Suction receptacle with hygroscopic filter

Claim 1

A medical suction system for connection to a conventional hospital vacuum source having a vacuum pressure sufficient to create a suitable flow rate for draining fluid from a patient area comprising: a fluid collection receptacle including a suction port for being connected to the vacuum source and also including a fluid receiving port, said vacuum source creating a vacuum within said receptacle sufficient to withdraw fluid from the patient area at a desired flow rate for collection within said fluid collection receptacle; a shutoff valve mounted in association with said fluid collection receptacle and responsive to a predetermined height of fluid within said fluid collection receptacle for closing said suction port to prevent application of vacuum pressure from the vacuum source through said suction port to said fluid collection receptacle; and hygroscopic filter means for filtering aerosol droplets formed from bacteria encapsulated by liquid, said filter means mounted between said shutoff valve of said fluid collection receptacle and the vacuum source and having fibers for absorbing and collecting within the interior of said fibers liquid from said aerosol droplets entrained in the air withdrawn from said fluid collection receptacle to prevent entry of the entrained aerosol droplets into the vacuum source while continuously permitting the passage of air from the interior of said fluid collection receptacle through said suction port to the vacuum source prior to actuation of said shutoff valve, said filter having pores sized greater than the dimensions of the bacteria but generally equal to or less than the dimensions of the aerosol droplets encapsulating the bacteria in order to filter bacteria having dimensions less than about 5 microns from the air stream while allowing continuous passage of the air stream through said filter means.

Claim 16

A method of draining and receiving fluid from a patient source in a medical suction system while filtering aerosol droplets formed from bacteria encapsulated by liquid which are entrained in the air stream of the suction system, the system including a fluid collection receptacle having suction and fluid receiving ports, comprising the steps of: supplying vacuum pressure from a vacuum source to the fluid collection receptacle through the suction port, said vacuum pressure being sufficient to create a suitable flow rate to draw fluid from the patient source; receiving fluid from the patient source through the fluid receiving port for collection in the fluid collection receptacle; disposing a filter including hygroscopic fibers in the air flow from the fluid collection receptacle to the vacuum source, said filter having pores sized greater than the dimensions of the bacteria but generally equal to or less than the dimensions of the aerosol droplets encapsulating the bacteria in order to filter the aerosol droplets from the suction system air stream while allowing continuous passage of the air stream through said filter; absorbing fluid from the aerosol droplets into the interior of the fibers; and containing the absorbed fluid in the fiber interiors and the bacteria on the fiber exteriors, in order to filter bacteria having dimensions less then about 5 microns from the air flow while allowing free passage of the air flow through the suction port to the vacuum source.

Claim 17

A method of draining and receiving fluid from a patient source in a medical suction system while filtering aerosol droplets formed from bacteria encapsulated by liquid which are entrained in the air stream of the suction system, the system including a fluid collection receptacle having suction and fluid receiving ports, comprising the steps of: supplying vacuum pressure from a vacuum source to the fluid collection receptacle through the suction port, said vacuum pressure being sufficient to create a suitable flow rate to draw fluid from the patient source; receiving fluid from the patient source through the fluid receiving port for collection in the fluid collection receptacle; disposing a filter including hygroscopic fibers in the air flow from the fluid collection receptacle to the vacuum source, said filter having pores sized greater than the dimensions of the bacteria but generally equal to or less than the dimensions of the aerosol droplets encapsulating the bacteria in order to filter the aerosol droplets from the suction system air stream while allowing continuous passage of the air stream through said filter; absorbing fluid from the aerosol droplets into the interior of the fibers; and containing the absorbed fluid in the fiber interiors and the bacteria on the fiber exteriors, in order to filter bacteria having dimensions less then about 5 microns from the air flow while allowing free passage of the air flow through the suction port to the vacuum source.