Self-contained fluid evacuator

Claim 2

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising a substantially rigid, closed container having first and second openings therethrough, said first opening being adapted to receive a conduit, an inflatable member within said container, means for inflating said inflatable member mounted on said container and being in flow communication with the interior of said inflatable member through said second opening, valve means responsive to the difference in pressure between the pressure in the inflation means and in the inflatable member such that said valve means enables fluid to enter the inflatable member from the inflating means at a higher rate than the fluid can leave the inflatable member, said valve means restricting fluid from leaving the inflatable member at a rate greater than a predetermined minimal flow rate.

Claim 3

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve means is a check valve having a bleed passageway therethrough which permits restricted fluid flow through said valve when said valve is closed.

Claim 4

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 2 wherein the inflating means is a manually operable pump having an outlet, said inflatable member is a resilient bladder attached to the outlet of said pump and said check valve is mounted across the pump outlet.

Claim 5

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 2 wherein the inflating means is a resilient bulb having an air inlet and an air outlet and wherein said inflatable member is a resilient bladder mounted in flow communication with said air outlet, said check valve being mounted across said air outlet to control the flow of air between said bulb and said bladder.

Claim 6

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising a substantially rigid, closed container having a first port and a second port therethrough, said first port adapted to receive a conduit, a resilient inflatable member within said container, a resilient bulb having an air inlet and an air outlet, said inflatable member being mounted in flow communication with said air outlet, the exterior surface of said bulb adjacent said air inlet being irregular to ensure quick opening of the air inlet, on release of the bulb, valve means responsive to the difference in pressure between the prssure within the bulb and the pressure within the inflatable member, said valve means enabling air to enter the inflatable member from the bulb at a higher rate than air can leave the inflatable member, said valve means restricting air from leaving the inflatable member at a rate greater than a predetermined minimal flow rate.

Claim 7

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising a substantially rigid, closed container having a first port and a second port therethrough, said first port adapted to receive a conduit, a resilient inflatable member within said container, a resilient bulb having an air inlet and an air outlet, said inflatable member being mounted in flow communication with said air outlet, the exterior surface of said bulb adjacent said air inlet being irregular to ensure quick opening of the air inlet, on release of the bulb, valve means responsive to the difference in pressure between the prssure within the bulb and the pressure within the inflatable member, said valve means enabling air to enter the inflatable member from the bulb at a higher rate than air can leave the inflatable member, said valve means restricting air from leaving the inflatable member at a rate greater than a predetermined minimal flow rate.

Claim 8

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 5 wherein said bulb includes a bead projecting from the exterior surface of said bulb, said air inlet extending through said bead and said bulb.

Claim 9

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and said second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between said first and second walls; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container; c. an inflatable member within said container; d. means for inflating said inflatable member; e. means for deflating said inflatable member; and f. said third and fourth side walls having a configuration which substantially conforms to the shape of the natural unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member to a size substantially equal in volume to the volume of the container effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 10

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and said second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing between said first and second walls; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container; c. an inflatable member within said container; d. means for inflating said inflatable member; e. means for deflating said inflatable member; and f. said third and fourth side walls having a configuration which substantially conforms to the shape of the natural unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member to a size substantially equal in volume to the volume of the container effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 11

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart further than said first and second side walls and having a transverse outward curvature; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container; c. a resilient inflatable member with said container; d. means for inflating said inflatable member; and e. said third and fourth side walls having a radious of transverse curvature which conforms to the shape of the naturaL unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member to a size substantially equal in volume to the volume of the container effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 12

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart further than said first and second side walls and having a transverse outward curvature; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container; c. a resilient inflatable member with said container; d. means for inflating said inflatable member; and e. said third and fourth side walls having a radious of transverse curvature which conforms to the shape of the naturaL unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member to a size substantially equal in volume to the volume of the container effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 13

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 wherein the radius of transverse curvature of said third and fourth walls is Wc/2, where Wc equals the distance between said first and second side walls.

Claim 14

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 wherein said first and second side walls are substantially flat.

Claim 15

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 wherein said bottom wall has a flat portion to facilitate standing the container on a flat surface.

Claim 16

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 9 wherein said inflatable member is a substantially cylindrical bladder.

Claim 17

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 including means formed on the interior surface of said container at least a portion of which is adjacent to said first port to provide a fluid-flow passageway thereto.

Claim 18

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 including means on one of the interior surfaces of said container and the exterior surface of said inflatable member for impeding said inflatable member from adhering to the interior surface of said container.

Claim 19

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for inflating said inflatable member is a manually operated pump having an outlet, said inflatable member being attached to the outlet of said pump and including valve means responsive to the pressure differential between the interior of said pump and the interior of said inflatable member, said valve means enabling fluid to enter said inflatable member at a higher rate than said valve enables fluid to leave said inflatable member said valve means restricting fluid from leaving the inflatable member at a rate greater than a predetermined minimal flow rate.

Claim 20

A self-contained evacuator as defined in claim 15 wherein said valve means is a check valve having a bleed passageway therethrough which permits restricted fluid-flow through said check valve when said check valve is closed.

Claim 21

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 16 wherein said pump is a resilient bulb having an air inlet therethrough.

Claim 22

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart further than said first and second side walls; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container and adapted to receive a conduit; c. a second port communicating with the interior of said container; d. a resilient inflatable member within said container; e. means for inflating said inflatable member mounted on said container and communicating with said inflatable member through said second port; f. said third and fourth side walls having an effective configuration which conforms to the shape of the natural unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member effecting substantially constant negative pressure of said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 23

A self-contained fluid evacuator comprising: a. a substantially rigid, closed container including a bottom wall, first and second spaced apart opposed side walls, third and fourth side walls joined to the opposite ends of said first and second side walls, said third and fourth side walls being spaced apart further than said first and second side walls; b. a first port communicating with the interior of said container and adapted to receive a conduit; c. a second port communicating with the interior of said container; d. a resilient inflatable member within said container; e. means for inflating said inflatable member mounted on said container and communicating with said inflatable member through said second port; f. said third and fourth side walls having an effective configuration which conforms to the shape of the natural unimpeded shape of the adjacent portion of said inflatable member during inflation of said inflatable member effecting substantially constant negative pressure of said first port during deflation of said inflatable member.

Claim 24

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 18 including air expulsion control means responsive to the inflation of said inflatable member to terminate the expulsion of air from said container during inflation of said inflatable member when said inflatable member and said third and fourth side walls obtain a predetermined relationship.

Claim 25

A self-contained fluid evacuator as defined in claim 19 wherein the said second port is positioned such that saiD inflatable member occludes said second port when said inflatable member and said third and fourth side walls obtain a predetermined relationship thereby terminating the explusion of air from said container, said predetermined relationship being that further inflation of said inflatable member without occlusion of said first port would produce deformation of said inflatable bladder into a shape which it would not take if said third and fourth walls were nonexistent.

Claim 26

A self-contained fluid evacuator for removing fluids from a patient including a substantially rigid container having spaced apart first and second walls, and third and fourth walls spaced apart further than said first and second walls, a first port communicating with the interior of said container, an inflatable member within said container, means for inflating said inflatable member, means for deflating said inflatable member, said container and said inflatable member having a combined configuration so that said third and fourth walls conform in shape to the shape that the natural unimpeded inflatable member obtains during inflation effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member throughout said predetermined operating range, the container and inflatable member substantially have the following dimension ratios: Df diameter of bladder; Lf length of bladder between 3.0 - 4.0 Df Wc width of container between said first and second walls > 2.0Df; and Rc radius of transverse curvature of said third and fourth walls Wc/2.

Claim 27

A self-contained fluid evacuator for removing fluids from a patient including a substantially rigid container having spaced apart first and second walls, and third and fourth walls spaced apart further than said first and second walls, a first port communicating with the interior of said container, an inflatable member within said container, means for inflating said inflatable member, means for deflating said inflatable member, said container and said inflatable member having a combined configuration so that said third and fourth walls conform in shape to the shape that the natural unimpeded inflatable member obtains during inflation effecting substantially constant negative pressure at said first port during deflation of said inflatable member throughout said predetermined operating range, the container and inflatable member substantially have the following dimension ratios: Df diameter of bladder; Lf length of bladder between 3.0 - 4.0 Df Wc width of container between said first and second walls > 2.0Df; and Rc radius of transverse curvature of said third and fourth walls Wc/2.

Claim 28

A fluid evacuator as defined in claim 21 wherein the largest internal perimeter of said container is not greater than 22 Df.