Wound evacuator

• US 5,112,323 A
• Filed: 02/08/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Orthopaedic Surgical Products (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Snyder Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Winkler, Duane K., Olson, Daniel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shay, Randy C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gualtieri, G.
• Application Number:
  US07/476,844
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 604/319, 604/133, 604/132, 604/142
• US Class Current: 604/319
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/68 Containers incorporating a flexible member creating suction

Abstract

A wound evacuator is provided with a discharge valve assembly which permits body fluid contained within the wound evacuator to be drained to a collection bag. The discharge valve assembly is also designed to minimize leakage of body fluid when the collection bag is separated from the wound evacuator.

Claims

1. A wound evacuator for extracting body fluids from a patient via tubing extending from the patient to the evacuator, the evacuator including end walls connected by a side wall to form a cavity for receiving the body fluids, means within the cavity biasing the end walls away from each other, one of the end walls including a first opening and a second opening, the first opening including a one-way check valve and communicating with the tubing to permit flow of body fluids into the cavity from the tubing and substantially prevent flow of body fluids from the cavity to the patient, the second opening including a discharge valve assembly with a cap coupled to the one end wall, the valve assembly further including a valve seat within the second opening and a valve member cooperating with the valve seat to selectively restrict fluid communication through the second opening into the cavity, the cap defining a passageway and carrying an end fitting remote from the one end wall and directed away from the one-way check valve, the end fitting defining a bore in communication with the passageway such that body fluids within the cavity are selectively communicated outwardly from the end fitting to a collection bas via the passageway and the bore, the valve member being free to move between the valve seat and the cap in the absence of any spring force such that the valve member moves away from the valve seat and into the passageway when the end walls are moved toward each other to transmit body fluids outwardly from the cavity via the second opening as the wound evacuator is disposed in an upright position with the collection bag disposed below the evacuator, the cap including a ridge engageable with the valve member when the latter is in the passageway to prevent the valve member from closing the end fitting bore and the valve member is pressure responsive to a vacuum within the cavity when the end walls are moving apart to move from the passageway to a sealing engagement with the valve seat, the cavity being expandable to receive body fluids which are initially pulled from the passageway and end fitting bore so that fluids are removed from the passageway and end fitting bore before the valve member is brought into sealing engagement with the valve seat, thereby reducing leakage from the end fitting bore and passageway, the one end wall further defining a boss extending outwardly to form the second opening, the cap including a first tubular end engageable with the boss and a second tubular end substantially perpendicular to the first tubular end for carrying the end fitting in a substantially perpendicular direction to the boss so that the second tubular end is pointed downwardly when the wound evacuator is disposed in the upright position, the first tubular end forming a shoulder facing the end of the boss and the valve seat including a flange secured between the shoulder and the end of the boss for positioning the valve member within the second opening.