Suction apparatus for body cavities

Claim 1

A suction type catheter assembly for use particularly in performing a uterine curettage and the like wherein body tissue specimens are more easily obtained from various body cavities including the uterus, said catheter assembly comprising, in combination: a. a combined hollow handle and tissue specimen collection container having a longitudinal center axis and longitudinally opposed ends; said handle/container facilitating wellcontrolled manipulation of said catheter during operative use thereof; b. an elongated thin walled rigid cannula of relatively small diameter to facilitate insertion into small diameter body orifices and narrow body cavities, said cannula having one end connected rigidly to one longitudinal end of said handle/container, and an opposite rounded end portion with a sharp-edged aperture formed adjacent said rounded end; c. said cannula having a further pressure equalizing aperture adjacent the handle/container adapted for selective degrees of closure by the user''s finger for controlling the amount of suction through said cannula during use; d. said handle/container being divided longitudinally into two concentric compartments by means of a longitudinally disposed cylindrical filtering seive which serves to pasS fluids while retaining the removed specimen tissue within said handle/container for subsequent clinical examination; and e. one of said compartments being connected to said cannula and the other being connected to a vacuum source for suction of specimen tissue material from a body cavity through said cannula and into said container.