Suction collection device

• US 4,740,202 A
• Filed: 08/08/1986
• Issued: 04/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Haemonetics Corporation
• Inventors: Powers, Edward T., Headley, Thomas D., Stacey, Gary R., Verkaart, Wesley H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Application Number:
  US06/894,731
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 604/118, 604/119, 604/120, 604/73, 604/140, 604/146, 604/147, 604/319, 604/320, 604/321
• US Class Current: 604/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/604 Bag or liner in a rigid container, with suction applied to both
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/742 by changing the size of a vent A61M1/7411 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/21 insensitive to tilting or inclination, e.g. spill-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7536 allowing gas passage, but preventing liquid passage, e.g. liquophobic, hydrophobic, water-repellent membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

Abstract

A suction collection system particularly suitable for drawing fluids from a patient area and storing the fluids for later use or disposal, which is operable in any orientation of the device, thereby providing a field operable system which may be transported in battlefield conditions. The portable suction system consists of a cylindrical evacuating chamber with a top sealing cap. A suction port on the sealing cap is connected to the fluid collection bag, which consists of a laminar flexible plastic bag having an air permeable, liquid impermeable patch or portion through which air may pass for purposes of providing a vacuum suction, yet the collected fluids will remain in the bag. The suction power is provided by a vacuum pump which is electronically regulated by periodically energizing and de-energizing the pump to conserve power supply energy.

Claims

1. A suction system comprising:

(a) a rigid chamber with first and second openings into the interior thereof, said first chamber opening adapted to be coupled to a suction tube;

(b) a flexible collection bag having a portion of air-permeable, liquid impermeable material, said portion being of sufficient length in two dimensions, relative to the internal dimensions of the chamber, that when inserted into said chamber it will have a surface area exposed above a predetermined liquid collection level in the bag for providing an air permeable, liquid impermeable communication path between the interior of said bag and the interior of said chamber in any orientation of the chamber, and a liquid inlet opening on said bag coupled to said first chamber opening for providing a liquid permeable communication path between the interior of said bag and said first chamber opening;

(c) a vacuum pump for evacuating said chamber;

(d) fluid coupling means for providing an air communication path between the second chamber opening and the vacuum pump.

2. The system of claim 1 including a vacuum sensor and a third opening on said chamber coupled to said vacuum sensor and wherein said third opening on said chamber is coupled to said vacuum sensor which produces electrical signals proportional to the sensed vacuum and means for energizing and de-energizing said pump in response to said electrical signals.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the chamber is generally cylindrical in shape and the flexible bag is dimensioned so that for proper insertion into the chamber it must be folded back upon itself and, in that position, a section of the portion of material is exposed asbove a fluid collection volume in any chamber orientation.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the bag is comprised of two elongate planar surfaces and the portion occupies a majority of each of said surfaces, except at the periphery of the bag.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the bag is comprised of two sheets joined at the periphery thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the bag is formed substantially of said material.

8. The system of claim 3 including a control signal and wherein said vacuum transducer is coupled to said vacuum sensing conduit for converting negative pressure sensed by said transducer into an electrical signal which is compared with said control signal for setting the vacuum in said chamber by energizing and de-energizing said pump depending upon whether more vacuum or less vacuum is respectively required.

9. The system of claim 3 including a transistor switch, a battery for powering said pump and valve, and means for establishing a pre-set vacuum level and wherein the pump motor windings and solenoid valve winding are coupled in parallel between D.C. voltage from said battery and ground through a transistor switch, the conductivity of said switch being controlled by the difference between the vacuum sensed by said transducer and a pre-set vacuum level.

7. A suction system comprising:

(a) a rigid chamber with an orifice, and a sealable opening;

(b) a sealing cover for said opening, said cover having a suction port;

(c) a flexible collection bag adapted to be disposed within said chamber in operation;

at least a portion of a surface of which comprises air-permeable, liquid impermeable material and said bag having an opening coupled to one side of said suction port;

(d) a vacuum pump having a motor with windings, said pump being coupled to said orifice for establishing a vacuum in said chamber; and

(e) a vacuum sensing conduit extending through said cover into said chamber and coupled to a vacuum transducer for generating signals to control the vacuum in said chamber by energizing and de-energizing said pump; and

f. a solenoid valve electrically coupled in parallel with said motor windings for venting said pump to atmosphere during time intervals when the pump is de-energized to allow the pump to start under no load conditions.

10. A suction system comprising:

(a) a rigid chamber having a cylindrical side wall, a bottom wall with an extended portion having a sealing member and an orifice extending into said chamber, and an open top;

(b) a circular sealing cover for said open top, said cover having a suction port and a vacuum sensing port;

(c) a flexible collection bag adapted to be dissposed within said chamber in operation;

a portion of the surface of which comprises air-permeable, liquid impermeable material and having an input port coupled to one side of said suction port;

(d) a suction tip coupled to another side of said suction port;

(e) a battery;

(f) a vacuum pump powered by said battery coupled to said orifice for establishing a vacuum in said chamber;

(g) a vacuum sensing transducer coupled to said vacuum sensing port for providing signals proportional to the vacuum in said chamber to periodically cycle said pump to maintain a pre-set vacuum in the chamber thereby conserving battery power and extending the useful operating time between changes of said battery.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said transducer is a differential device having two ports, one of which is coupled to atmosphere and the other to said vacuum sensing port and wherein the signals provided by said transducer are proportional to the difference between atmospheric pressure and the vacuum in the chamber.

12. A suction system comprising:

(a) a rigid chamber having an end wall section with an orifice and an open wall section;

(b) a sealing cover for said open wall section, said cover having a suction port with a nipple portion and a vacuum sensing port;

(c) a flexible collection bag having a patch portion of air-permeabIe, liquid impermeable material and an input port on said bag coupled to one side of said suction port;

(d) a suction tube coupled to the nipple portion of said suction port;

(e) a battery power vacuum pump for evacuating said chamber;

(f) fluid coupling means for providing a fluid path between the orifice on the end wall section of the chamber and the vacuum pump;

(g) a check valve in the fluid path for preventing reversal of fluid flow through said fluid path;

(h) a battery source of power for said vacuum pump;

(i) a transducer coupled to said vacuum sensing port for providing a signal to energize and de-energize the power to said pump in response to the difference between the vacuum in the chamber and a pre-set vacuum level.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the vacuum pump includes a motor having motor windings;

a solenoid having a solenoid winding in parallel with said motor winding;

a transistor switch in series between said windings and said battery source of power and ground;

the conductivity state of said transistor being controlled by said signal such that when said transistor is conducting, the motor is operable and the solenoid is operable to vent said pump to the atmosphere, thereby enabling the pump to operate under no load conditions.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said transducer is a differential device having two ports, one of which is coupled to atmosphere and the other to said vacuum sensing port and wherein the signal provided by said transducer is proportional to the difference between atmospheric pressure and the vacuum in the chamber.