U.S. patent number 3,871,377 [Application Number 04/762,502] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-18 for evacuator apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Richards Manufacturing Company. Invention is credited to Harry T. Treace.
United States Patent |
3,871,377 |
Treace |
March 18, 1975 |
EVACUATOR APPARATUS
Abstract
Apparatus particularly useful for the evacuation of waste fluids
from closed surgical wounds or other closed cavities or areas in a
patient. There is disclosed a thin walled clear plastic envelope
filled with reticulated polyurethane foam material, wherein the
elastic recovery forces of the yieldable foam material are utilized
for effecting a suction in a small flexible tube having a distal
end adapted for embedded placement in a closed wound. The foam
material and envelope also serve as storage container means for the
body fluid evacuated from the wound.
Inventors: |
Treace; Harry T. (Germantown,
TN) |
Assignee: |
Richards Manufacturing Company
(Memphis, TN)
|
Family
ID: |
25065243 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/762,502 |
Filed: |
September 25, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
604/133 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M
1/0011 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61M
1/00 (20060101); A61m 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/226,230,231,232,145.7,276-278,297-300,349 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gaudet; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Layton; Henry S.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Walker, III; John R.
Claims
I claim:
1. Evacuator apparatus useful particularly for evacuating body
fluids from a closed wound comprising a body including envelope
means defined by wall structure, at least a substantial area of
said wall structure being substantially thin and flexible, at least
one suction tube having a portion adapted for engagement with the
wound of a patient and for conducting body fluids from the wound
into the tube interior, connecting means physically sealingly
connecting said tube to said wall structure of said envelope means
and communicating the suction tube interior with the interior of
said envelope means, and resilient means in the interior of said
envelope means engaging at least a portion of said thin and
flexible area of said wall structure and manually compressible from
an uncompressed disposition to a compressed disposition for
subsequent movement from said compressed disposition to said
uncompressed disposition, said resilient means consisting of
yieldable open cellular mass structure means of substantial elastic
recovery capacity and also of substantial fluid retaining capacity
in the interior thereof in communication through said suction tube
with said wound engaging portion of said suction tube for
evacuating body fluids from a wound and storing the evacuated body
fluids in the interior of said mass structure means when said
resilient means moves from said compressed disposition towards said
uncompressed disposition.
2. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 wherein said connecting means
includes means for selectively engaging or disengaging said suction
tube from said wall structure of said envelope means and for making
or breaking a fluid connection between the suction tube interior
and the interior of said envelope means.
3. The evacuator apparatus of claim 2 wherein the portion of said
suction tube adjacent said wall structure is of longitudinally
uniform configuration and wherein said connecting means includes a
sleeve-like suction nib having a proximal end sealingly fitted on
said wall structure over a suction aperture in said wall structure
and wherein the distal end portion of said nib includes structure
defining a small bore interior surface configured correspondingly
with the exterior surface of said portion of said portion of said
tube being adapted to be telescopically frictionally sealingly
removably engaged with the distal portion of said suction nib.
4. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 which additionally includes
means for supporting said evacuator body on the person of a patient
and including a pair of oppositely directed apertured tabs secured
on the wall structure of said envelope means and includes strap
members; said evacuator body being adapted to be supported on a
patient by passing said strap members through the apertures of said
tabs and securing the strap members on the patient.
5. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 wherein said envelope means
is substantially of one piece construction and said wall structure
is substantially entirely formed of thin clear plastic
sheeting.
6. The evacuator apparatus of claim 5 wherein said mass structure
means comprises reticulated foam material.
7. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mass structure
means fills substantially the entire interior of said envelope.
8. The evacuator apparatus of claim 7 wherein said mass structure
means comprises reticulated foam material.
9. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mass structure
means comprises reticulated foam material.
10. The evacuator apparatus of claim 1 which additionally includes
exhaust valve means including a sleeve-like exhaust nib having a
proximal end portion sealingly fitted on said wall structure over
an exhaust aperture in said wall structure; fluid in said envelope
being adapted to be exhausted through said exhaust nib upon
squeezing or compressing said envelope, and including plug means
adapted to be manipulated selectively to plug or open said exhaust
nib and for placing the interior of said evacuator body under
suction pressure.
11. In a suction drainage device for extraction and collection of
body fluids from wounds defined by a collapsible container having
walls formed of air-impermeable material with an inlet opening in
one of said walls and a conduit of tubing having its distal end
adapted to be inserted into a body wound and its proximal end
connected to said container in fluid-tight relation therewith and
in operative communication with the interior of said container
through said inlet opening, the improvement in combination
therewith comprising a resiliently compressible open cell foam pad
encased within said container and exerting a separating force on
said container walls tending to maintain said container in a
normally expanded position, said container being adapted to expel
air and assume a collapsed position upon being subjected to
external pressure compressing said foam pad and to develop an
internal negative pressure while being expanded by the resilient
force of said foam pad against said container walls after release
of said external pressure, whereby when said foam pad is compressed
and then allowed to expand with said distal end of the tubing
inserted in a body wound, said negative pressure developed within
said container will cause body fluids to be drawn from said wound
through said tubing towards said container.
12. The suction drainage device of claim 11 wherein said inlet
opening is one of two openings in the walls of said container, said
container being airtight except for said openings, the second of
said openings being an outlet opening provided with releasable
closure means.
13. The suction drainage device of claim 11 wherein said container
is provided with means for attachment to a support for said
container.
14. The suction drainage device of claim 13 wherein said means for
attachment is a strap member secured to the outer surface of said
container walls.
15. The suction drainage device of claim 11 wherein said tubing is
provided with a plurality of apertures at its distal end.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to small lightweight portable pump-container
evacuator devices adapted for evacuating body fluid waste material
from closed wounds or other closed areas of a patient's body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several evacuator devices are currently marketed for evacuating
body fluid wastes from the body of a patient. Evacuator devices
such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,138 and 3,376,868
illustrate two pump-container type evacuator devices adapted for
use in evacuating fluids from a patient. The above-mentioned
evacuator devices exhibit certain undesirable features, that is,
the prior art structures are somewhat complex in structure and are
weighty or bulky. Being of somewhat complex structure, the prior
art devices are relatively expensive to manufacture and market.
Also, the cleaning of the prior art devices presents certain
problems and they are difficult to properly sterilize. Often it is
desirable to support the evacuator unit from a patient so that the
patient may move freely about. However, many prior art devices are
weighty or bulky or are not designed for support on the body of a
patient. The evacuator of U.S. Pat. No. 3,115,138 includes spring
members enclosed in an expandable chamber for providing the suction
or negative pressure forces of the evacuator apparatus. Such spring
members particularly exhibit undesirable features in that they
present cleaning problems in properly cleaning the interior of the
unit and such spring members may become canted or cocked out of
alignment and cause malfunctioning of the device. The somewhat
complex structure of either the device of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,115,138
or 3,376,868 increases the cost of the particular unit and thus
substantially eliminates the desirable throw-away feature of a
unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The evacuator apparatus of the present invention is mechanically
simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The basic concept
of the invention includes filling the interior of a thin walled
envelope of plastic or the like with a resilient foam material, as
reticulated polyurethane foam material, and utilizing the elastic
recovery forces of the resilient foam for effecting suction in a
small flexible tube having a portion adapted for embedded placement
in a wound. The evacuator design is particularly directed towards a
throw-away type unit or a single use unit. The mass of reticulated
plastic foam material enclosed in the flexible plastic bag-like
envelope provides a simple but effective means for suction draining
a closed body cavity and for storing the evacuated body fluids in
the pump-container chamber of the apparatus. The use of the present
device particularly obviates the necessity of cleaning and and
sterilizing and provides an effective and sanitary way for
discarding the evacuated waste body fluids: The entire evacuator
unit including the suction tubes or so-called wound tube or tubes
may be discarded as waste. After use, the evacuator apparatus of
the present invention is lightweight and is particularly designed
for attachment on the body of the patient and for free ambulatory
movement of the patient. The substantially simple design of the
evacuator apparatus renders it relatively inexpensive to
manufacture and market.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the evacuator apparatus of the
present invention with the supporting straps not being shown for
purposes of clarity and with a portion of the envelope being broken
away for purposes of illustration.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device taken as on
the line II--II of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device taken as on the
line IV--IV of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The evacuator device is indicated by numeral 11 and includes
basically a generally rectangular body 13 including a hollow clear
plastic sheeting envelope 15 enclosing a cellular mass 17, and
includes suction tube means 19 having a portion 21 adapted to be
embeddedly placed in the wound or body cavity of the patient.
Evacuator apparatus 11 also preferably includes support means 23
for supporting evacuator body 13 and which support means includes
apertured tabs 25 and straps 27 adapted to be inserted through the
apertures of tabs 25 for supporting evacuator body 13 on or near
the person of the patient.
Cellular mass 17 preferably is of one piece configuration formed of
reticulated foam material having substantially high mechanical
strength and elastic recovery properties and also having
substantial fluid absorbency and fluid retaining capacity. As is
known, the cells of reticulated form are intercommunicated and the
foam is of resilient skeletal-like structure. An example of a
suitable reticulated foam material for use as cellular mass 17 is
the polyurethane reticulated foam produced by the Industrial Foam
Division of Scott Paper Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, which is
referred to as Scott Z Foam, 16 pore, four pound density and light
amber color. It should be pointed out that the above is given by
way of illustration only and not limitation. Envelope 15 preferably
is of one piece thin-walled plastic sheeting construction and is
snugly fitted about cellular mass 17. Envelope 15 preferably is of
clear transparent sheet material and such material whereby the body
waste fluid contents of the envelope may be readily seen during use
of the apparatus.
Suction tube 19 preferably is of thick-walled plastic material and
is formed with a plurality of apertures 29 on distal end portion
21. The distal end portion of tube 19 is adapted to be implanted in
the cavity or closed wound of the patient and to suction drain the
fluid waste material into the tube and to conduct the material into
body 13. Proximal end portion 31 of tube 19 is connected with
connecting means 33 fitted on end wall 35 of envelope 15. A
sleeve-like flexible suction nib 37 includes a proximal flange
portion 39 sealingly fitted over suction aperture 41 in body
envelope wall 35. The distal portion 43 of suction nib 37 includes
a smooth bore interior surface configured for correspondingly
mating with the exterior tubular surface of suction tube proximal
end portion 31. The proximal end portion of tube 19 is adapted to
be frictionally telescopically engaged or disengaged with suction
nib distal portion 43 for connecting or disconnecting the suction
tube with body 13 of the evacuator apparatus.
Exhaust valve means is fitted on body envelope 15 for use in
exhausting the air from envelope 15 and for placing the interior of
the envelope under suction or negative pressure. The exhaust valve
means includes a sleeve-like flexible exhaust nib 45 having a
flanged proximal portion 47 sealingly fitted over an exhaust
aperture 49 formed in end wall 35 of body envelope 15. The exhaust
valve means includes an exhaust plug 51 adapted to be manually
manipulated selectively into and out of engagement with tubular
distal portion 53 of exhaust nib 45. A straplike tie portion 55
preferably interconnects plug 51 with distal portion 53 of exhaust
nib 45.
Plug means 57 preferably is provided for occluding passage of fluid
through suction nib 37 of connecting means 33 when tube 19 is
disengaged from the suction nib. Plug means 57 includes a plug
portion 59 and tie portion 61 integrally formed with distal portion
43 of suction nib 37. Plug portion 59 is adapted to be inserted in
distal portion 43 of suction nib 37 when suction tube proximal end
portion 31 is removed from the suction nib.
A planar base sheet 63 formed of plastic sheet material is
preferably laminatingly adhesively secured to bottom wall 65 of
envelope 15 and the opposite end portions thereof define oppositely
projecting apertured tabs 25. Strap members 27 are adapted to be
inserted through apertures 67 of tabs 25 for supporting evacuator
body 13 on or near the patient.
Evacuator apparatus 11 may be used in the following manner: After
implanting distal end portion 21 of tube 19 in the wound or body
cavity of the patient, evacuator body 13 is connected with proximal
end portion 31 of tube 19 by inserting the tube end in suction nib
distal portion 43 thereby communicating the wound or body cavity
with the interior of evacuator body 13. With exhaust plug 51 of
exhaust valve means 43 in an open disposition, body 13 is manually
or mechanically compressed, thereby expressing the air from the
interior of the body through exhaust nib 45. While body 13 is being
held in a compressed disposition, exhaust plug 51 is inserted in
nib 45 and the compression on body 13 released. Upon releasing the
compression of body 13, envelope 15 is urged outwardly by sponge
mass 17 thereby placing the interior of body 13 under a negative
pressure. The restorative power and yieldable resiliency of
cellular mass 17 generates the suction in envelope 15 and tube
means 19 thereby causing the body fluid of the patient to pass
through apertures 29 of portion 21 and to be conducted into
evacuator body 13. The suction generated by cellular mass 17 exerts
a continuous gentle suction action on the wound or body cavity of
the patient and such an action which is continued until cellular
mass 17 assumes its normal or decompressed configuration. At any
rate, the body fluid drawn in through tube 19 is contained in
cellular mass 17 and after disconnecting tube 19 and inserting plug
59 in suction nib 37 the body and waste fluid contents may be
discharged. If desired, the end of tube 19 may be provided with an
open end which is inserted in the nib 45 to establish a loop in
which case the apertures 29 would be disposed intermediate the ends
of the tube 19. It will be understood that in this case the fluid
would be drawn in through both of the nibs 37 and 45. Also, if
desired, there may be provided two tubes 19, with one being
inserted in nib 37 and one in nib 45. Preferably, a plastic bag
container (not shown) is provided for receiving the evacuator body
after it has been filled with fluid and such bag for use in readily
sanitarily discarding the waste fluid material. This bag is
preferably the same as the bag in which the device is shipped.
* * * * *