Medical device for allowing insertion and drainage into a body cavity

• US 5,766,211 A
• Filed: 05/10/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cheryl Flock, Jan Wood
• Original Assignee: Cheryl Flock, Jan Wood
• Inventors: Wood, Jan, Flock, Cheryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRING, NOELLE K
• Application Number:
  US08/644,421
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 604/28, 604/30, 604/32, 604/35, 604/83, 604/86, 604/244-248, 604/256, 604/283, 604/284
• US Class Current: 604/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/63 with means for emptying the suction container, e.g. by interrupting suction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/7413 by changing the cross-section of the line
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0233 characterised by liquid supply means, e.g. from pressurised reservoirs

Abstract

The invention is an irrigating device having a rigid housing defining a canal containing a three way valve selecting between three ends where at least one of the three stems has an elastic attachment for receiving two separate non-elastic medical input devices sharing a common chamber which common chamber communicates with the rigid housing canal. It has at least one three-way valve directing the flow of suction or fluids to graduated openings in the medial, distal and proximal direction. The medial opening is where the elastic attachment is place which defines a plurality of tubes. All of these tubes may be elastic. All may have an inner circumference for receiving a tube or syringe of corresponding outer diameter. Alternatively, one of these tubes may be elastic having an outer diameter for insertion into a tube or syringe of corresponding inner diameter so as to form an elastic, but water tight seal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating lavage with hookup to flexible tubes and to substantially rigid medical devices such as rigid tubing, needles or syringe tips comprising;

(a) a substantially rigid housing defining a canal within the housing, said canal having a selection chamber said chamber being continuous with a proximal end, a distal end, and a medial end and said selection chamber being located at the intersection of the distal end, medial end and proximal end and wherein the proximal end defines a proximal opening;

the distal end defines a distal opening and the medial end defines a medial opening;

(b) and wherein said housing further comprises a medial connecting means located about the medial opening; and

further comprising;

(c) an elastic flexible medial attachment means attached to the medial connecting means and wherein said flexible medial attachment means defines a common chamber continuous with the medial opening and further defines an opening for insertion of a substantially rigid medical device;

(d) and wherein said selection chamber further comprises a selection means within the selection chamber for directing flow between the medial opening, proximal opening and distal opening.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the flexible medial attachment means further comprises at least one first flexible cylinder of elastic material defining a first cylinder cavity functionally opening to the common chamber and defining an inner circumference and depth of substantially the same size as the outer circumference of the substantially rigid medical devices and wherein the depth is sufficient to allow adequate insertion of the rigid medical device so as to provide a substantially water tight seal between the elastic connecting means and the substantially rigid medical device.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the flexible medial attachment means further comprises at least one flexible cylinder of elastic material defining a first cylinder cavity functionally opening to the common chamber and defining an an outer circumference and depth of substantially the same size as the inner circumference of the substantially rigid medical devices and wherein the depth is sufficient to allow adequate insertion of the rigid medical device over the at least one cylinder so as to provide a substantially water tight seal between the elastic connecting means and the substantially rigid medical device.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the elastic connecting means further comprises a second elastic flexible cylinder defining a second cylinder cavity communicating with the common chamber and having seal means so as to provide a substantially water tight seal between the second elastic flexible cylinder and a second substantially rigid medical device.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the selection means is a rotatable valve located within the selection chamber defining passages to direct the flow within the selection chamber from the distal end to either the proximal opening or medial opening or neither.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the elastic flexible medial attachment means further comprises at least one non-elastic connecting means defining a chamber continuous with the common chamber.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the medial attachment means further comprises an elastic strap having a first end and a second end and wherein the first end is connected to the medial attachment means and the second end further comprises a first plug having an insertion end defining an outer circumference of substantially the same size as the inner circumference of the opening so that the elastic first plug may fit within the opening to form a substantially air tight seal to close off the opening.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein the first flexible cylinder and the second flexible cylinder have a different inner circumference.

9. The device of claim 4 wherein the first flexible cylinder and the second flexible cylinder have a different outer circumference.

10. The device of claim 4 wherein the first cylinder further comprises an inner circumference corresponding to the outer circumference of a GU type 60 cc syringe.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a mounting means attached to said body for affixing the rigid housing to an IV stand or similar apparatus.

12. The device of claim 2 wherein the first flexible cylinder defines a first cylinder cavity having a frustoconical shape which expands in size as the first cylinder cavity travels away from the common chamber so as to allow for a variably tight fit as the rigid medical device is inserted within the cavity.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the tubular canal further defines a distal select chamber at the distal end and wherein the distal end further comprises a distal selection means for closing off the tubular canal between the distal end and the selection chamber.

14. The device of claim 13 further comprising a second distal opening and a distal channel continuous with the second distal opening and the distal select chamber and wherein the distal selection means further comprises a channel for directing the flow from either the first distal opening or the second distal opening to the medial portion of the tubular canal.

15. The device of claim 2 wherein the at least one flexible cylinder further comprises a plug covering the opening which plug may be pierced by a needle.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the medial connecting means further comprises a medial leur lock continuous with the medial opening and wherein the medial attachment means further comprises a medial attachment chamber continuous with the common chamber which may fit over the medial leur lock to form a substantially water tight fit.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the proximal end and distal end luer lock fittings.