Wound drainage device
First Claim
1. A device for drawing fluids therein comprising:
- a. a housing having an end wall and an opening therein;
b. an airtight and watertight resilient container disposed within the housing and being collapsible and expandable therein;
c. means for communicating with the interior of the container;
d. means for collapsing the container within the housing; and
e. variable force means for automatically expanding the container from its collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the container and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the container so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein at a substantially constant level of suction, said variable force expansion means being disposed outside the container.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device for removing fluids from a wound includes a housing and a resilient bellows inside the housing. The bellows can be collapsed and retained in a collapsed or activated state. Upon release from its activated state, the bellows is expanded so as to create a negative pressure therein whereupon fluids are automatically drawn into and collected within the bellows. Preferably the bellows is expanded by a variable force ribbon spring so that the resultant or combined restoring force provided by the resilient bellows and the variable force ribbon spring allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the bellows so as to provide for a substantially constant level of suction of the device throughout the range of evacuation of fluids therein. The housing is preferably transparent with graduations provided thereon permitting the visible inspection and measurement of the fluids collected therein. A method for operating the device is also disclosed.
217 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A device for drawing fluids therein comprising:
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a. a housing having an end wall and an opening therein; b. an airtight and watertight resilient container disposed within the housing and being collapsible and expandable therein; c. means for communicating with the interior of the container; d. means for collapsing the container within the housing; and e. variable force means for automatically expanding the container from its collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the container and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the container so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein at a substantially constant level of suction, said variable force expansion means being disposed outside the container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A device for removal of fluids from a wound comprising:
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a. an elongated housing having at least one end wall at one end thereof, said end wall having an opening; b. an airtight and watertight resilient elongated bellows disposed within the housing, the bellows being collapsible and expandable and having an upper and a lower end; c. means for communicating with the interior of the bellows; d. means for maintaining the upper end of the bellows adjacent said end wall of the housing; e. means for collapsing the bellows within the housing; and f. variable force means for automatically expanding the bellows from its collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the bellows and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the bellows so as to provide for the removal of fluids from the wound at a substantially constant level of suction substantially throughout the range of evacuation, said variable force expansion means being disposed outside the container. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A device for drawing fluids from a portion of a human body comprising:
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a. a housing having at least one opening; b. airtight and watertight resilient container means disposed within the housing, the resilient container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing; c. variable force expansion means disposed outside the resilient container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the resilient container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the resilient container means and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the resilient container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from the portion of a body at a substantially constant level of suction substantially throughout the range of evacuation; and d. means for connecting the opening of the housing to the portion of the body so that fluids may be drawn therefrom into the interior of the bellows. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A method for drawing fluids from a portion of a body comprising:
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a. taking a suction device in a preactivated state, said device including a housing having at least one opening, airtight and watertight resilient container means disposed within the housing, the resilient container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing, and variable force expansion means disposed outside the resilient container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the resilient container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the resilient container means and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the resilient container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from a portion of a body at a substantially constant level of suction substantially throughout the range of evacuation; b. connecting the opening of the housing to a portion of a body from which fluids are to be drawn; and c. activating said suction device so as to draw fluids into said suction device at said substantially constant rate of suction. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification