Wound evacuator

• US 4,664,652 A
• Filed: 02/07/1985
• Issued: 05/12/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Orthopaedic Surgical Products (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snyder Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Weilbacher, Eugene E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rooney, Mark
• Application Number:
  US06/699,364
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 604/131-134, 604/140, 604/216, 604/217, 604/256, 604/316, 604/317, 604/319, 604/324, 604/326, 604/403, 604/408, 128/760, 128/765, 128/767, 128/DIG. 26, 220/202, 220/366, 220/367
• US Class Current: 604/133
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/68 Containers incorporating a flexible member creating suction

Abstract

A wound evacuator comprises a pair of walls which are pushed apart by springs to generate suction in a cavity. A strap coupled to one of the walls includes a plug to close an outlet, a slot cooperating with a peg on the one wall to retain the strap adjacent the one wall and a tab to prevent contact by an individual with the plug upon removal and reinsertion of the plug in the outlet.

Claims

1. A wound evacuator for extraction of body fluids from a patient via tubing extending between the patient and the wound evacuator, the evacuator including a pair of end walls, a side wall extending between the pair of end walls to sealingly engage the latter, the side wall extending around the periphery of the end walls and cooperating with the pair of end walls to define a cavity, one of the pair of end walls defining a first opening leading to the cavity and a second opening carrying valve means for permitting one way fluid communication between the cavity and the patient, and a strap coupled to the one wall, the strap including a plug adapted to fit in the first opening, the plug including flanges extending outwardly therefrom to engage a wall of the first opening to align the plug with the first opening and releasably retain the plug adjacent the first opening when the pair of end walls are moved together to contract the cavity, the flanges cooperating with the wall of the first opening to form a path when the plug is partially received in the first opening in order to vent the cavity only through the first opening, the plug being fully received in the first opening to close the latter so that a partial vacuum is generated in the cavity as the pair of end walls move away from each other via a spring in order to communicate the body fluid from the patient to the cavity via the second opening, the one wall being provided with a peg extending outwardly therefrom and the strap being provided with a slot, the strap being substantially resilient to stretch slightly in order to align the slot with the peg so that the peg is received in the slot, and the resiliency of the strap maintains the latter tightly engaged with the peg to releasably fasten the strap adjacent the one wall.

2. The wound evacuator of claim 1 in which the plug extends outwardly from the strap away from the one wall when the strap is tightly engaged with the peg.

3. The wound evacuator of claim 1 in which the strap is twisted when in tight engagement with the peg.

4. The wound evacuator of claim 1 in which the peg is spaced from the first opening to retain the strap in spaced relation to the first opening when in tight engagement with the peg.

5. A wound evacuator for extraction of body fluids from a patient via tubing extending between the patient and the wound evacuator, the evacuator comprising a pair of end walls coupled to a side wall which extends around the periphery of the end walls to substantially define a cavity, one of the end walls to substantially define a cavity, one of the end walls including a first opening leading to the cavity and a second opening cooperating with a one-way check valve to provide for communication of the body fluids to the cavity, the one end wall supporting a strap with a plug, the plug cooperating with the first opening to close the latter when body fluids are communicated to the cavity, and the one end wall includes a locking means adapted for repeated cooperation with the strap to releasably fasten the strap adjacent the one end wall in spaced relation to the first opening each time the plug is moved away from the first opening, the strap is substantially resilient to permit deformation and stretching thereof when in cooperation with the locking means and a restoring force generated by the strap during deformation and stretching maintains the strap in cooperation with the locking means, and the locking means comprises a peg, and the strap is provided with a slot which receives the peg when the strap is fastened adjacent the one end wall.