tube

Abstract

A kink-free tube is provided. The tube has a longitudinally extending support portion that is not stretchable in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the tube can be stretched at the outer bend of a bend and either butt up against or compress at the inner bend of a bend.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a tube that does not kink during normal use. Attached Figure Description

[0002] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments and are incorporated in and are a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments. Other embodiments and many of the anticipated advantages of the embodiments will be readily appreciated as they will become better understood by referring to the following detailed description. Elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale. The same reference numerals indicate corresponding similar parts.

[0003] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This demonstrates what happens when a tube is kinked.

[0004] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C The diagram shows a side view, a cross-sectional view, and another side view of the corrugated pipe.

[0005] Figure 3 The image shows a photograph of a corrugated pipe.

[0006] Figure 4 The photos show a corrugated pipe and how it won't kink even when the pipe is bent sharply.

[0007] Figures 5A to 5D The tube was shown, in which the corrugations initially extended in only one direction.

[0008] Figure 6A and Figure 6B The side view and cross-sectional view of the tube are shown, in which the tube material is longer than the non-stretchable support.

[0009] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of a corrugated pipe is shown. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The embodiment relates to a tube having a first end and a second end, wherein a longitudinal direction is defined as extending from the first end to the second end, and a transverse direction is defined as being transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tube includes corrugations in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that the tube has at least one longitudinally extending support portion configured to prevent stretching in the longitudinal direction.

[0011] The embodiment relates to a tube having a first end and a second end, the first length of the tube extending from the first end to the second end, wherein the tube includes at least one non-stretchable support corresponding to the first length, and the tube further includes a material constituting a cavity of the tube, the material having a second length longer than the first length.

[0012] The aforementioned tube possesses the advantage of being highly flexible in the transverse direction, making it easy to bend while remaining inextensible in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the tube can be stretched at the outer bend and compressed or aligned at the inner bend, thus keeping the cross-section through the bend apex open for liquid passage. This has the effect that the tube is less likely to kink, even when folded or coiled in the longitudinal direction.

[0013] The longitudinal direction is the direction from one end of the pipe to the other. The transverse direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and corresponds to the direction that runs through the pipe.

[0014] An irrigation system typically includes a reservoir or container for irrigation fluid, an anal probe, and tubing connecting the two. The system may also include a pump for delivering the irrigation fluid into the intestine. Tubing as described herein may be suitable for use in such a system.

[0015] The tubes described herein can also be used in conjunction with urine collection. In urine collection systems, a catheter or urinary cannula is provided to the user to guide urine from the bladder. Typically, the end of the urinary cannula has a connecting portion to which a connector on the tube can be attached. The other end of the tube is then connected to a collection bag. Similarly, the end of a catheter typically has a connecting portion to which a connector on the tube can be attached. Again, the other end of the tube can be connected to a collection bag. In the case of intermittent catheters, the tube may not be connected to a collection bag, but may instead have an outlet configured to directly introduce urine into the toilet bowl. In this case, the tube can act as an extension of the intermittent catheter. For indwelling catheters, the tube will typically be connected to a collection bag.

[0016] In the context of this specification, a tube is considered to be a longitudinally extending element that allows liquid to flow through it. The cross-section of the tube can be of any shape, and may even be closed before use.

[0017] In this context, kinking is defined as the unintentional closure of a tube in its diameter, typically due to bending in the longitudinal direction. When a user operates a fairly long tube (e.g., over 50 cm), it is easy to inadvertently bend the tube in the longitudinal direction. If this bend is abrupt, there is a risk of tube kinking and thus closure of the lumen at the apex of the abrupt bend.

[0018] The tube described herein will not kink, meaning that the cross-section passing through the bend apex will always be open as the liquid flows through the tube. Therefore, even if the tube bends sharply, for example, folds in the longitudinal direction, the tube will not close at the cross-section passing through the bend apex.

[0019] The apex of the bend has an outer bend and an inner bend; at the outer bend, the material is stretched, and at the inner bend, the material is apex-stretched.

[0020] In the context of this disclosure, the non-stretchable support is defined as a structure capable of substantially preventing stretching in the longitudinal direction. "Substantially preventing" means that, under normal use, stretching will not exceed 10%.

[0021] In one embodiment, the tube has two longitudinal supports.

[0022] In one embodiment, the supports are placed 180 degrees apart from each other in the circumferential direction surrounding the tube.

[0023] In this embodiment, the tube is made of a thin film or foil material. Thin material refers to material less than 90 μm, such as 50 μm, 20 μm, or even less than 10 μm. It is envisioned that the material could be as thin as 7 μm.

[0024] Examples of potentially useful materials are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA).

[0025] These materials can be used both as virgin materials and as recycled materials. An example relates to a tube made at least partially of recycled material. PET is a very common recycled material and can form at least a portion of the material in the tube.

[0026] EVA is a stretchable material, making it easy to process in vacuum forming processes.

[0027] Other examples of materials include those that include metals (such as aluminum) or rubber.

[0028] Materials can be used as single-layer or multi-layer films or foils and can be combined with each other to achieve desired thickness and flexibility. For example, aluminum can be combined with PE, or EVA, or a combination of PE, EVA and aluminum to form a very thin layer as part of a thin film. Similarly, recycled PET can be combined with more flexible materials (such as EVA or low-density PE layers) to form a layer.

[0029] In one embodiment, the support is formed by welding a tube in the longitudinal direction. This means that the tube has one or two longitudinal welds along its length. This is a simple method for constructing a non-stretchable support in the longitudinal direction. In another embodiment, the support includes three or four welds. The welds can be equidistantly positioned around the circumference, but they can also be positioned such that there is a 60-degree angle between the first and second welds, then 120 degrees to the third weld, and then another 60 degrees to the fourth weld. This leaves another 120 degrees between the fourth weld and the first weld.

[0030] In one embodiment, the tube has a first width in the transverse direction, which is greater than a second width in the transverse direction, wherein the first width and the second width alternate in the longitudinal direction.

[0031] In one embodiment, the tube has a cavity including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein a longitudinal support extends radially beyond the outer surface of the cavity.

[0032] The embodiments relate to a tube having a storage configuration in which the inner lumen of the tube is substantially closed along its length. The tube also has a use configuration in which the inner lumen is opened to allow liquid to flow through the tube.

[0033] The transition from storage configuration to usage configuration can be achieved simply by connecting a tube to the liquid supply unit. The pressure from the liquid will automatically open the inner cavity of the tube.

[0034] Essentially closed means that the internal volume in the storage configuration is less than 10% of the internal volume in the usage configuration.

[0035] The use of such airless tubing in irrigation systems is advantageous because it is not desirable to pump air into the user's intestines at the start of the irrigation process. Therefore, in other systems where the tubing includes a volume of air, the user may have to prepare the system beforehand, i.e., wait for the liquid to expel the air from the tubing.

[0036] The embodiment relates to a tube having a circumferential cross-section, wherein a first portion surrounding the circumference is convex, and a second portion surrounding the circumference is concave. The concave portion of the circumference extends into the convex portion, such that the two portions come into contact.

[0037] The embodiment relates to a tube comprising a first half and a second half in a longitudinal direction, wherein the first half and the second half are each corrugated in the longitudinal direction, and the tube in a storage configuration is folded such that the corrugations of the second half are folded into the corrugations of the first half.

[0038] In one embodiment, the tube is configured for use in an anal irrigation system.

[0039] In one embodiment, the tube is configured to act as a connecting tube for connecting the reservoir bag and the catheter.

[0040] In one embodiment, the tube is configured to act as a connecting tube for connecting the reservoir bag and the urine sleeve.

[0041] In one embodiment, the tube is configured to act as an extension of a urinary catheter.

[0042] Especially in applications involving rectal irrigation or urine drainage, it is advantageous that the tube is free of kinks. For example, in rectal irrigation procedures, if the tube is kinked, the user may face the risk of fluid not entering the intestines. Regarding urine collection, if the tube is kinked, preventing urine from flowing into the collection bag, leakage may occur.

[0043] The embodiment relates to a tube, wherein the tube includes a connector at one end. The tube may also have connectors at both ends.

[0044] The connector can be a simple friction-fit Luer connector, configured to connect to another Luer connector. The connector can also be a bayonet connector or a threaded connector.

[0045] The embodiments relate to a tube configured for single use only. In other words, the tube is configured for single-use. In this context, being configured for single-use means that the tube is made of a material that cannot withstand rinsing or other forms of cleaning. This means that the tube can be made of thin, recyclable material and can be discarded for further recycling. This saves material and eliminates the tedious process of washing and drying the tube for the user. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the features of the embodiments described in this application and the various exemplary embodiments may be combined with each other (“mixed and matched”).

[0047] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This demonstrates the problems caused by kinks. Figure 1A The figure shows a tube 100. The tube is made of membrane material 101. When the tube is bent, it will have an outward bend 102 and an inward bend 103 at the bend. The centerline 104 is also indicated in the figure. A kink occurs because the inward bend folds into a pointed bend, and thus the cross-section of the tube is (almost) closed (as indicated by arrow 105). Figure 1B The situation is different in the middle. The outer bend 102 of the pipe can be stretched as indicated by 105, while the inner bend 103 will be compressed or convex as indicated by the arrow. This has the effect of keeping the cross-section open at the bend.

[0048] Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2CIt demonstrates a tube capable of stretching when bent outwards and compressing or aligning when bent inwards. Figure 2A The tube is shown as viewed from the side. Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the same pipe is shown, and Figure 2C It shows the direction from perpendicular to Figure 2A The same tube viewed from the side. Tube 1 is made of a fairly thin material and is corrugated in the longitudinal direction. Figure 2C In the example shown, viewed from the side view, corrugation 2 reveals that the cross-sectional diameter alternates between a smaller diameter d and a larger diameter D in the longitudinal direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the smaller diameter d and the larger diameter D are shown to be consistent along the entire length of the tube. However, embodiments could be made such that the smaller diameter and / or the larger diameter D varies along the length. Examples are shown in... Figure 7 As shown in the image.

[0049] Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of tube 1 is shown. The view reveals that the tube is made of a fairly thin membrane material. Furthermore, corrugations 2 are shown as crests 3 and troughs 4, with troughs 4 indicated by dashed lines, signifying that the troughs and crests are not on the same cross-section. Figure 2C Wave crest 3 and wave trough 4 can also be seen in the diagram. In this diagram, it can be seen that the larger diameter D is at the wave crest and the smaller diameter d is at the wave trough.

[0050] exist Figure 2A , Figure 2B as well as Figure 2C The diagram also shows a non-stretchable support 5. In this embodiment, the non-stretchable support is in the form of two welded portions 6a and 6b, one on each side of the tube in the longitudinal direction. This means that in this embodiment, the two supports are placed 180 degrees apart in the cross-sectional view of the tube. Figure 2B .

[0051] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A photograph of tube 1 is shown. Figure 3 The non-stretchable support 5 is shown in the image.

[0052] exist Figure 4 The diagram illustrates that even under sharp bending, the pipe will stretch outwards and counteract upwards inwards. This is made possible in this embodiment by combining a corrugated pipe with a non-stretchable support.

[0053] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C as well as Figure 5D A tube 10 is shown, which is manufactured such that the corrugations 12 are initially formed only on one side, so that the corrugations 12 of one half of the tube 17 are folded into the corrugations of the other half 18. This means that the tube has two membrane layers, with very little (or no) air between the two membrane layers before use, see [reference needed]. Figure 5A When pressure is applied to a pipe using a liquid flow, the pipe will behave as if... Figure 5B As shown, it unfolds on its own, and the ripples 12 on both sides are visible. Figure 5C In the middle section, observe the cross-section along the longitudinal direction. It can be seen that the two halves 17 and 18 face the same direction, causing one half 17 to be folded into half 18. In half 18, the corrugations are convex, while in half 17, the corrugations are concave.

[0054] Figure 6A and Figure 6B A tube 20 is shown, in which the tube material 22 is longer than the non-stretchable support 25. For the corrugated tubes in Figures 2 through 5, the tube material is also longer than the non-stretchable support, but... Figure 6A and Figure 6B In this configuration, the longer sections of the tube material are randomly arranged. Random arrangement means that the tube 20 is not corrugated; instead, the tube material 22 is welded along the length of the tube to provide a non-stretchable support 25, such that the length of the tube material in the longitudinal direction is longer than the non-stretchable support 25 in the same longitudinal direction. The non-stretchable support 25 consists of two welded portions 26a and 26b positioned opposite to each other, i.e., 180 degrees apart around the circumference of the tube, as shown in Figure 6b.

[0055] Figure 7 The longitudinal section of tube 30 is shown, in which corrugations 32 vary along the length of the tube. As shown, the section varies between the crests 33 and troughs 34, changing from a first small diameter d1 to a first large diameter D1, changing back to a second small diameter d2, then changing to a second large diameter D2, and so on.

Claims

1. A tube having a first end and a second end, wherein, The tube has a length in a longitudinal direction and a width in a transverse direction, the longitudinal direction being defined as extending from a first end to a second end, and the transverse direction being defined as being transverse to the longitudinal direction, wherein the tube includes corrugations in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that the tube has at least one longitudinally extending support configured to prevent stretching in the longitudinal direction, wherein the tube has a storage configuration in which the inner cavity of the tube is substantially closed along the length of the tube, and wherein the tube has a use configuration in which the inner cavity is opened to allow liquid to flow through the tube.

2. The pipe as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The tube has two longitudinally extending support sections.

3. The pipe as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is made of a thin film or foil material.

4. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The support is formed by welding the tube in the longitudinal direction.

5. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube has a cavity including an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein a longitudinal support extends radially beyond the outer surface of the cavity.

6. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube has a first width in the transverse direction that is greater than the tube's second width in the transverse direction, wherein the first width and the second width alternate in the longitudinal direction.

7. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is configured to serve as a connecting tube for connecting the reservoir bag and the anal probe in an anal irrigation system.

8. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is configured to act as a connecting tube for connecting the reservoir bag and the catheter.

9. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is configured to act as a connecting tube for connecting the reservoir bag and the urine sleeve.

10. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is configured to function as an extension of a urinary catheter.

11. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, A connector is provided at one or both ends of the tube.

12. The pipe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, The tube is configured for single use.

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