Medical drainage apparatus

A medical drainage apparatus is provided for draining surgical wounds or internal organs or cavities. The apparatus comprises a pair of flexible pleated tubes which are adapted to be connected to a pair of drainage tubes which extend from the body, a relatively rigid Y connector which is connected to the flexible tubes, and a relatively rigid bridge which extends over the flexible tubes and which is adapted to be attached to the body and to hold the Y connector.

BACKGROUND 
This invention relates to a medical drainage apparatus, and, more 
particularly, to a drainage apparatus which does not exert painful forces 
on the drainage outlet in the body. 
Current medical practice commonly provides for drainage of surgical wounds, 
and the drainage may be assisted by providing a slight vacuum to the 
drainage tube. Typically, a drainage outlet tube is inserted into the 
incision, and the vacuum device is connected to the outlet tube by plastic 
tubing. Although the tubing is flexible, it must be relatively rigid to 
avoid collapse under the negative pressure provided by the vacuum device 
and to avoid kinking as the patient moves. Such tubing is commonly made of 
Tygon. One type of vacuum device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,158. 
A vacuum device may also be used for draining an internal cavity or organ 
of the body. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,158 describes draining the 
bladder through a drainage tube which is inserted through the skin and 
through the bladder wall. 
Any significant forces which are exerted on the outlet tube which extends 
from the wound or through the skin cause considerable pain to the patient. 
The tubing which is connected to the outlet tube can be taped to the 
patient's body in a comfortable position while the patient is immobile. 
However, since the patient is generally encouraged to become mobile soon 
after surgery, the tubing then becomes subjected to forces which will 
cause painful movements of the outlet tube. The pain encountered 
discourages the patient from engaging in the desired movement. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention utilizes a short length of very flexible, accordion-pleated 
tubing between the outlet tube and the conventional drainage tubing. The 
end of the drainage tubing which is connected to the pleated tube is 
secured to the body by means of a bridge to prevent relative movement, and 
as the outlet tube moves relative to the end of the drainage tubing during 
normal body movement, the pleated tube bends, extends, and compresses 
without exerting significant forces on the outlet tube. The drainage 
tubing is held by a bridge which extends over the pleated tube and 
protects the outlet tube and the pleated tube from contact with bed 
clothes, dressing gowns, etc. The bridge may be secured to the body by 
adhesive tape, and an intermediate portion of the bridge secures the 
drainage tubing.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
The numeral 10 designates generally a drainage apparatus which is attached 
to the body of a patient. A pair of outlet tubes 11 and 12 extend from a 
surgical incision 13 in the patient which has been stitched closed. A pair 
of flexible accordion-pleated tubes 14 and 15 is connected to the outlet 
tubes, and the other end of each pleated tube is connected to a Y 
connector 16. A drainage tube 17 is connected to the middle leg of the Y 
connector and to a vacuum drainage device 18. Such a drainage device is 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,158. 
The outlet tubes 11 and 12 are conventional and are formed from relatively 
rigid medical grade plastic. The drainage tube 17 is also conventional and 
may be formed, for example, from Tygon plastic. Such tubing, although 
flexible enough to be bent, is rigid enough so that the tubing does not 
kink and does not collapse under the negative pressure which is exerted by 
the drainage device. The Y connector 16 is preferably formed from a more 
rigid plastic which is relatively inflexible. The outlet tubes 11 and 12, 
drainage tube 17, and connector 16 are substantially inextensible and will 
not elongate or compress under the forces which are normally exerted on 
them. 
The accordion-pleated tubes 14 and 15 are also formed from a medical grade 
plastic. However, the accordion pleats make the tubes 14 and 15 much more 
flexible than the other tubes and allow the pleated tubes to elongate and 
compress. Although the pleated tubes are quite flexible, they have enough 
strength against radial forces to resist collapse under the slight 
negative pressure which is exerted by the drainage device 18. 
Accordion-pleated tubes are well-known, and a detailed description of 
their structure and method of formation is unnecessary herein. 
Each of the pleated tubes has a cylindrical end portion 19 which is 
connected to one of the outlet tubes 11 and 12 and a cylindrical end 
portion 20 which is connected to one of the legs of the Y connector 16 to 
form a continuous drainage path between the incision and the drainage 
device 18. The Y connector can be attached directly to the body of the 
patient, for example, by adhesive tape, to prevent relative movement of 
the connector and the body. The flexible pleated tubes 14 and 15 can 
freely flex, elongate, and compress as the outlet tubes 11 and 12 move 
relative to the Y connector, and the forces which are exerted on the 
outlet tubes by the pleated tubes are relatively insignificant and do not 
cause discomfort to the patient. 
The preferred means for holding the Y connector against the body is a 
bridge 22 which not only holds the connector but covers and protects the 
outlet tubes and the pleated tubes. The bridge has a pair of flat base 
portions 23 and 24 and a generally U-shaped central portion 25 which 
extends between the base portions. The central portion 25 includes a flat 
intermediate portion 26 which is spaced from the body by guide portions 27 
and 28. A tab 29 extends downwardly from one edge of the intermediate 
portion and is provided with an arcuate recess 30 for rigidly retaining 
the middle leg of the Y connector. 
Each of the base portions 23 and 24 of the bridge is provided with a 
central opening 31 which exposes most of the skin beneath the base 
portion. The bridge is attached to the skin of the patient by strips of 
adhesive tape 32 which extends over each of the base portions. The central 
opening in each base portion not only permits the skin to breathe but 
permits the adhesive tape to contact the skin in the central area of the 
base portion. 
The bridge is relatively rigid and is advantageously formed from 
transparent plastic. The dimensions of the bridge are sufficient to cover 
the pleated tubes, and the bridge protects the pleated tubes and the 
outlet tubes from being snagged by bed clothes, dressing gowns, etc. When 
the bridge is attached to patient, the position of the bridge and the Y 
connector are adjusted relative to the outlet tubes so that the pleated 
tubes apply practically zero force on the outlet tubes. After the bridge 
is secured, relative movement between the outlet tubes and the Y connector 
during normal body movement can be accommodated by flexing, elongation, 
and compression of the pleated tubes without exerting forces on the outlet 
tubes which are sufficient to cause discomfort to the patient. 
Another embodiment of a bridge 35 is shown in FIG. 3. The base portions 36 
and 37 of the bridge consist of a plurality of laterally extending feet 38 
which are separated by spaces 39. The feet can be cut to the desired 
length by scissors and secured to the body by adhesive tape. The spaces 
between the feet permit the skin to breathe and permit the adhesive tape 
to contact the skin between the feet. 
The central portion 40 of the bridge 35 includes a generally L-shaped tab 
41 which includes a downwardly extending portion 42 and a horizontally 
extending attaching portion 43 which extends generally parallel to the 
body. The Y connector 16 can be taped to the attaching portion 43, and the 
length of the tab portion 42 is such that the Y connector is held away 
from the body. 
Both of the bridges 22 and 35 are advantageously formed of plastic so that 
unnecessary portions can be cut off to accommodate contours of the 
patient's body. 
In the embodiments illustrated in the drawing, a pair of outlet tubes is 
connected to a Y connector by a pair of pleated tubes. If desired, 
however, a single outlet tube can be connected to a single pleated tube 
and the drainage tube 18 can be connected directly to the pleated tube. 
The drainage tube can be secured by the bridge in the same way as the Y 
connector. Furthermore, the drainage apparatus can be used with an outlet 
tube which drains an internal body cavity or organ rather than a wound or 
an incision. 
While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of specific 
embodiments of the invention was set forth for the purpose of 
illustration, it will be understood that many of the details herein given 
may be varied considerably by those skilled in the art without departing 
from the spirit and scope of the invention.