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.

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.

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.