Method And Apparatus Of Medical Suction

Abstract

The specification discloses a medical suction apparatus including a generally rigid container for supporting a flexible drainage bag. A drainage conduit extends between the bag and the exterior of the container for connection to an area to be drained and a vacuum conduit extends from the bag to the exterior of the container for connection to a source of reduced pressure. A port extends through the walls of the flexible container to the space between the container and the flexible bag. A valve is disposed in the port for allowing air in the space to be removed in order to maintain the bag in an open position during suction operation. In one embodiment of the invention, air is removed from the space between the bag and the container by applying pressurized air to the interior of the bag. In another embodiment of the invention, air is removed between the bag and the container by the application of suction to the port.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method and apparatus of suction, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for medical suction wherein a flexible bag is suspended within a rigid container for receiving and storing fluids from a patient area.

THE PRIOR ART

A wide variety of suction devices are presently used in hospitals for the collection of fluids from a patient area. For example, suction devices are commonly used during surgical operations in order to collect and store aspirated fluids from the patient. A commonly used type of suction device utilizes a rigid container, usually constructed from glass, with a first conduit attached to a source of vacuum and a second conduit extending to the patient area. When the glass container is filled with fluid, the vacuum is terminated, the fluid emptied from the container and the container resterilized for subsequent use. Not only have such glass containers been subject to breakage, but inadequate sterilization has sometimes resulted in cross contamination of patients. Moreover, the requirement of sterilization is time consuming and expensive.

Suction devices have thus been developed wherein a flexible drainage bag is suspended within a rigid container in order to receive drainage fluids. The flexible bags may then be discarded and replaced by sterile bags without the requirement of sterilization of the rigid container. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,101 issued Jan. 19, 1971, to S. G. Economou. However, such devices require relatively complex conduit structure for applying the suction both to the exterior and the interior of the flexible bag in order to prevent collapse of the bag during operation. Moreover, such systems often maintain the bag in an extremely stressed condition during suction operation, thereby requiring the use of an expensive heavy-duty flexible bag in order to eliminate the possibility of rupture and leakage from the bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a medical suction apparatus includes a generally rigid container having a flexible drainage bag assembly for being supported therein. Plural conduits extend between the bag assembly and the exterior of the container for connection to an area to be drained and for connection to a source of reduced pressure. A port communicates with the exterior of the container and the space between the container and the bag. A valve in the port is provided to allow air in the space to be removed to maintain the bag in an open position during operation of the apparatus.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a medical suction apparatus includes a generally rigid container for receiving a flexible drainage bag. A port is formed in the rigid container for allowing the passage of air from the space between the rigid container and the flexible bag. A valve in the port is provided to selectively prevent the passage of air through the port in a predetermined direction, wherein the bag is maintained in an open position during the operation of the apparatus.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a medical suction apparatus includes a generally rigid open top container having a flexible drainage bag supported therein. A drainage conduit extends from the upper part of the bag to the exterior of the container. A vacuum conduit extends from the upper part of the bag to the exterior of the container for connection to the source for reduced pressure. A cover for the container rigidly supports the drainage and vacuum conduits to thereby suspend the bag within the container. A port communicates with the exterior of the container and the space between the bag and the interior of the container. A valve in the port is operable to allow the passage of gas through the port to the exterior of the container while preventing the passage of gas to the interior of the container to maintain the bag in an open position during operation of the apparatus.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of providing medical suction from a rigid container supporting a flexible bag therein includes direction of pressurized air into the bag to open the bag, while exhausting air from the space between the bag and the container through a port in the container. Flow of the pressurized air is terminated when the bag is open, and further flow of air through the port is prevented. Suction is then applied through the bag to the patient area to draw fluids from the patient area into the bag.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method of providing medical suction from a rigid container supporting a flexible bag therein includes the connection of a source of reduced pressure to the space between the bag and the container to cause the bag to become open. The source of reduced pressure is then disconnected and flow of air into the space between the bag and the container is prevented. Suction is then applied through the bag to a patient area to draw fluids from the patient area into the bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

For a more complete understanding of the invention and for further objects and advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the upper part of the drainage bag of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken generally along the section lines 3--3;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along a section line generally perpendicular to section lines 3--3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of one of the conduit members of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the upper portion of the drainage bag of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along the section lines 8--8 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional somewhat diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating the support of the flexible bag from the container cover;

FIG. 10 is a sectional somewhat diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating the support of the flexible drainage bag between the top of the container and the rigid cover thereof;

FIG. 11 is a sectional somewhat diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating support of the flexible drainage bag by means of adhesive band; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional somewhat diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention illustrating support of the flexible bag from a single dual conduit member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1-5 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a medical suction apparatus 10 comprises a generally rigid container 12 which is preferably an open-topped transparent plastic cylinder. Container 12 will generally include volume indicating markings, not shown, in order to enable visual reading of the fluid level stored in the container. A flexible drainage bag 14 is supported within the container 12 by a pair of conduit members 16 and 17 attached within a cover 18 for the container. Cover 18 preferably comprises a transparent plastic lid which is snapped into place over the open top of the container 12 to tightly seal the container for maintenance of dependable suction during operation of the device. A flexible hose or tube 20 is connected at one end to the conduit member 16 and extends to a patient area for receiving fluids. The vacuum conduit member 17 extends through the cover 18 and is connected to a flexible tube 24 which extends to a source of reduced pressure. The source of reduced pressure may comprise any suitable source of vacuum or suction which is commonly found in hospitals.

A valve 26 is mounted upon a port 28 which extends through the cover 18 to the space between the container 12 and the flexible bag 14. Valve 26 is conventional and includes an operator 29 which may be manually turned to provide selective on-off valve operation. In other embodiments, a needle valve or a one-way ball valve may be substituted for valve 26.

In the preferred operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, prior to connection of the vacuum tube 24 to the conduit member 17, pressurized gas from any suitable gas source available in a hospital is directed through the conduit member 17 into the bag 14. Concurrently, the valve 26 is placed in its opened position, so that as the bag 14 expands, the air within the space between the container 12 and the bag 14 is allowed to escape through the port 28 and the opened valve 26. After a short interval, the operator 29 is turned so that the valve 26 is closed, thereby preventing passage of air back into the space between the container 12 and the bag 14. The source of pressurized gas is then removed from the conduit member 17 and the vacuum tube 24 is attached to the conduit member 17.

The vacuum or suction from the tube 24 is thus communicated into the bag 14 and through the tube 20 to suck fluid from the patient area into the bag 14. Due to the closing of the valve 26, the space between the container 12 and the bag 14 is made airtight, and thus the bag 14 is not allowed to collapse or close during suction operation. After the bag is filled with liquid, the application of vacuum or suction through the tube 24 is terminated, the cover 18 is removed and the bag 14 is then removed, emptied and disposed of. Although not shown, a normally closed port may be defined in the bag 14 to enable the bag 14 to be easily emptied when desired. A new sterile bag 14 is then connected to the cover 18 and inserted into the rigid container 12 for reception of additional fluid, without the necessity of any sterilization or cleaning of the container 12.

The present suction device may be also operated in a somewhat different manner by opening the valve 26 and initially applying suction to the port 28. This causes the bag 14 to become opened. The valve 26 is then closed in order to maintain the reduced pressure in the space between the bag 14 and the container 12. After the valve 26 is closed, the source of vacuum is removed from the port 28 and the device is operated in the manner previously described in order to collect fluid within the bag 14. When the bag 14 is filled, the operator 29 is turned to release the vacuum between the bag 14 and the container 12 in order to enable the cover 18 and the bag 14 to be removed for disposal of the bag 14.

FIG. 2 illustrates in greater detail the construction of the flexible bag 14. Bag 14 preferably comprises a generally flat, rectangular bag sealed around the peripheral edges and sealed at the top by a heat sealed strip 30. The conduit members 16 and 17 are mounted through holes in opposite sides of the bag 14 and, respectively, comprise first conduit members 32 and 33 having annular bases 34 and 35 which are heat sealed or glued to the interior of the bag 14. The first conduit members 16 and 17 also include hollow cylindrical extensions 36 and 37 which extend from bases 34 and 35 through the holes in the bag 14. The cylindrical extensions 36 and 37 each include inwardly extending areas of increased thickness to provide a friction fit with second conduit members 38 and 39, respectively. The second conduit members 38 and 39 include central tube portions 40 and 41 having openings therethrough to provide paths to the interior of the bag 14. Prior to attachment of the bag 14 to the cover 18, conduit members 16 and 17 extend from the side of the bag in the manner shown in FIG. 2. The bag 14 may thus be rolled into a relatively compact shape for easy packaging and storage.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate in greater detail the support of the bag 14 within the container 12. In FIG. 3, the port 28 may be seen to extend through the cover 18 for communication with the area between the bag 14 and the container 12. The operator 29 extends across the port 28 and includes a notched portion which may be turned into alignment with the port 28 to open the valve. The first conduit members 32 and 33 extend through spaced apart apertures in the cover 18 and frictionally receive the second conduit members 38 and 39 in order to secure the bag to the cover 18. The drainage tubes 20 and 24 are secured to the central tube portions 40 and 41 and are extended to the patient area to receive fluid and to the source of reduced pressure. The cover 18 includes an annular extension 44 which is dimensioned to be securely received by the interior side walls of container 12. An o-ring 46 is carried by the extension 44 to insure a vacuum tight seal.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view illustrating the manner of connection of the first conduit member 33 and the second member 39 to the cover 18. Bag 14 is omitted from FIG. 5 for ease of illustration. The first conduit member 33 is extended through a hole 48 formed in the cover 18. An annular lip 50 on the cylindrical extension 36 abuts with the lower edge of the hole 48 to properly position the first conduit member 33. The second conduit member 39 is then disposed through the hole 48 from the top of cover 18 and manually snapped into frictional fit inside the cylindrical extension 36. An annular lip 52 formed on the conduit member 38 properly positions the conduit member 39 relative to the cover 18. The drainage tube 20 is then connected to the tube portion 41, wherein fluids from the patient area may be directed into the interior of the bag 14. Conduit member 16 is constructed in the same manner as member 17. The above-described conduit member construction enables ease of attachment of the bag 14 to the cover 18, while maintaining a tight connection.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate another embodiment of the invention wherein the port and valve construction is disposed on the side of the rigid container. Construction of this embodiment is somewhat similar to that previously described, with a cylindrical open topped rigid container 70 including a transparent plastic cover 72. A flexible plastic drainage bag 74 is dimensioned to fit within the container 70 and is supported from the cover 72 by a drainage conduit 76 and a vacuum conduit 78. A hose or tube 80 is connected to conduit 76 for attachment to a patient area to receive fluid, while a hose or tube 82 is connected to conduit 78 for attachment to a source of reduced pressure. A port 83 is defined through the side wall of container 12. As best shown in FIG. 8, a ball 84 is spring biased within the port 83 by a spring 85. Ball 84 is normally biased against a valve seat at the interior end of port 83.

The operation of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 6-8 is similar to that previously described. In the preferred operation of the device, a source of positive pressure is applied through either of the conduit members 76 or 78 to the interior of the bag 74 in order to expand the bag 74. The bias exerted by spring 85 is light enough to enable the ball 84 to be moved outwardly from its valve seat to thereby enable air to be exhausted through the port 83. After the bag 74 is expanded, the source of positive pressure is removed, and the ball 84 moves against the valve seat of the port 83. This prevents air from returning through the port 83 and seals the space between the bag 74 and the container 70 to thereby maintain the bag in an open position during suction operation. The device is then operated in the same manner as that previously described to draw fluid from a patient area and store the fluid within the bag 74.

In the alternative use of the device, a source of vacuum is initially applied to the port 83 to unseat the ball 84 and apply a suction to the space between the bag 74 and the container 70 to expand the bag 74. Upon removal of the source of vacuum, the ball 84 is biased by the spring 85 against the valve seat of the port 83 to thereby seal off the space between the bag 74 and the container 70 to maintain the bag in an open position during suction operation. Removal of the cover 72 after the bag 74 is filled with fluid removes the suction between the bag 74 and the container 70 and enables the bag 74 to be removed and disposed of.

As shown in FIG. 7, bag 74 is constructed in a manner similar to that previously described, and is made up of a pair of flexible sheets of clear plastic sealed around the edges and sealed at the upper edge thereof by a heat seal 86. Conduits 76 and 78 are formed in the manner previously described. As shown in FIG. 8, the conduit members comprise first conduit members 88 and 90 which are heat sealed and otherwise bonded to the interior of the bag 74 and which extend outwardly through apertures in the bag. The conduits further comprise second conduit members 92 and 94 dimensioned for friction fit within the first conduit members 88 and 90. Central tubular portions 96 and 98 are dimensioned to receive flexible tubes 80 and 82.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment of the structure of the invention. In this embodiment, bag 74 comprises an open top flexible bag which is bonded to the cover 72 by an annular heat seal 104. Because the bag 74 is connected with cover 72 in this embodiment, drainage conduit 76 and vacuum conduit 78 are not required to be attachable and may be integrally formed with the cover 72.

FIG. 10 comprises an embodiment somewhat similar to that shown in FIG. 9, wherein the bag 74 comprises an open top flexible bag which is positioned within the container 70 and is then clamped into place by attachment of the cover 72 to the container 70. Also in this embodiment, conduits 76 and 78 need not be detachable and may be integrally formed with the cover 72.

FIG. 11 comprises yet another embodiment of the invention, wherein the bag 74 comprises an open top bag having a generally rigid band 108 connected to the top thereof. The exterior of the band 108 may include adhesive so that the bag 74 may be properly positioned and supported from the interior walls of the container 70. Alternatively, suitable lips may be formed on the interior of the walls of the container 70 to support the band 108 in the desired position. In operation, the top 72 is removed and the bag 74 disposed within the container 70. The band 108 is then pressed against the interior walls of the container 70 so that the adhesive maintains the bag 74 in the desired position. Alternatively, the bag 74 is dropped into position within the container 70 and the lips therein abut against the ring 108 in order to properly support the bag 74.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment wherein the bag 74 is rigidly attached to a one piece conduit member 110 which extends through the cover 72. The drainage hose 80 and the vacuum hose 82 may be connected through a suitable aperture in the one piece conduit 110 to provide operation in the manner previously described. In this embodiment, the bag 74 is totally suspended by a single conduit, thereby eliminating connection of the bag to plural conduit members. The single conduit member may be detachable from cover 72, or integrally formed with the cover.

It may thus be seen that the present suction device may be very economically manufactured and utilized. Due to the flexible nature of the bags utilized, the suction apparatus may be conveniently stored in a relatively small package, thereby resulting in considerable space saving in hospital environments. The present device is extremely simple in design and construction, and thus is not generally subject to maintenance problems and may be operated with a minimum of instruction. The flexible bags of the invention are completely disposable so that cross contamination from patient to patient is reduced.

Whereas the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes and modifications will be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended to encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. The method of providing medical suction from a rigid container supporting a flexible bag therein comprising:

initially directing pressurized air into said bag to open said bag while exhausting air from between said bag and said container through a port in said container;

terminating flow of pressurized air into said bag when said bag is opened and thereafter preventing flow of air through said port; and

subsequently applying suction through said bag to a patient area to draw fluids from the patient area into said opened bag.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein flow of air through said port is terminated by closing of a valve in said port.

3. The method of providing medical suction from a rigid container supporting a flexible bag therein comprising:

initially connecting a source of reduced pressure to the space between said bag and said container to cause said bag to become opened;

disconnecting said source of reduced pressure when said bag is opened and thereafter preventing flow of air into the space between said bag and said container; and

subsequently applying suction through said bag to a patient area to draw fluids from the patient area into said opened bag.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the flow of air into said container is prevented by the operation of a valve.

5. A medical suction apparatus comprising:

a generally rigid open topped container;

a flexible drainage bag for being disposed within said container;

a drainage conduit extending from the upper part of said bag to the exterior of said container for connection to a patient area;

a vacuum conduit extending from the upper part of said bag to the exterior of said container for connection to a source of reduced pressure;

a cover for said container rigidly supporting said drainage and vacuum conduits to thereby suspend said bag within said container;

a port communicating with the exterior of said container and the space between said bag and the interior of said container; and

a valve in said port having a first position for allowing the passage of gas through said port to the exterior of said container in order to expand said bag to an opened position prior to the application of vacuum to said vacuum conduit and further having a second position for preventing the passage of gas to the interior of said container to maintain said bag in an opened position during application of vacuum to said vacuum conduit.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said valve is manually operable between said first and second positions.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said valve comprises a one-way valve.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said port is carried by said cover.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein each of said drainage and vacuum conduits comprise a first member rigidly attached to said bag and a second member extending through said cover for frictional engagement with said first member, said second member including an aperture therethrough for providing communication between the interior of said bag and the exterior of said container.