Closed wound suction evacuator with rotary valve

• US 4,529,402 A
• Filed: 02/21/1984
• Issued: 07/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Orthopaedic Surgical Products (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snyder Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Weilbacher, Eugene E., Ransom, Dean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kruter, J. L.
• Application Number:
  US06/582,196
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131-134, 128/760, 128/766, 128/767, 137/625.41, 137/625.47, 141/59
• US Class Current: 604/133
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/684 bellows-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86823 Rotary valve

Abstract

An evacuator system comprising a compressible container inside of which is positioned a vacuum assist device. The vacuum assist device aids in the expansion of the container and in developing a vacuum in the container upon expansion. The vacuum assist device within the evacuator acts to maintain a substantially constant level of vacuum as the evacuator expands while drawing fluids from a closed wound and collecting the fluids in the evacuator container. The evacuator includes an outlet for providing communication between the interior of the container and the atmosphere, and an inlet providing commuication between the interior of the container and a drainage tube. The evacuator may include a novel valve mechanism which enables the evacuator to be activated, held in an activated position until needed, and then released from the held position for use to draw fluid from a patient.

Claims

1. A medical evacuator system for evacuating fluids from the body comprising in combination:

(a) a closed compressible container having top and bottom portions connected by a flexible sidewall, said container adapted to be compressed and to expand to develop a vacuum on expansion;

(b) a valve means comprised of a thin walled valve turret defining a central opening within the turret communicating with the interior of said container, said central opening having a diameter substantially greater than the thickness of the thin walled turret, said walls of the turret including a first orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and a drainage tube and a second orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and the atmosphere, said valve means further including a circular collar which telescopically and sealingly surrounds said valve turret, said collar adapted to selectively close off and seal said first orifice and second orifice.

2. The valve means of claim 1, wherein said valve turret has an upper and lower portion, said upper portion containing said first orifice and said second orifice, and wherein said circular collar fits over said upper portion of said valve turret.

3. The valve means of claim 2, wherein the interior of said circular collar communicates with a hollow drainage orifice inlet nipple and a hollow orifice outlet nipple, said inlet and outlet nipples formed integrally with said collar and extending outwardly therefrom, said circular collar rotatable about the upper portion of the valve turret such that the orifice inlet nipple may be aligned with the first orifice of the upper portion of the valve turret or the orifice outlet nipple may be aligned with the second orifice, or both the first orifice and second orifice may be closed off and sealed by the inner wall surface of the circular collar, or the orifice inlet nipple may be aligned with the second orifice at the same time the orifice outlet nipple is aligned with the first orifice.

4. The valve means of claim 3, wherein the upper turret portion has a top, said top having indicated thereon toward the peripheral edge of the top, designations for three positions:

patient position, hold position and activate position, wherein the activate position is disposed at a radial angle from the patient position in one direction, and the hold position is located about midway between the patient and activate positions, and wherein said first orifice in said upper turret portion is aligned with the patient position and said second orifice in said upper turret portion is located so as not to be aligned with any of said three positions, and is at a certain radial distance apart from said first orifice, and wherein the circular collar orifice outlet nipple is disposed in the outer surface of said circular collar and is disposed radially apart at said certain radial distance from said circular collar orifice inlet nipple, and wherein said inlet nipple has on the top thereof, a valve indicator for selectively positioning the circular collar on the valve turret upper portion.

5. The valve means of claim 4 wherein said top has a designation for a fourth position, wherein said fourth position is a wall suction position, and wherein said second orifice is aligned with said wall suction position, said wall suction position being disposed at a radial angle from the patient position in a direction opposite from said one direction.

6. A medical evacuator system for evacuating fluids from the body comprising in combination:

(a) a closed compressible container having top and bottom portions connected by a flexible sidewall, said container adapted to be compressed and to expand to develop a vacuum on expansion;

(b) a valve means comprised of a valve turret which includes an inlet orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and a drainage tube and a vent orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and the atmosphere, and a circular collar which telescopically and sealingly surrounds said valve turret adapted to selectively close off and seal said inlet orifice and vent orifice, said valve turret having an upper and lower portion, said upper portion containing said inlet orifice and said vent orifice, and wherein said circular collar surrounds over said upper portion of said valve turret, the interior of said circular collar communicating with a hollow drainage orifice inlet nipple and a hollow orifice outlet nipple, said circular collar is capable of rotation on the upper portion of the valve turret such that the orifice inlet nipple may be aligned with the inlet orifice of the upper portion of the valve turret or the orifice outlet nipple may be aligned with the vent orifice, or both the inlet orifice and vent orifice may be closed off and sealed by the inner wall surface of the circular collar, or the orifice inlet nipple may be aligned with the vent orifice at the same time the orifice outlet nipple is aligned with the inlet orifice;

the upper turret portion includes a top, said top having indicated thereon toward the peripheral edge of the top, designations for four positions;

patient position, hold position, activate position, and a wall suction position, wherein the activate position is disposed at a radial angle from the patient position in one direction and the wall suction position is disposed at a radial angle from the patient position in the opposite direction, and the hold position is located about midway between the patient and activate positions, and wherein said inlet orifice in said upper turret portion is aligned with the patient position and said vent orifice in said upper turret portion is aligned with said wall suction position, and is at a certain radial distance apart from said inlet orifice, and wherein the circular collar orifice outlet nipple is disposed in the outer surface of said circular collar and is disposed radially apart at said certain radial distance from said circular collar orifice inlet nipple, and wherein said inlet nipple has on the top thereof, a valve indicator for selectively positioning the circular collar on the valve turret upper portion, and wherein the patient position is disposed at a radial angle of about 140°

clockwise from the wall suction position and the activate position is disposed at a radial angle of about 80°

clockwise from the patient position, and the hold position is located midway between the patient and activate positions at a radial angle of about 40°

from each, and wherein said outlet nipple is disposed about 140°

radially clockwise from said inlet nipple.

7. A medical evacuator system for evacuating fluids from the body comprising in combination;

(a) a closed compressible container having top and bottom portions connected by a flexible sidewall, said container adapted to be compressed and to expand to develop a vacuum on expansion;

(b) a valve means comprised of a valve turret which includes an inlet orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and a drainage tube and a vent orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and the atmosphere, and a circular collar which telescopically and sealingly surrounds said valve turret adapted to selectively close off and seal said inlet orifice and vent orifice, said valve turret having an upper and lower portion, said upper portion containing said inlet orifice and said vent orifice, and wherein said circular collar surrounds said upper portion of said valve turret, and wherein said valve means further includes a cap means having a top and a depending rim and having thread means on the inner surface of said depending rim, said evacuator system including a compressible container having a reduced neck in the top thereof and said neck having mating threads on the outer surface thereof, and said neck having an opening communicating with the interior of said container, said top of said cap means having an opening through which the upper portion of the valve turret upwardly extends, the valve turret further including peripherally disposed about midway between the upper turret portion and the lower turret portion a horizontal circular flange, such that when the cap is threadedly connected to said neck, the horizontal circular flange and said valve turret are tightly and sealingly held in place on said neck, said lower portion of said valve turret extending downwardly into the neck of said evacuator.

8. A medical evacuator system for evacuating fluids from the body comprising in combination:

(a) a closed compressible container having top and bottom portions connected by a flexible sidewall, said container adapted to be compressed and to expand to develop a vacuum on expansion;

(b) a valve means comprised of a valve turret which includes an inlet orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and a drainage tube and a vent orifice to provide communication between the interior of said container and the atmosphere, and a circular collar which telescopically and sealingly surrounds said valve turret adapted to selectively close off and seal said inlet orifice and vent orifice, said valve turret having an upper and lower portion, said upper portion containing said inlet orifice and said vent orifice, and wherein said circular collar surrounds said upper portion of said valve turret, and wherein said circular collar is tightly and sealingly held to the upper portion of the valve turret by a circular bead retaining means located at the top edge of the upper portion of the valve turret.

9. A medical evacuator system for evacuating fluids from the body comprising in combination:

(a) a closed compressible container having top and bottom portions connected by a flexible sidewall, said container adapted to be compressed and to expand to develop a vacuum on expansion;

(b) a valve means comprised of a valve turret having a peripheral wall which includes a first orifice therewithin to provide communication between the interior of said container and a drainage tube and second orifice therewithin to provide communication between the interior of said container and the atmosphere, and said valve means further including a circular collar which telescopically and sealingly surrounds said valve turret, said collar adapted to selectively close off and seal said first orifice and second orifice by rotation of said collar about said turret.

10. An evacuator as claimed in claim 9 wherein said turret is a thin walled valve turret defining a central opening within the turret, said central opening communicating with the interior of said container, said central opening having a diameter substantially greater than the thickness of the thin walled turret, said walls of the turret including the first and second orifices therein.