Nasal cannula retainer

Abstract

A nasal cannula retainer has a flexible member and cannula grips. The flexible member has a central nose portion with an adhesive backing for adhering to a patient's nose and two cheek portions connected to the nose portion, each of the cheek portions having an adhesive backing for adhering to a patient's cheek. The adhesive layers are covered with a peel layer which is removed prior to applying the retainer. The cannula grips are attached to the cheek portions to secure a nasal cannula on each of the patient's cheeks. The grips are releasable and reusable, allowing the cannula to be repositioned or temporarily removed without the need for the retainer to be discarded and replaced, and without the use of tape to secure the cannula to the retainer after the cannula is repositioned.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A nasal cannula retainer comprising: 
 a flexible member for adhering to a patient; and    a pair of releasable and reusable snap-in clips attached to the flexible member for securing a nasal cannula on opposite sides of and distal to a nose of a patient.    
     
     
         2 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible member has an adhesive backing.  
     
     
         3 . The retainer of  claim 1 , wherein the clips have a cross-section with a generally semi-circular recess therein conforming to a cannula.  
     
     
         4 . The retainer of  claim 3 , wherein each of the clips includes a base and a pair of arms extending from the base.  
     
     
         5 . The retainer of  claim 4 , wherein the base and the arms of each of the clips are a single plastic piece.  
     
     
         6 . The retainer of  claim 4 , wherein each of the arms has a projection thereupon useable for retaining a cannula.  
     
     
         7 . A nasal cannula retainer comprising: 
 a flexible member for adhering to a patient; and    a pair of releasable and reusable grips attached to the flexible member for securing a nasal cannula on opposite sides of a nose of a patient;    wherein the flexible member has a central nose portion configured to be in contact with the nose, and a pair of cheek portions with adhesive backing for adhering to cheeks of the patient.    
     
     
         8 . The retainer of  claim 7 , wherein the grips are attached to the cheek portions.  
     
     
         9 . The retainer of  claim 8 , wherein the grips are clamps.  
     
     
         10 . The retainer of  claim 9 , wherein each of the clamps includes a releasable locking mechanism.  
     
     
         11 . The retainer of  claim 10 , wherein each of the clamps includes a pair of sections each with a generally semi-circular recess therein conforming to a cannula, the sections hingedly connected to one another.  
     
     
         12 . The retainer of  claim 8 , wherein the grips each include a strip which includes a synthetic material having adhering hooks.  
     
     
         13 . The retainer of  claim 12 , wherein the strip also includes a synthetic material having loops, the material having hooks separably adherable to the material having loops so as to secure a cannula therebetween.  
     
     
         14 . The retainer of  claim 13 , wherein the strip also includes a connecting section separating the material having loops from the material having hooks.  
     
     
         15 . The retainer of  claim 13 , wherein one of the materials has an adhesive backing for attachment to one of the cheek sections.  
     
     
         16 . The retainer of  claim 8 , wherein the grips include means for retaining a cannula.  
     
     
         17 . The retainer of  claim 7 , wherein the central nose portion has adhesive backing for adhering to the nose.  
     
     
         18 . A method of releasably retaining a nasal cannula, comprising the steps of: 
 adhering a nasal cannula retainer having a pair of releasable and reusable adhesiveless grips to a patient such that the grips are on opposite sides of and distal to a nose of the patient; and    securing the nasal cannula with the grips.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the grips are clamps each with a releasable locking mechanism, and the step of securing includes placing the cannula into the clamps and locking the clamps.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the grips each include a strip which includes a synthetic material having adhering hooks and a synthetic material having loops, and the step of securing includes adhering the material having hooks to the material having loops so as to secure the cannula therebetween.  
     
     
         21 . A method of releasably retaining a nasal cannula, comprising the steps of: 
 adhering a nasal cannula retainer having a pair of releasable and reusable grips to a patient such that the grips are on opposite sides of a nose of the patient, the adhering including removing a peel layer which covers an adhesive backing of cheek portions of the retainer, positioning the retainer over the nose, and pressing the adhesive backing against cheeks of the patient; and    securing the nasal cannula with the grips at the cheek portions.    
     
     
         22 . A nasal cannula retainer comprising: 
 a bendable substrate having an adhesive layer thereon for adhering to a patient; and    a pair of releasable adhesiveless fasteners attached to the substrate for holding the cannula, the fasteners being on opposite sides of and distal to a nose of the patient.    
     
     
         23 . The retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate includes parts for adhering the retainer to the nose and to cheeks of the patient.  
     
     
         24 . The retainer of  claim 22 , wherein the fasteners are snap-in clips.  
     
     
         25 . The retainer of  claim 24 , wherein the snap-in clips are made of a resilient material.  
     
     
         26 . The retainer of  claim 25 , wherein the clips have a cross-section with a generally semi-circular recess therein conforming to a cannula.  
     
     
         27 . The retainer of  claim 26 , wherein each of the clips includes a base and a pair of arms extending from the base.  
     
     
         28 . The retainer of  claim 27 , wherein the base and the arms of each of the clips are a single plastic piece.  
     
     
         29 . The retainer of  claim 27 , wherein each of the arms has a projection thereupon useable for retaining a cannula.