting. US 2012/265138 discloses a guide for injecting insulin in the abdomen, thigh or arm and includes a wrap-around band and a series of spaced apertures along its length, with the openings of the apertures being sized to receive an insulin dispensing pin of a filled syringe. A reminder indicating at which site an injection was last made reduces the possibility of scar tissue or abscess development for senior citizens prone to forget where the most recent injection was made. US 6007549 discloses a posterior burr hole localizer device and comprises a head band for attachment to a patient's head, a band constriction unit for adjusting the diameter of the head band, a sagittal plane aligning piece, and a trajectory plane aligning piece. The device when properly positioned on a patient's head in relation to the supraorbital rims and the superior attachment point of the patient's external ears defines an optimum location for a posterior burr hole site. CN 104138255 discloses a belt type heart electromagnetic wave collecting device comprising a belt-shaped base body and waterproof, conductive electromagnetic wave collecting parts arranged on the base body. Thereby after the belt type heart electromagnetic wave collecting device surrounds the chest of a human body, the electromagnetic wave collecting parts are aligned to the heart part and measure an electromagnetic wave signal emitted by the heart. US8989836B2 describes a headset for detecting brain electrical activity including a flexible substrate having first and second ends each configured to engage an ear of a subject and dimensioned to fit across the forehead of a subject. The headset may also include a plurality of electrodes disposed on the substrate and configured to contact the subject when the headset is positioned on the subject. US 8870820 B2 describes a medical template for locating a proper insertion point for a pneumothorax-relief needle on a chest of a patient. The template comprises an elongated body having a first end region and a second end region, and an insertion point indication configured to indicate a position where a pneumothorax-relief needle can be inserted into a patient's chest to provide pneumothorax relief; a first and second reference indicators movably attached to the elongated body and markings on the elongated member. The first reference indicator is configured to be positioned near a clavicle bone on a patient's body, the second reference indicator is configured to be positioned near a nipple on a patient's body, and the first and second reference indicators and the insertion point indication are positioned on a substantially co-linear path. The markings are configured to indicate proper spacing of the first reference indicator and the second reference indicator with respect to the insertion point for providing pneumothorax relief when the first reference indicator is positioned near the clavicle bone on the patient's body and the second reference indicator is positioned near the nipple on the patient's body. The first reference indicator and second reference indicator are slideably attached to the elongated member. To prevent the reference indicators from sliding off of the elongated body 12, it is suggested to place end caps at each end of the elongated body. The elongated body is made of semi-rigid plas