Surgical underwater drainage system

Claim 3

A method according to Claim 1 characterised by the steps of connecting an air chamber outlet (42) with the thorocotomy tube (80) and operating a plunger (16) to deliver a metered quantity of air from the air chamber (40) to the thorocotomy tube (80).

Claim 6

A surgical underwater drainage apparatus for draining fluids from the body of a patient comprising: a container (70): a fluid inlet duct (78) in said container (70): a collection chamber (72) formed in said container (70) for collecting fluids received through said fluid inlet duct (78), said collection chamber (72) being fluidly connected to a suction source a thorocotomy tube or inlet tube (64) fluidly connected at one end to the patient and at the other end to said fluid inlet duct (78): characterised by an underwater seal (74) located in said container (70) for preventing the flow of the atmospheric air from said container (70) into said inlet tube (78): and a metered air pump (10) which is fluidly connected to the thorocotomy tube or inlet tube.

Claim 7

A surgical underwater drainage apparatus for draining fluids from the body of a patient comprising: a container (70): a fluid inlet duct (78) in said container (70): a collection chamber (72) formed in said container (70) for collecting fluids received through said fluid inlet duct (78), said collection chamber (72) being fluidly connected to a suction source a thorocotomy tube or inlet tube (64) fluidly connected at one end to the patient and at the other end to said fluid inlet duct (78): characterised by an underwater seal (74) located in said container (70) for preventing the flow of the atmospheric air from said container (70) into said inlet tube (78): and a metered air pump (10) which is fluidly connected to the thorocotomy tube or inlet tube.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to Claim 4 characterised in that said metered air pump (10) for delivering a metered amount of air to said inlet tube (78) when excess negativity occurs in said inlet tube (78), includes a metered air chamber (40) from which only a metered volume of air is pumped into said inlet tube

Claim 9

(78) upon each actuation of said metered air pump means (10).

Claim 10

(78) upon each actuation of said metered air pump means (10).

Claim 11

A surgical drainage apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 characterised in that said metered air pump means (10) further includes a normally open one-way inlet valve (22) which admits air to said metered air chamber (40), said normally open one-way valve (22) closing in response to actuation of said metered air pump means (10) which causes a positive pressure in said metered air chamber (40).

Claim 12

A surgical drainage apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 characterised in that said metered air pump means (10) further includes a resiliently biased closed one-way valve (50) located between said metered air chamber (40) and said inlet tube (78), said resiliently biased closed one-way valve (50) opening to pass air contained in said metered air chamber (40) to said inlet tube (78) in response to the positive pressure produced in said metered air chamber (40) during actuation of said metered air pump (10).

Claim 13

A surgical drainage apparatus as claimed in Claim 7 characterised in that said metered air pump means (10) further includes a spring biased plunger (16) located adjacent said metered air chamber (40), said plunger (16) being depressed to produce a positive pressure in said metered air chamber (40) which causes the air in said metered air chamber (40) to pass through said resiliently biased closed one-way valve (50) and into. said inlet tube (78).

Claim 14

A surgical drainage apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 5 to 8 characterised in that said underwater seal (74) is formed at the lower end of said fluid inlet duct (78), the fluids from the body of the patient forming the liquid in the underwater seal.

Claim 15

A metered air pump (10) for relieving excess negativity in an inlet tube (78) of a surgical underwater drainage device (70) characterised by an elongate hollow body (11, 12) mounted for reciprocal movement in said body, said plunger (l6) being resiliently urged toward the upper end (11) of said body so that in a rest position - a portion of said plunger extends beyond the upper end (11) of said body; a metered air chamber (40) located in said body (12) below said plunger (16): a pump air inlet which provides fluid communication between the open atmosphere and said metered air chamber (40): a pump air outlet (42) at the bottom of said body (12) which provides fluid communication between said metered air chamber (40) and said lower hose fitting (66): means (22, 24, 34) to seal said pump air inlet fluidly from said metered air chamber (40) when said plunger :(16) is depressed: means (52, 56) to seal said pump air outlet (42) fluidly from said metered air chamber (40) when said plunger (16) is undepressed: and means (64) to connect said hose fitting (62) fluidly with the inlet tube (76): such that when excess negativity is present in the inlet tube (78), said plunger (l6) is depressed causing a metered amount of air to be injected into the inlet tube (78) to relieve the excess negativity.

Claim 16

A metered air pump (10) for relieving excess negativity in an inlet tube (78) of a surgical underwater drainage device (70) characterised by an elongate hollow body (11, 12) mounted for reciprocal movement in said body, said plunger (l6) being resiliently urged toward the upper end (11) of said body so that in a rest position - a portion of said plunger extends beyond the upper end (11) of said body; a metered air chamber (40) located in said body (12) below said plunger (16): a pump air inlet which provides fluid communication between the open atmosphere and said metered air chamber (40): a pump air outlet (42) at the bottom of said body (12) which provides fluid communication between said metered air chamber (40) and said lower hose fitting (66): means (22, 24, 34) to seal said pump air inlet fluidly from said metered air chamber (40) when said plunger :(16) is depressed: means (52, 56) to seal said pump air outlet (42) fluidly from said metered air chamber (40) when said plunger (16) is undepressed: and means (64) to connect said hose fitting (62) fluidly with the inlet tube (76): such that when excess negativity is present in the inlet tube (78), said plunger (l6) is depressed causing a metered amount of air to be injected into the inlet tube (78) to relieve the excess negativity.

Claim 17

ll. A.metered air pump as claimed in Claim 10 characterised in that said means (22, 24, 34) to seal said pump air inlet is a normally open one-way valve (22) which closes in response to a positive pressure produced in said metered air chamber (40) as said plunger (16) is depressed.

Claim 18

A metered air pump as claimed in Claim 11 characterised in that said normally open one-way valve (22) includes a piston (30) with a peripheral seal (34) engaging said elongate hollow body (12), said piston (30) being operably connected to said plunger (16) between said plunger (16) and said metered air chamber (40) so as to be movable relative to said plunger (16): at least one open channel (36, 36') through said piston (30) between said plunger (l6) and said air chamber (40) and a piston seal (24) located between said piston (30) and said plunger (16) and peripherally to said at least one open channel (36, 36') so as to engage mating surfaces of said piston (30) and said plunger (l6) when said plunger (l6) is depressed and to thereby prevent fluid communication between said pump air inlet and said at least one open channel ( 36, 36') .

Claim 19

A metered air pump as claimed in Claim 12 characterised in that said piston (30) is operably connected to said plunger (16) by a screw (28) having a screw head, said screw being slidably mounted through said piston (30) and threadably received in said plunger (16).

Claim 20

A metered air pump as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11 characterised in that said means to seal said pump air outlet includes a resiliently biased closed one-way valve (50) which opens in response to a positive pressure produced in said metered air chamber (40) as said plunger (16) is depressed.

Claim 21

A metered air pump as claimed in Claim 14 characterised in that said resiliently biased closed one-way valve (50) includes a bottom wall (44) located in the bottom portion of said elongate body (12): an aperture (42) in said bottom wall (44): a spring biased closure (56) urged toward said bottom wall: and a seal (52) located between said bottom wall (44) and said closure (56) and peripherally of said aperture (42) so as to engage mating surfaces of said bottom wall (44) and said closure (56) when said plunger (16) is not depressed to thereby prevent the passing of air from said metered air chamber (40) to said inlet tube (78).