Evacuator

Claim 2

A self-contained, independently operable, evacuator for the extraction of body fluids, for ambulatory human use, said evacuator comprising in combination, a container, a resilient diaphragm formed as a movable end wall of said container with its outer face open to atmosphere, said diaphragm having a normal position which it tends to assume by reason of its resiliency across one end of the container and being operable upon the manual actuation thereof to a stretched negative pressure applying position within the container confines and toward the opposite end thereof with the outer face of the diaphragm remaining open to atmosphere during this movement, said container being provided with an opening into which a conduit of flexing tubing may be connected, the other end of said tubing being of a material compatible with human tissue and being arranged for insertion into a body wound, whereby as said diaphragm returns to normal position across the said one end of the container the negative pressure applied by the diaphragm within the container will effect the extraction of body fluids from the wound by continuous suction, said fluids being thereby expressed into the container for storage therein.

Claim 3

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is resiliently compressible by manual actuation to effect the movement of said diaphragm to negative pressure applying position.

Claim 4

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is rigid and said diaphragm is movable therein.

Claim 5

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said container is provided with means including a valve forming an outlet for said container.

Claim 6

An evacuator as defined in claim 4 wherein said valve is selectively manually controlled.

Claim 7

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm comprises a sheet-like member of flexible resilient material.

Claim 8

An evacuator as defined in claim 6 wherein there is provided a flexible apertured wall adjacent the outer face of the diaphragm.

Claim 9

A self-contained, independently operable, evacuator for the extraction of the body fluids, for ambulatory human use, said evacuator comprising in combination, a container, resilient means including a diaphragm formed as a movable end wall of said container with its outer face open to atmosphere, said diaphragm having a normal position which it tends to assume by reason of the action of said resilient means across one end of the container and being operable upon the manual actuation thereof to a negative pressure applying position within the container confines and toward the opposite end thereof stressing the resilient means with the outer face of the diaphragm remaining open to atmosphere during this movement, said container being provided with an opening into which a conduit of flexing tubing may be connected, the other end of said tubing being of a material compatible with human tissue and being arranged for insertion into a body wound, whereby as said diaphragm returns to normal position across the said one end of the container the negative pressure applied by the resilient means within the container will effect the extraction of the body fluids from the wound by continuous suction, said fluids being thereby expressed into the container for storage therein.

Claim 10

A self-contained, independently operable, evacuator for the extraction of the body fluids, for ambulatory human use, said evacuator comprising in combination, a container, resilient means including a diaphragm formed as a movable end wall of said container with its outer face open to atmosphere, said diaphragm having a normal position which it tends to assume by reason of the action of said resilient means across one end of the container and being operable upon the manual actuation thereof to a negative pressure applying position within the container confines and toward the opposite end thereof stressing the resilient means with the outer face of the diaphragm remaining open to atmosphere during this movement, said container being provided with an opening into which a conduit of flexing tubing may be connected, the other end of said tubing being of a material compatible with human tissue and being arranged for insertion into a body wound, whereby as said diaphragm returns to normal position across the said one end of the container the negative pressure applied by the resilient means within the container will effect the extraction of the body fluids from the wound by continuous suction, said fluids being thereby expressed into the container for storage therein.

Claim 11

An evacuator as defined in claim 8 in which said resilient means is formed by resilient material of said diaphragm.

Claim 12

An evacuator as defined by claim 8 in which said resilient means includes spring means in said container.

Claim 13

An evacuator as defined by claim 9 in which said container has substantially rigid cup-shaped body.

Claim 14

An evacuator as defined by claim 9 in which said container has a collapsible boby.

Claim 15

An evacuator according to claim 12 having spring means in said body tending to expand the same.

Claim 16

An evacuator according to claim 11 in which said resilient means includes a disc for applying pressure to said diaphragm, and spring means for imposing pressure on said disc.

Claim 17

An evacuator according to claim 8 in which said resilient means includes discs on the inner and outer faces of said diaphragm, and spring means for imposing pressure on the disc that is on said inner face.

Claim 18

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein the container includes peripheral wall means extending from said one end of the container to the opposite end thereof with the diaphragm disposed within the peripheral wall means and toward the opposite end of the container when in negative pressure applying position.

Claim 19

An evacuator as defined in claim 8 wherein the container includes peripheral wall means extending from said one end of the container to the opposite end thereof with the diaphragm disposed within the peripheral wall means and toward the opposite end of the container when in negative pressure applying position.

Claim 20

An evacuator as defined in claim 1 wherein said diaphragm comprises a sheet-like member of flexible resilient material and wherein there is provided an apertured wall adjacent the outer face of the diaphragm.

Claim 21

A self-contained, independently-operable surgical evacuator unit adapted to drain fluid from a body site and to transfer fluid to the unit, said unit comprising: (A) a cup formed of rigid material and having a continuous side wall and an unbroken end wall, (B) an elastic membrane covering the cup and sealed to the lip thereof to define a sump chamber to hold fluid, said membrane in its unstretched state being substantially planar, (C) an inlet-exhaust fixture mounted on said side wall and communicating with said chamber, said fixture when functioning in an inlet mode being adapted for connection to a drain tube leading to a body site to be drained, said fixture also being arranged to function in an exhaust mode, and (D) an actuator member associated with said membrane and manually-operable by an inwardly-directed force to effect inward stretching of said membrane to displace the atmosphere of said chamber through said fixture in the exhaust mode and to create in the inlet mode of said fixture a negative pressure acting to draw fluid into said chamber when the member is released, said membrane then being capable of returning to its original unstretched state without the use of an external force whereby fluid withdrawn from the body site proceeds to fill said chamber.

Claim 22

A self-contained, independently-operable surgical evacuator unit adapted to drain fluid from a body site and to transfer fluid to the unit, said unit comprising: (A) a cup formed of rigid material and having a continuous side wall and an unbroken end wall, (B) an elastic membrane covering the cup and sealed to the lip thereof to define a sump chamber to hold fluid, said membrane in its unstretched state being substantially planar, (C) an inlet-exhaust fixture mounted on said side wall and communicating with said chamber, said fixture when functioning in an inlet mode being adapted for connection to a drain tube leading to a body site to be drained, said fixture also being arranged to function in an exhaust mode, and (D) an actuator member associated with said membrane and manually-operable by an inwardly-directed force to effect inward stretching of said membrane to displace the atmosphere of said chamber through said fixture in the exhaust mode and to create in the inlet mode of said fixture a negative pressure acting to draw fluid into said chamber when the member is released, said membrane then being capable of returning to its original unstretched state without the use of an external force whereby fluid withdrawn from the body site proceeds to fill said chamber.

Claim 23

A surgical evacuator unit as set forth in claim 19, wherein said inlet-exhaust fixture is constituted by separate fixture elements mounted on said side wall, said exhaust fixture having means to effect opening and closing thereof.

Claim 24

A unit as set forth in claim 19, wherein said cup is formed of transparent plastic material.

Claim 25

A unit as set forth in claim 19, wherein said cup is provided with a flange encircling the lip thereof to facilitate strapping said unit to a patient.

Claim 26

A unit as set forth in claim 22, wherein said membrane is clamped and sealed between said flange and a locking ring telescoping within said side wall.

Claim 27

A unit as set forth in claim 19, wherein said membrane is formed of rubber.

Claim 28

A unit as set forth in claim 20, wherein said exhaust fixture is provided with a removable stopper plug.

Claim 29

A unit as set forth in claim 20, wherein said exhaust fixture is provided with a valve to effect opening and closing thereof.