Case holder

Abstract

Provided is a case holder having a novel structure that utilizes a case holder for holding a protective case in a wound state. The case holder is capable of positioning and holding a proximal end portion of a medical thin and elongated instrument, such as a catheter, extending from an opening end of the protective case, and also allows the proximal end portion of the medical thin and elongated instrument to be released with good workability.　The case holder is provided, along a winding direction of the protective case, with: a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted; and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin and elongated instrument extending from the opening end of the protective case is fitted. The instrument fitting groove is positioned, relative to the case fitting groove, on the outer peripheral side of the protective case in the wound state, and is formed with an obliquely outward opening inclined toward the outer peripheral side from an orthogonal direction to a winding plane of the protective case.

Description

Case Holder

[0001] The present invention relates to a case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a catheter or the like, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, and in particular to a case holder that also has the function of being able to detachably hold the proximal end of a catheter that extends from the open end of the protective case.

[0002] In the medical field, thin, long instruments such as catheters that are inserted into body lumens such as blood vessels are used. For such instruments, tubular protective cases have traditionally been proposed to prevent damage during storage, transportation, etc., while making them easier to handle.

[0003] Furthermore, it is desirable to handle such a tubular protective case in a rolled state, wound one or more times, in consideration of compactness and ease of packaging. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-86231 (Patent Document 1), a long tubular protective case can be held in a rolled state by using a holding member provided with a groove-like recess into which the protective case is fitted.

[0004] However, it is necessary to prevent the catheter or the like protected by such a protective case from coming out of the protective case during storage, transportation, or the like.

[0005] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is conceivable to fit a part of a hub or the like fixedly provided at the proximal end of the catheter into the open end of the protective case and hold it there.

[0006] JP 2023-86231 A

[0007] After investigations by the inventors, it was found that in the catheter protective case holding structure shown in Figure 3 of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the open end of the protective case may be blocked, which may cause problems in processing after packaging using sterilizing gas, etc.

[0008] In addition, a relatively large diameter fitting portion must be formed at the proximal end of the catheter so that it can be fitted into the open end of the protective case, and depending on the type of catheter, this may be difficult to accommodate for manufacturing or design reasons.

[0009] The present invention was made against the background of such conventional technology, and aims to provide a case holder of a novel structure that can utilize a case holder used to hold a protective case in a rolled state to position and hold the proximal end of a thin, elongated medical instrument such as a catheter extending from the open end of the protective case, and that can also easily detach the proximal end of such a thin, elongated medical instrument.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention is as follows: A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, elongated medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, wherein a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, elongated instrument extending from an open end of the protective case is fitted are provided and extend in the rolling direction of the protective case, and the instrument fitting groove is located on the outer periphery of the rolled protective case relative to the case fitting groove, and is formed with an opening that is obliquely outward and inclined from a direction perpendicular to the rolling plane of the protective case toward the outer periphery.

[0011] The case holder according to this aspect includes an instrument fitting groove in addition to the case fitting groove, and the proximal end of a thin, elongated instrument such as a catheter extending from the protective case can be positioned and held by fitting it into the instrument fitting groove. This allows the proximal end of the catheter to be held without blocking the opening of the protective case, and also prevents adverse effects on processes such as gas sterilization.

[0012] Furthermore, because the instrument fitting groove has an opening facing diagonally outward, when a catheter or the like fitted and held in the instrument fitting groove is to be removed from the case holder, the catheter or the like can be removed from the case holder by inputting force in various directions, such as diagonally outward, upward (orthogonal to the winding plane of the protective case) or toward the outer periphery, making the removal operation easier. In particular, by directing the removal direction of the catheter or the like toward the outer periphery rather than to the side, the catheter or the like can be removed in a direction away from the wound protective case, which improves the ease of removal work without the protective case getting in the way.

[0013] A second aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to the first aspect, wherein the instrument fitting groove is formed to have a fitting length shorter than that of the case fitting groove.

[0014] The case holder of this embodiment takes into consideration the ease of removal of catheters, etc., and positions and holds catheters, etc. using the instrument fitting groove without unnecessarily increasing the holding force of the catheter, etc., using the instrument fitting groove, while preventing the protective case from unintentionally removing from the case fitting groove, making it easy to hold the protective case stably.

[0015] A third aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to the first or second aspect, wherein the instrument fitting groove is formed so as to be positioned relatively offset from the case fitting groove in a direction perpendicular to a winding plane of the protective case.

[0016] In the case holder according to this aspect, the holding position of the catheter or the like in the instrument fitting groove is shifted upward relative to the protective case held in a wound state. This reduces interference between the catheter or the like held in the instrument fitting groove and the protective case, and makes it less likely that the protective case will get in the way when removing the catheter or the like from the instrument fitting groove. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to move the holding position of the catheter or the like far outward to avoid interference with the protective case, more compact packaging is possible.

[0017] A fourth aspect of the present invention is as follows: A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, long medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, the case holder having a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted, the instrument fitting groove being provided to extend in the rolling direction of the protective case, the instrument fitting groove being located on the outer periphery of the protective case in the rolled up state relative to the case fitting groove, and having a fitting length shorter than that of the case fitting groove.

[0018] Like the case holder of the first aspect, the case holder of this aspect can hold the proximal end of a catheter or the like without blocking the opening of the protective case, and can also avoid adverse effects on processes such as gas sterilization.

[0019] Furthermore, similar to the case holder according to the second aspect, it is possible to improve the workability of removing the catheter or the like while sufficiently ensuring the function of holding the protective case in the rolled state.

[0020] A fifth aspect of the present invention is as follows: A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, long medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, the case holder having a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted, the instrument fitting groove being provided to extend in the rolling direction of the protective case, the instrument fitting groove being positioned on the outer periphery of the protective case in the rolled up state relative to the case fitting groove, and being positioned relatively offset from the case fitting groove in a direction perpendicular to the rolling plane of the protective case.

[0021] Like the case holder of the first aspect, the case holder of this aspect can hold the proximal end of a catheter or the like without blocking the opening of the protective case, and can also avoid adverse effects on processes such as gas sterilization.

[0022] Furthermore, similar to the case holder according to the third aspect, it is possible to easily reduce interference with the protective case of the catheter, etc., and improve the ease of removing the catheter, etc. from the case fitting groove.

[0023] A sixth aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to the fifth aspect, wherein the central axis of the instrument fitting groove is set at a position that does not overlap with the protective case fitted into the case fitting groove in a direction parallel to the winding plane of the protective case.

[0024] The case holder according to this aspect makes it possible to more effectively set the holding position of the catheter or the like by the instrument fitting groove to a position that is less likely to get in the way of the protective case held in a rolled state.

[0025] A seventh aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the portion where the instrument fitting groove is formed protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case by a thickness greater than the portion where the case fitting groove is formed, and the instrument fitting groove is provided in the protruding portion.

[0026] The case holder according to this aspect allows the holding position of the catheter or the like by the case fitting groove to be set further upward and away from the protective case held in a rolled state.

[0027] An eighth aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein a protective piece is provided at a proximal end of the thin-diameter elongated instrument that extends from the open end of the protective case, and the protective piece is adapted to be fitted into the instrument fitting groove.

[0028] The case holder of this embodiment uses a protective piece to position and hold the thin-diameter, long instrument, so that by fitting the protective piece into the instrument fitting groove, it is possible to achieve stable positioning and holding of the thin-diameter, long instrument, regardless of, for example, the outer diameter dimensions of the thin-diameter, long instrument body.

[0029] A ninth aspect of the present invention is as follows: The case holder according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the member thickness of the portion where the instrument fitting groove is formed is smaller than the member thickness of the portion where the case fitting groove is formed in the groove length direction of the instrument fitting groove and the case fitting groove.

[0030] The case holder according to this aspect allows the groove lengths of the case fitting groove and the instrument fitting groove to be set separately, improving the degree of freedom in setting the groove lengths of each fitting groove. Therefore, for example, while the protective case holding function of the case fitting groove is sufficiently ensured, it is easy to adjust the holding force of the instrument fitting groove for the catheter, etc., to favorably set the removal workability of the catheter, etc.

[0031] A tenth aspect of the present invention is as follows: A thin-diameter, elongated medical instrument with a protective case, in which the case holder according to any one of the first to ninth aspects is used, the protective case is fitted into the case fitting groove of the case holder and held in a wound state, the thin-diameter, elongated instrument is housed in the protective case, and the proximal end side of the thin-diameter, elongated instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted into the instrument fitting groove and held.

[0032] In the thin-diameter elongated medical instrument with protective case according to this aspect, the catheter or the like can be compactly housed and protected by the protective case held in a rolled state, and the proximal end of the catheter or the like extending from the opening of the protective case can be positioned and held without blocking the opening of the protective case. Therefore, for example, it is possible to efficiently perform processes such as gas sterilization on the final product state in which the catheter or the like is housed in the protective case, and when in use, the catheter or the like held in the case holder can be easily detached and removed from the protective case.

[0033] According to the present invention, the case holder that holds the protective case in a rolled state can be used to position and hold the proximal end of a catheter or the like extending from the protective case, and since the proximal end of the catheter or the like can be held without blocking the opening of the protective case, adverse effects on processes such as gas sterilization can be avoided. Furthermore, while ensuring the function of holding the protective case in a rolled state, the ease of removing a catheter or the like held by the instrument fitting groove can be improved.

[0034] 1 is a perspective view showing the case holder shown in FIG. 1 in a stand-alone state; 2 is a front view of the case holder shown in FIG. 2; 3 is a plan view of the case holder shown in FIG. 2; 4 is an enlarged view of the main part in FIG. 3; 5 is an enlarged view of the main part in FIG. 1;

[0035] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] 1, the case holder 10 of this embodiment is attached to a tubular protective case 12 and holds the protective case 12 in a rolled state, thereby constituting one embodiment of the present invention relating to a thin, elongated medical instrument with a protective case. The protective case 12 houses a catheter 14 as a thin, elongated medical instrument, and the case holder 10 releasably holds the proximal end of the catheter 14 extending outward from an open end 34 on the outer periphery of the protective case 12.

[0037] More specifically, the case holder 10 of this embodiment has a front shape that is approximately rectangular or oval with rounded corners, as shown in the individual drawings of Figures 2 to 5, and has an overall block shape.

[0038] Although the material of the case holder 10 is not particularly limited, it is preferable that the material has a certain degree of elasticity so as to allow elastic deformation when the protective case 12 and the catheter 14 are attached to or detached from the case holder 10. For example, various synthetic resin materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyamide, polycarbonate, and acrylic resins, as well as rubber-based materials, can be suitably used.

[0039] The case holder 10 has a case fitting groove 18 formed therein, which extends linearly through the case holder 10 in the thickness direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3) at a substantially central portion in the vertical direction in the front view shown in FIG. 3. The case fitting groove 18 has a substantially circular inner peripheral surface and is a recessed groove that opens to the top surface in FIG. 3 and extends therethrough.

[0040] The opening width B1 of the opening 20 of the case fitting groove 18 is smaller than the inner diameter D1 of the circular inner peripheral surface. The inner diameter D1 is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the protective case 12, and the opening width B1 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the protective case 12.

[0041] This allows the opening 20 of the case fitting groove 18 to be elastically pushed open, allowing the protective case 12 to be fitted into the case fitting groove 18 from above, and as can be seen from Figure 6, the elasticity of the peripheral wall of the case fitting groove 18 can be used to keep the protective case 12 fitted into the case fitting groove 18.

[0042] Furthermore, a plurality of case fitting grooves 18 are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3 ) of the case holder 10, and in this embodiment, two case fitting grooves 18, 18 are formed parallel to each other. This allows the protective case 12, wound in a spiral or helical shape on one plane, to be retained in its wound state by fitting it into each of the corresponding case fitting grooves 18 at specific circumferential positions aligned in the radial direction.

[0043] The protective case 12 to which the present invention is applied is not limited, and various conventionally known protective cases can be used. Generally, the protective case 12 is a long tube that extends with approximately constant inner and outer diameters, and has a length and inner diameter sufficient to accommodate the thin-diameter long medical instrument to be protected, such as a catheter. The material of the protective case 12 is also not limited, and any of various synthetic resin materials can be used, but it is desirable that the material be harder or more elastic than the case holder 10.

[0044] Furthermore, when holding the protective case 12 in a wound state, it is possible to position and hold it at only one point in the circumferential direction by the case holder 10, but it is preferable to position and hold the wound protective case 12 at multiple points in the circumferential direction, especially when the protective case 12 is long or when it is wound many times. In this case, it is possible to use multiple case holders 10, but it is also possible to adopt a holding member of a conventional structure such as that described in Patent Document 1.

[0045] Specifically, as illustrated in Figure 7, a retaining member 24 having multiple (three in Figure 7) parallel case fitting grooves 22 formed thereon, similar to the case holder 10, can be used to position and hold the rolled-up protective case 12 at multiple circumferential locations (three locations in Figure 1) separately from the case holder 10, as illustrated in Figure 1.

[0046] Furthermore, in addition to the case fitting groove 18 described above, a catheter fitting groove 26 is formed in the case holder 10 .

[0047] The catheter fitting groove 26 is formed parallel to the case fitting grooves 18, 18 and penetrates the case holder 10 in a straight line in the thickness direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 3 ). The catheter fitting groove 26 has a substantially circular inner circumferential surface shape and, in this embodiment, has an inner diameter D2 that is smaller than that of the case fitting groove 18.

[0048] The catheter fitting groove 26 is formed in a concave groove shape with an opening 28 that opens to the outer peripheral surface of the case holder 10 at one circumferential location. The opening width B2 of the opening 28 is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the circular inner peripheral surface of the catheter fitting groove 26. The inner diameter D2 is set to be approximately the same as (preferably slightly smaller than) the outer diameter of the fitting portion 30 of the catheter 14, and the opening width B2 is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the fitting portion 30 of the catheter 14.

[0049] This allows the opening 28 of the catheter fitting groove 26 to be elastically pushed open, allowing the fitting portion 30 of the catheter 14 to be fitted into the catheter fitting groove 26 from above, and as can be seen from Figure 6, the elasticity of the peripheral wall of the catheter fitting groove 26 can be used to keep the fitting portion 30 of the catheter 14 fitted into the catheter fitting groove 26.

[0050] 1, the catheter 14 is inserted into the protective case 12 and is housed in the protective case 12 in a state in which the portion from the distal end to near the proximal end is covered and protected. When housed in the protective case 12 in this manner, the proximal end of the catheter 14 extends over a predetermined length from the open end 34 on the outer periphery of the protective case 12 and is positioned approximately on an extension line of the wound protective case 12. The fitting portion 30 provided at the proximal end of the catheter 14 exposed to the outside is fitted into the catheter fitting groove 26 of the case holder 10 and is held in position.

[0051] The catheter 14 to which the present invention is applicable is not limited, and may be any type of catheter that is flexible enough to be inserted into body cavities such as blood vessels, urinary tracts, and digestive tracts, or body cavities such as the abdominal cavity, and is used to deliver stents, inject medicinal fluids, discharge body fluids, and capture foreign bodies such as blood clots.

[0052] The catheter 14 exemplified in this embodiment is a guide extension catheter such as that described in Japanese Patent No. 6941112, and is provided with a protective piece 40 made of synthetic resin or the like at the proximal end extending from the open end 34 of the protective case 12 so as to cover the end of the wire-shaped catheter main body 38. This protective piece 40 is, for example, in the shape of a plate that extends in one radial direction of the catheter 14 (upward in FIGS. 1 and 6 ), and makes the end of the catheter main body 38 easily visible to prevent accidents such as accidental puncture, and can also be used as a tag or the like that displays the catheter diameter, etc.

[0053] The catheter 14 can be held by fitting it into the catheter fitting groove 26 of the case holder 10, with the catheter body 38 serving as the fitting portion, but in this embodiment, the fitting portion 30 is formed by the protective piece 40. That is, the protective piece 40 is provided with a fixing portion that extends toward the catheter body 38 and is fixed by gluing, welding, or the like with the proximal end of the catheter body 38 inserted therein, and the fitting portion 30 is formed by this fixing portion that has a substantially circular outer circumferential surface.

[0054] By configuring the mating portion 30 using the protective piece 40 in this way, it is possible to increase the outer diameter of the mating portion 30, making it easier to fit and retain it in the catheter fitting groove 26, compared to when the mating portion is configured using the catheter main body 38. Furthermore, because there is greater freedom in designing the material, shape, etc. of the mating portion 30, it is also easier to prevent slippage of the mating portion 30 on the inner circumferential surface and prevent unintended slippage in the longitudinal direction.

[0055] In the case holder 10 of this embodiment, the catheter fitting groove 26 has (i) position, (ii) groove opening direction, and (iii) groove length set as follows:

[0056] (i) Position of catheter fitting groove 26 In the front view of case holder 10 shown in Figure 3, one catheter fitting groove 26 is formed at a position offset to one side in the left-right direction (the right side in Figure 3) from the area where multiple case fitting grooves 18, 18 are arranged side by side. As a result, when attached to protective case 12 in a rolled state as shown in Figures 1 and 6, catheter fitting groove 26 is positioned on the outer circumferential side of protective case 12.

[0057] The case holder 10 is attached a predetermined distance in the circumferential direction, which is the opening direction, from the opening end 34 on the outer periphery of the protective case 12, so that the fitting portion 30 of the protective piece 40 on the proximal end side of the catheter 14 extending from the opening end 34 can be fitted into the catheter fitting groove 26.

[0058] The left-right separation distance Ya (see FIG. 3 ) between the catheter fitting groove 26 and the case fitting groove 18 is not particularly limited, but is preferably set to Yb / 2<Ya<2Yb, where Yb is the separation distance between the adjacent case fitting grooves 18, 18. This makes it possible to prevent the protective case 12 from getting in the way, for example, during operations such as removing the catheter 14, while preventing the case holder 10 from becoming large. The separation distance Yb ​​between adjacent case fitting grooves 18, 18 is preferably set to Da<Yb<2Da, where Da is the outer diameter dimension Da (≈D1) of the protective case 12, in order to compactly pack the protective case 12 in a rolled state.

[0059] Furthermore, the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed so as to be relatively offset from the case fitting groove 18 in one direction (upward in FIG. 3 ) perpendicular to a plane including the central axes of the case fitting grooves 18, 18, which serves as the winding plane of the protective case 12 (a plane including the center connecting line L and extending perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3 ). That is, the central axis Oa of the catheter fitting groove 26 is located a predetermined distance Xa (where Xa > 0) upward in FIG. 3 from the central axis Ob of the case fitting grooves 18, 18. More preferably, in a direction parallel to the winding plane of the protective case 12 (left-right direction in FIG. 3 ), the central axis Oa of the catheter fitting groove 26 is set at a position (Xb > 0) that does not overlap with the protective case 12 fitted into the case fitting grooves 18, 18 and wound up.

[0060] 3, in the case holder 10, the portion where the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed is formed as a protruding portion 44 that protrudes upward with a greater material thickness than the portions where the case fitting grooves 18, 18 are formed, in the direction of relative positional deviation of the catheter fitting groove 26 from the case fitting groove 18. In other words, the vertical height dimension of the case holder 10 is larger than the portions where the case fitting grooves 18 are formed, at the portion located to the right of the right case fitting groove 18, by a protruding height t due to the upward protruding portion 44, and the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed there.

[0061] In this way, since the central axis Oa of the catheter fitting groove 26 is spaced apart from the protective case 12 in a direction perpendicular to the winding plane, the catheter fitting groove 26 does not need to be unnecessarily far away from the wound protective case 12 toward the outer periphery, and the catheter 14 (fitting portion 30) can be easily fitted into and removed from the catheter fitting groove 26 without being hindered by interference with the protective case 12, etc.

[0062] In particular, in this embodiment, the formation of the protruding portion 44 ensures a great degree of freedom in setting the position of the catheter fitting groove 26. Therefore, for example, it is possible to move the catheter fitting groove 26 farther away from the protective case 12 in a direction perpendicular to the winding direction while ensuring a sufficient holding force of the catheter 14 by the catheter fitting groove 26.

[0063] (ii) Groove opening direction of catheter fitting groove 26 As shown in the front view of the case holder 10 in Fig. 3 and the enlarged view of a main portion in Fig. 5, the openings 20 of each case fitting groove 18 are all open in the short direction of the case holder 10 (the upward direction in Fig. 3, which is a direction perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case 12). In contrast, the openings 28 of the catheter fitting grooves 26 are open obliquely outward, inclined toward the outer periphery of the wound protective case 12 with respect to the upward direction in Fig. 3, i.e., toward the upper right in Fig. 3.

[0064] The angle of inclination of the opening 28 of the catheter fitting groove 26, which opens at an angle obliquely outward, is not specifically limited, and for example, the angle of inclination α in Fig. 5 can be set within the range of 10 degrees ≦ α ≦ 80 degrees. Most preferably, the angle of inclination α is set to about 45 degrees, for example, within the range of 30 degrees ≦ α ≦ 60 degrees.

[0065] In this way, by making the opening direction of the opening 28 in the catheter fitting groove 26 inclined obliquely outward toward the outer periphery with respect to the direction perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case 12, the operation of removing the catheter 14 (protective piece 40) fitted into and held in the catheter fitting groove 26 is facilitated. That is, because the opening 28, which serves as the removal port for the catheter 14, is inclined obliquely outward, when removing the catheter 14, removal can be easily achieved not only obliquely outward along the opening direction of the opening 28, but also in a direction substantially perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case 12 (substantially upward in FIG. 3 ) or toward the outer periphery of the protective case 12 (to the right in FIG. 3 ) by elastic deformation of the side walls of the opening 28. This increases the degree of freedom in the direction in which the catheter 14 is removed, making the operation easier.

[0066] In particular, the degree of freedom in the direction of removal of the catheter 14 from the catheter fitting groove 26 is set around the diagonally outward direction, which is the opening direction of the opening 28. This makes it easy to avoid the protective case 12, which is held in a rolled state, getting in the way when removing the catheter 14 from the catheter fitting groove 26. That is, compared to, for example, a case in which the opening direction of the opening 28 of the catheter fitting groove 26 is set upward and parallel to the opening direction of the opening 20 of the case fitting groove 18, and the degree of freedom in the direction of removal of the catheter 14 is ensured around that side, by opening the opening 28 diagonally outward as described above, it is possible to effectively improve the degree of freedom in the direction of removal of the catheter 14 and thereby improve the ease of removal while avoiding interference with the protective case 12, which is held in a rolled state.

[0067] In addition, the opening 28 of the catheter fitting groove 26 opens obliquely outward toward a corner of the case holder 10 when viewed from the front as shown in Figure 3. This allows the thickness dimensions of both side walls of the opening 28 to be relatively thin, resulting in a shape that is more tolerant to elastic deformation. This makes it easier to increase the degree of freedom in the direction in which the catheter 14 can be removed from the catheter fitting groove 26 and to improve the ease of removing the catheter 14.

[0068] (iii) Groove Length of the Catheter Fitting Groove 26 As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the catheter fitting groove 26 has a length dimension that is smaller than that of the case fitting groove 18.

[0069] In particular, in this embodiment, the upwardly protruding portion 44 in which the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed has a thickness extending from one surface to approximately halfway along the thickness direction of the case holder 10 (the vertical direction in FIG. 4 ). This makes the fitting length Ta of the catheter 14 (fitting portion 30) in the catheter fitting groove 26 shorter than the fitting length Tb of the protective case 12 in the case fitting groove 18 (Ta<Tb). Specifically, it is desirable that Tb⅓≦Ta≦Tb⅔.

[0070] In this way, since the fitting length Ta of the catheter fitting groove 26 and the fitting length Tb of the case fitting groove 18 are set to Ta < Tb, it is possible to adjust and set the fitting force or positioning holding force of the catheter 14 by the catheter fitting groove 26 so that the removal of the catheter 14 can be achieved relatively easily, while sufficiently ensuring the fitting force or positioning holding force of the protective case 12 in the case fitting groove 18.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed by penetrating the protruding portion 44 that is partially formed in the thickness direction of the case holder 10 (the up and down direction in Figure 4). Therefore, by appropriately changing and setting the thickness dimension of the protruding portion 44, the groove length dimension of the catheter fitting groove 26 can be easily adjusted and set with a large degree of freedom.

[0072] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the specific or exemplary descriptions in the above-described embodiments and the like.

[0073] For example, the thin, elongated medical instruments housed in the protective case of the present invention are not limited to the various catheters described above, but may be any medical instruments that can be housed and protected in a protective case, such as guidewires and sheaths that are inserted into internal cavities, such as the thoracic cavity or abdominal cavity, and endoscopic suture tools and cutters.

[0074] Furthermore, the case holder 10 does not need to be an integrally molded product made entirely of a single material, but can also be made of a composite material in which separate members are arranged for the purpose of partial reinforcement, for example.

[0075] Furthermore, the opening direction of the case fitting groove 18 does not need to be aligned with the opening side of the catheter fitting groove 26, and the case fitting groove 18 may be open, for example, facing downward in FIG.

[0076] Furthermore, the inner surface shape of the case fitting groove 18 and the catheter fitting groove 26 is not limited to the illustrated circular cross section, and various shapes such as oval or polygonal can be adopted depending on the material and outer surface shape of the protective case 12 or catheter 14 (fitting portion 30) to be fitted.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the protruding portion 44 in which the catheter fitting groove 26 is formed is shorter than the overall length of the case holder 10 in the thickness direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 4 ), but the protruding portion 44 may be formed to have a length spanning the entire length of the case holder 10. In this case, for example, the fitting length of the catheter fitting groove 26 may be the same as the fitting length of the case fitting groove 18, or if it is to be shorter than the fitting length of the case fitting groove 18, it is possible to partially increase the inner diameter dimension of the catheter fitting groove 26 formed in the protruding portion 44, thereby setting a portion over a predetermined length where the fitting portion 30 of the catheter 14 does not abut and fit against the inner circumferential surface (in other words, a portion not included in the fitting length).

[0078] The catheter 14 may also be provided with a retaining projection located on at least one side in the longitudinal direction of the portion fitted into the catheter fitting groove 26, protruding from the outer circumferential surface and facing the open end face of the catheter fitting groove 26 in the case holder 10. The use of such a retaining projection prevents the catheter 14 from moving in the longitudinal direction (e.g., to the right in Figure 6) and unintentionally slipping out of the catheter fitting groove 26 when the catheter 14 (fitting portion 30) is held by the catheter fitting groove 26 as shown in Figure 6, for example, thereby improving the holding state of the catheter 14.

[0079] Although not listed here, the present invention can be implemented in various forms with various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and it goes without saying that all such embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention.

[0080] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Case holder 12 Protective case 14 Catheter 18 Case fitting groove (case holder) 20 Opening (case fitting groove) 22 Case fitting groove (holding member) 24 Holding member 26 Catheter fitting groove 28 Opening (catheter fitting groove) 30 Fitting portion (catheter) 34 Opening end (protective case) 38 Catheter body 40 Protective piece 44 Protruding portion Oa Central axis (catheter fitting groove) Ob Central axis (case fitting groove) D1 Inner diameter dimension (case fitting groove) D2 Inner diameter dimension (catheter fitting groove) B1 Opening width dimension (case fitting groove) B2 Opening width dimension (catheter fitting groove) Ya Separation distance (left-right separation between case fitting groove and catheter fitting groove) Yb Separation distance (left-right separation between adjacent case fitting grooves) Xa Xb: Distance (vertical distance between the case fitting groove and the catheter fitting groove) t: Projection height (projecting part) L: Center connection line (case fitting groove) Ta: Component thickness (case holder) Tb: Thickness (projecting part) α: Inclination angle (catheter fitting groove)

Claims

1. A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, long medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, wherein a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted are provided, extending in the rolling direction of the protective case, and the instrument fitting groove is located on the outer periphery of the rolled protective case relative to the case fitting groove, and is formed with an opening that is obliquely outward and inclined from a direction perpendicular to the rolling plane of the protective case toward the outer periphery.

2. A case holder according to claim 1, wherein the instrument fitting groove is formed with a fitting length shorter than that of the case fitting groove.

3. A case holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the instrument fitting groove is formed so as to be positioned relatively offset from the case fitting groove in a direction perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case.

4. A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, long medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, wherein a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted are provided extending in the rolling direction of the protective case, and the instrument fitting groove is located on the outer periphery of the protective case in the rolled up state relative to the case fitting groove, and is formed with a fitting length that is shorter than that of the case fitting groove.

5. A case holder used for a tubular protective case that houses a thin, long medical instrument such as a catheter, and that holds the protective case in a rolled up state, wherein a case fitting groove into which the protective case is fitted and an instrument fitting groove into which the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted are provided, extending in the rolling direction of the protective case, and the instrument fitting groove is positioned on the outer periphery of the rolled up protective case relative to the case fitting groove, and is positioned relatively offset from the case fitting groove in a direction perpendicular to the rolling plane of the protective case.

6. A case holder as described in claim 5, wherein the central axis of the instrument fitting groove is set at a position that does not overlap with the protective case fitted into the case fitting groove in a direction parallel to the winding plane of the protective case.

7. A case holder as described in claim 5 or 6, wherein the portion where the instrument fitting groove is formed protrudes with a thickness greater than the portion where the case fitting groove is formed in a direction perpendicular to the winding plane of the protective case, and the instrument fitting groove is provided in such protruding portion.

8. A case holder as described in any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 6, wherein a protective piece is provided at the proximal end of the thin-diameter, elongated instrument that extends from the open end of the protective case, and the protective piece is adapted to be fitted into the instrument fitting groove.

9. A case holder as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 6, wherein the thickness of the part of the material where the instrument fitting groove is formed is smaller than the thickness of the part of the material where the case fitting groove is formed in the groove length direction of the instrument fitting groove and the case fitting groove.

10. A thin, long medical instrument with a protective case, in which the case holder according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 6 is used, the protective case is fitted into the case fitting groove of the case holder and held in a rolled state, and the thin, long instrument is housed in the protective case, and the proximal end of the thin, long instrument extending from the open end of the protective case is fitted into the instrument fitting groove and held.

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