Aspiration Device For Body Fluids

Abstract

An aspiration device for withdrawing fluid from a patient's body comprises a closed container and tubular members opening into the container to define passages for suction and fluid respectively. A control valve assembly in the container at the suction passage cuts off suction when fluid saturates an expansible, porous pad which then applies a nonporous, resilient sealing member to the suction passage.

Description

This invention relates to the art of aspiration devices for body fluids and more particularly concerns an aspiration device having novel valve control means for cutting off suction when the level of fluid in a container rises to a predetermined level.

Aspiration devices heretofore have either lacked means for cutting off suction automatically, or have employed complex valve control means for controlling suction.

The present invention is directed to an improved and simplified valve control means for cutting off suction in as aspiration device. According to the invention, the valve control means includes an expansible porous pad which expands upon absorbing moisture. When the pad is fully saturated it expands to cut off a passage through which suction is applied to a patient for withdrawing body fluids. The valve control can be installed in a cover of a fluid container, or it can be installed in an overflow unit interposed between a suction pump and a fluid container.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel, improved and simplified valve control means for cutting off suction in an aspiration device for body fluids.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve control means as described in which an expansible pad is disposed to cut off suction when the pad becomes fully saturated and expanded by absorbed liquid.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an aspiration device for collecting body fluids, comprising a throw-away fluid container and cover therefor, with valve control means as described above installed in the cover.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aspiration device embodying the invention, part being broken away to show internal construction;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the device;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2, parts being broken away;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of parts of a valve control assembly employed in the aspiration device of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of another aspiration device according to the invention which includes a fluid collection container and overflow unit;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the overflow unit, taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 6 of another overflow unit embodying a modification of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view partially in section of a further aspiration device including another fluid collection container and another overflow unit; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, an aspiration device generally designated by reference numeral 20 comprising a hollow cylindrical container 22 open at the top and having a closed circular bottom 24. On the annular top of a cylindrical wall 25 is a reilient ring gasket 26 (FIG. 3). The annular top of the wall 25 fits frictionally into a circumferential groove 28 formed in a channel shaped rim 29 of a circular cover 30 which may be lifted off the base 22 by means of a handle 32 integrally formed with a flange 34 extending tangentially of the cover 30 and integral with the rim 29 as clearly shown in FIG. 2. The handle 32 folds up at creases or notches 36 formed at ends of the flange 34.

The cover 30 has a central inwardly dished body 38 and extending upwardly therefrom is a first integral nipple 40 to which may be connected a tube which will convey fluids under suction from the body of a patient. The fluids are collected in a cylindrical bag 42 whose upper open end is fused by heat sealing to a short, vertical cylindrical wall 43 disposed between the dished body 38 and a flat, annular, circumferential ledge 44 which is integrally joined to the inner side of the channel shaped rim 29 of the cover 30. The wall 43 is integral with the periphery of the body 38 and the inner edge of ledge 44. The cover 30 and bag 42 form a unit for collecting fluid. This unit can be lifted clear of the base and discarded. Another clean, sterilized bag and cover can then be replaced on the base. A pour spout 48 having a removable plug 49 is provided on the cover for pouring fluid from the closed bag 42.

Suction is applied to the interior of the bag via a nipple 47 forming part of a valve control assembly generally designated by reference 50 installed in the cover 30. The valve control assembly 50 comprises a cylindrical block 52 as best shown in FIG. 4. Integral with the top of the block 52 and extending radially of the nipple 47 are radial flanges 54 which serve as finger grips for turning the block for purposes to be hereinafter described. A circumferential bead or ridge 56 is formed on the side of the block 52 and engages slidably in a circumferential groove 58 formed in a cylindrical cup 60 integral with the body 38 of the cover 30. The cup 60 has circumferentially spaced slots or apertures 61 formed in its sides 62 and bottom 64. Seated inside the cup is a porous, expansible cylindrical pad 66 which may be made of spongy or felt material. Disposed on the porous pad 66 is a circular, resilient, nonporous disk 68 made of rubber or the like. The top of disk 68 is disposed below a vertical central passage 70 passing axially through the block 52 and the nipple 47. A right angle passage 72 is also formed in block 52 and communicates between the bottom of the block and its side where passage 72 registers with an opening 74 formed in the side of the cup 60 (FIG. 3). The passage 72 is used to equalize the air pressure on the outside of the bag 42.

When liquid collects in the bag 42 and its level rises to reach pad 66, this pad will expand and raise disk 68 to close both of the passages 70 and 72. Closing of the passage 70 will cut off suction applied to the interior of the bag via the nipple 47 and will cut off application of suction to the exterior of the bag via the passage 72 and the opening 74 in the side of the cup 60. By manually turning the block 52 with the finger grips 54 mentioned above, passage 72 is located out of alignment with the opening 74 so that fluid cannot leak through this opening when the collection unit is tipped over to empty it via the pour spout 48.

Suction is applied via nipple 40 from the interior of the bag and cover unit to the patient. When suction is cut off at the valve control assembly 50, suction is of course cut off at the patient's body from which fluid is being withdrawn. The tube connected between the patient's body and the nipple 40 can then be removed. Another tube 80 or the same tube indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 3 can then be fitted at opposite ends on both of the nipples 40 and 47 to serve as closures therefor. The entire bag and cover unit can be removed from the base 22 by lifting the handle 32. It is perhaps preferable that a part of the liquid in the bag 42 be removed via the spout 48 by tipping the entire unit while the bag 42 is still in the base 22. This will limit the strain on the handle 32 and on the bag 42 itself after the partially filled bag and cover unit is removed from the base 22.

It will be noted that the valve control assembly 50 is discarded along with the bag 42 and the cover 30. Only the base 22 is retained. This can be sterilized before a fresh bag and cover are replaced in the base. All parts of the cover and bag are preferably made of lightweight, tough plastic material such as polyethylene or polystyrene. The pad 66 can be made of any suitable spongy material such as compressed sponge, or it can be made of rayon fibers. The disk 68 can be made of an elastomer such as natural or artificial rubber. The base 22 can be made of rigid plastic material. Alternatively it can be made of metal such as stainless steel. However it is preferable that both the base, bag and cover be made of transparent or translucent material so that the flow of fluid into the bag can be observed.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate another aspiration device generally designated as reference numeral 20A. A cylindrical container 90 has an annular top 91 into which extends one end of a tube 92 which can be connected to the patient from which fluid is being drawn. The container 90 is closed by a removable cover or cap 93. Another tube 97 for applying suction to the interior of the container 90 is connected at one end to a top 91 of the container 90 and at the other end to a nipple 94 at the top of an overflow unit generally designated by reference numeral 100.

The overflow unit 100 is a closed cylindrical container formed by fusing two cup shaped members 102 and 104 together at their rims to form a hermetically sealed joint 103. The nipple 94 is integrally formed with a top 106 of the inverted cup shaped member 102. Located inside of the member 102 and supported by a plurality of radial ribs 108 is an inverted cup shaped baffle 110 which serves as a guide for fluid entering the unit via the nipple 94. Supported inside of the baffle 110 by a plurality of ribs 112 is another cup shaped member 114 which surrounds a cylindrical skirt 116 formed at the top of a suction tube 118. The tube 118 is secured and sealed at a joint 119 to the center of the bottom 117 of the member 104. The tube 118 extends axially, vertically upward and terminates short of the member 114 to define a vertical passage 120 which communicates with a cylindrical passage 122 between the member 114 and the skirt 116. Surrounding the tube 118 and slidable thereon is a resilient, non-porous rubber ring 124, and below the ring 124 is an expansible, porous ring-like pad 125 which, like the pad 66 hereinbefore described above, expands when it becomes saturated with a liquid. The pad 125 rests on the bottom 117 of the cup shaped member 104 and expands to lift the ring 124 which then closed the cylindrical passage 122 to cut off suction from the tube 97 and from the container 90.

Another overflow unit, generally designated as reference numeral 100a is illustrated in FIG.8, which is similar to the unit 100 and corresponding parts are identically numbered. In the unit 100a, a baffle 110a extends down to and rests on the bottom 117 of the cup shaped member 104. A plurality of axially extending circumferentially spaced slots or openings 126 are formed in the bottom portion of a cylindrical wall 128 of the baffle 110a. Liquid collecting in the member 104, reaches the pad 125 which is disposed inside the baffle 110a and surrounds the tube 118. The pad 125 expands when saturated to lift the resilient ring 124, which closes the passage 122 and cuts off suction from the nipple 94 and the tube 97.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show another aspirator device, generally designated as reference numeral 20B, which includes another container 90a and another overflow unit generally designated as reference numeral 100B. In container 90a is a stopper 130. A tube 92a is connected at one end to the patient's body and terminates at its other end inside the container 90a, after passage through an opening 132 in the stopper 130. A suction tube 134 is connected between the container 90a and a nipple 136 at the bottom of the overflow unit 100B. The tube 134 passes through a passage 135 in the stopper 130. When fluid is collected in the container 90a, foam tends to be generated at the upper surface of the fluid. The unit 100B is arranged as a container to prevent passage of foam to a suction pump (not shown) connected to a suction tube 140. The tube 140 is connected to the upper end of a tube 141 which is secured at a joint 143 in the top of a cup shaped member 102a and extends axially vertically downward inside cup shaped support and strainer member 142 which is secured by sealing at a circumferential joint 145, to the inside of the member 102a. The member 102a and a member 104a are secured together by a hermetically sealed joint 103a. A plurality of circumferentially spaced slots or openings 144 are formed in the sides and the bottom of the strainer member 142. A porous expansible pad 146 is seated in the member 142 and on this pad 146 is a resilient, nonporous disc 148 which closes the open bottom of a suction tube 141. It will be apparent that the overflow unit 100B effectively blocks passage of foam or liquid from the container 90a so that it cannot pass to the suction generating pump (not shown) connected to the suction tube 140.

In all forms of the invention described, the valve control assemblies employ a porous, expansible spongy or felt pad in conjunction with a nonporous resilient sealing or closure member to close a suction passage. As described the valve control assembly can form part of the fluid container, or it can be installed in a separate overflow container.

It should be understood that the foregoing relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

The invention claimed is:

1. An aspiration device for withdrawing fluid from a patient's body, comprising:

a closed container;

a first suction means defining a first passage for applying suction to the interior of said container;

a second suction means defining a second passage for fluid to flow into said container; and

a control valve assembly for cutting off suction from the interior of said container after a predetermined quantity of fluid has entered said container, said control valve comprising:

a porous expansible pad exposed to said fluid in said container for expansion when saturated by said fluid; and

a resilient, nonporous member interposed between said pad and said first passage and arranged to seal said first passage when said pad expands, so that suction is cut off from said second passage to stop withdrawal of fluid from said patient's body.

2. An aspiration device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a cup shaped support for said pad in said container, said support having at least one opening for exposing said pad to said fluid in said container.

3. An aspiration device as defined in claim 2, wherein said container comprises a generally circular cover; and a bag pheripherally joined to said cover, whereby said bag, cover and valve assembly can be discarded together as a unit.

4. An aspiration device as defined in claim 3, further comprising a cylindrical base having an open top, said cover fitting removable on said top of said base with said bag suspended inside said base, said control valve assembly having a passage formed therein for passing air between the inside and outside of said bag in said base for equalizing pressure on both sides of said bag.

5. An aspiration device as defined in claim 2, wherein said first suction means comprises a block rotatably fitted in said cup shaped member, said first passage extending through said block, said block having a third passage for passing suction between said first passage and the interior of said container, said cup shaped member having a lateral opening normally aligned with said third passage, whereby said third passage is closed by rotation of said block in said cup shaped member away from said lateral opening.

6. An aspiration device as defined in claim 1, wherein said container is cylindrical in form, said first suction means comprising a tubular member opening into one end of said container.

7. An aspiration device as defined in claim 6, wherein said pad and said resilient member are ring shaped and surround said tubular member, said first passage having a cylindrical end disposed adjacent to said resilient nonporous member for closure thereby when said pad expands.

8. An aspiration device as defined in claim 7, further comprising an inverted cup shaped baffle in said container disposed adjacent to said second passage for shielding said first passage from fluid entering said container.

9. An aspiration device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a cup shaped support for said pad in said container, said support having at least one opening for exposing said pad to said fluid in said container.

10. An aspiration device as defined in claim 9, wherein said cup shaped support is inverted to define a baffle adjacent to said second passage for shielding said first passage from fluid entering said container.