Suction liquid collection assembly and flexible collecting bag therefor

• US 4,466,888 A
• Filed: 05/21/1981
• Issued: 08/21/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Inventors: Verkaart, Wesley H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spear, Jr., Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US06/266,065
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 128/276, 128/272, 128/272.3, 128/DIG. 3, 128/DIG. 24, 128/214 D, 141/8, 141/10, 141/314, 141/316, 141/379, 141/369, 141/114, 141/51, 141/54, 210/927, 210/232, 604/319, 604/322, 604/406, 604/408
• US Class Current: 210/232
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/02 Blood transfusion apparatus blood infusion by syringes A61M5/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/604 Bag or liner in a rigid container, with suction applied to both
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/69 Drainage containers not being adapted for subjection to vacuum, e.g. bags devices worn by the patient for reception of urine A61F5/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/78 Means for preventing overflow or contamination of the pumping systems combined with drainage containers A61M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/082 Mounting brackets, arm supports for equipment

Abstract

A blood collecting bag is clamped along its peripheral edges between two shells. Inlet and outlet ports are formed in one side edge of the bag and are also clamped between the shells. The shells form a vacuum chamber around the bag with the bag serving as a sealing gasket and also house a liquid trap connected to the gas outlet from the bag. Pressure between the two shells is equalized through a vent hole formed through the bag. The bag comprises a membrane forming front and rear faces joined along peripheral edges. The disposable bag includes a laminated filter which lies flat between the front and rear faces of the bag when the bag is collapsed. The filter is sealed between the two faces of the bag along one edge thereof and is joined to the rear face of the bag along its opposite edge to define inlet and outlet chambers. Preferably, the shells are of clear plastic molded to conform to the shape of the expanded bag within the chamber.

Claims

1. A suction liquid collection assembly of the type having a flexible, impervious liquid collection bag associated with a vacuum chamber, the bag including a fluid inlet port near the top of the bag, an outlet port near the top of the bag to which a vacuum source is connectable to draw liquid and air through the inlet port into the collection bag, and a drain port at the bottom of the bag, the improvement of:

the liquid collection bag comprising a bag membrane forming front and rear bag faces joined along peripheral edges with the fluid inlet port, the outlet port and the drain port passing through a single side edge of the bag;

the vacuum chamber comprising at least two shells hinged together at a vertical side edge; and

in an operating arrangement, the bag periphery being securely clamped between the shells along the entire bag periphery such that the bag periphery forms a gas sealing gasket between the shells, with the fluid inlet port, outlet port and drain port clamped between the shells along a side edge opposite to the side edge at which the shells are hinged, a vacuum being drawn from the bag through the outlet port and a greater vacuum being drawn from the vacuum chamber on each face of the bag.

2. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inside surfaces of the shells are shaped to conform to the liquid collection bag expanded within the vacuum chamber.

3. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 including a vent hole through the bag for equalizing the pressure on each face of the bag.

4. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 including support holes in the bag and complementary protrusions on one of the shells for orienting and supporting the bag before it is clamped between the shells.

5. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid collection bag includes a filter element within the bag which divides the bag into inlet and outlet chambers, the filter element lying substantially flat between front and rear faces of the bag when the bag is collapsed, there being a fluid inlet port into the inlet chamber near the top thereof, an air outlet port from the outlet chamber near the top thereof and a drain port from the outlet chamber near the bottom thereof.

6. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein an edge of the filter element is joined to one of the bag faces away from the peripheral edges at the bottom and one side of the bag, the filter and the bag face to which the filter is joined forming walls of both the inlet and outlet chambers, and the outlet chamber extends from about the bottom of the bag to about the highest fill level of the bag.

7. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the filter is a lamination of at least two filter layers of different pore sizes.

8. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the suction is drawn from the bag through the vacuum chamber.

9. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vacuum chamber comprises two shells, one shell having a ridge along its periphery and the other shell having a complementary groove, and the bag is securely clamped between the shells along the bag periphery between the ridge and complementary groove to form a gasket between the shells.

10. A flexible liquid collection bag suitable for use in a suction blood collection system comprising:

a bag membrane forming front and rear bag faces joined alongside, top and bottom peripheral edges such that the membrane may be clamped between rigid pressure shell components;

fluid inlet and air outlet ports formed near the top of the bag, each through an edge thereof, and a drain port formed near the bottom of the bag through an edge thereof;

a filter element within the bag which divides the bag into inlet and outlet chambers, the filter element lying substantially flat between front and rear faces of the bag when the bag is collapsed, the fluid inlet port passing into the inlet chamber near the top thereof, the air outlet port passing from the outlet chamber near the top thereof and the drain port passing from the outlet chamber near the bottom thereof; and

a vent hole through the bag membrane for equalizing pressure applied to the bag faces.

11. A liquid collection bag as claimed in claim 10 wherein the inlet, outlet and drain ports extend into the respective chambers through a single edge of the bag.

12. A liquid collection bag as claimed in claim 10 wherein an edge of the filter element is joined to one of the bag faces away from the peripheral edges at the bottom and one side of the bag, the filter and the bag face to which the filter is joined forming walls of both the inlet and outlet chambers, and the outlet chamber extends from about the bottom of the bag to about the highest fill level of the bag.

13. A liquid collection bag as claimed in claim 10 wherein the filter is a lamination of at least two filter layers of different pore sizes.

14. A liquid collection bag as claimed in claim 10 including support holes at the four corners thereof.

15. A suction liquid collection assembly of the type having a flexible, impervious liquid collection bag associated with a vacuum chamber, the bag including a fluid inlet port at about the top of the bag, an outlet port at about the top of the bag to which a vacuum source is connectable to draw liquid and air through the inlet port into the collection bag, and a drain port at the bottom of the bag, the improvement of:

the liquid collection bag comprising a bag membrane forming front and rear bag faces joined along peripheral edges with the fluid inlet port, the outlet port and the drain port each passing through the peripheral edges of the bag;

the vacuum chamber comprising at least two shells hinged together at an edge; and

in an operating arrangement, the bag periphery being securely clamped between the shells along the entire bag periphery such that the bag periphery forms a gas sealing gasket between the shells, with the fluid inlet port, outlet port and drain port clamped between the shells, a vacuum being drawn from the vacuum chamber on each face of the bag.

16. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein the inside surfaces of the shells are shaped to conform to the liquid collection bag expanded within the vacuum chamber.

17. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 15 including a vent hole through the bag for equalizing the pressure on each face of the bag.

18. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 15 wherein the liquid collection bag includes a filter element within the bag which divides the bag into inlet and outlet chambers, the filter element lying substantially flat between front and rear faces of the bag when the bag is collapsed, there being a fluid inlet port into the inlet chamber near the top thereof, an air outlet port from the outlet chamber near the top thereof and a drain port from the outlet chamber near the bottom thereof.

19. A suction liquid collection assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein an edge of the filter element is joined to one of the bag faces away from the peripheral edges at the bottom and one side of the bag, the filter and the bag face to which the filter is joined forming walls of both the inlet and outlet chambers, and the outlet chamber extends from about the bottom of the bag to about the highest fill level of the bag.