Medical drainage device and a fill funnel for a medical drainage device

A medical drainage device is provided which includes a casing and a chamber for indicating the amount of suction applied to an animal or human body by the height of a water column. A fill funnel is further provided, which is attached to an opening in the casing for filling water through the opening into the chamber. The fill funnel has a configuration rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable. A fill funnel and a method of manufacturing a fill funnel are also provided.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a medical drainage device and to a fill funnel for a medical drainage device.

BACKGROUND

The clinical need for chest drainage arises anytime the negative pressure in the pleural cavity is disrupted by the presence of air and/or fluid resulting in pulmonary compromise. The purpose of a chest drainage device is to evacuate the air and/or fluid from the chest cavity to help re-establish normal intrathoracic pressure. This facilitates the re-expansion of the lungs to restore normal briefing dynamics. The need also arises following heart surgery to prevent the accumulation of fluid around the heart.

FIG. 1shows a conventional medical drainage device1, which is used for a chest drainage. The medical drainage device1includes a casing11and attached to the casing includes a patient drain catheter12. This in turn is connected to either a thoracic or trocar catheter. Patients with continual air or fluid leaks have such a thoracic catheter, also called chest tube, inserted. The distal end of the catheter, which will be inside the patient's chest, has a number of drainage holes. The last inlet can be detected on a chest X-ray as intermittent breaks in a radiopaque line. Once the chest tube has been properly positioned and secured, the X-ray should be checked to ensure that all drainage holes are inside the chest wall.

The location of the chest tube depends on what is being drained. Free air in the pleural space rises, so the tube is placed above the second intercostal space at the mid-clavicular line. Plural fluid gravitates to the most dependent point, so the tube is placed at the fourth to fifth intercostal space along the mid-axillary line. Mediastinal tubes placed to drain the pericardium after open-heart surgery are positioned directly under the sternum. Once the chest tube is in place, it is connected to a medical drainage device1, usually called chest drainage unit (CDU) via the patient drain catheter12.

The patient drain catheter12is directly connected to a collection chamber14of the medical drainage device1and any drainage from the chest flows into this collection chamber14. The collection chamber14is graduated to provide an assessment and has a write-on surface to allow for recording of the time, date and amount of drainage.

The medical drainage device1further includes a chamber15which in traditional medical drainage devices is the water seal area. The main purpose of the water seal is to allow air to exit from the pleural space on exhalation and prevent air from entering the plural cavity or mediastinum on inhalation.

The medical drainage device1further includes a suction control regulator. The amount of suction, i.e. of negative pressure, applied to the patient's body is indicated by the height18of water17on a graduated scale. This is called the Patient Assessment manometer. A suction pressure of between 15-20 cm H2O is commonly recommended. Lower levels may be indicated for infants and for patients with friable lung tissue or if ordered by the physician. These medical drainage devices are normally stationary either by placing them on the floor or hanging them on the bed rail below the chest.

When a medical drainage device1is being prepared for the use, sterile water is filled into both the water seal chamber15and the patient assessment manometer chamber16until it reaches the fill lines. The patient assessment manometer provides an assessment of negative pressure within the collection chamber and patient chest. This is accomplished by a true U tube water manometer design in the medical drainage device which indicates patient intrapleural pressure. At the bottom of this manometer chamber16there is a dyeing device13, usually a die ball, which dies the water, e.g. blue, which makes it easier for the nurse and/or the physician to see the suction level applied to the patient i.e. the water height18. The dyeing device13floats around freely at the bottom of this chamber16.

During the preparation and setup of the medical drainage device1an instruction tape is removed from the opening19. It is into this opening19that the sterile water is poured to fill the patient assessment manometer to the required level.

The problems that arise with such a medical drainage device are that there is a risk that the dyeing device13falls out of the patient assessment manometer chamber16through the opening19. Additionally, when the water is filled through the opening19into this chamber16, it is quite difficult since the opening19usually is very small and therefore a lot of water will fall outside the hole19.

It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to reduce the disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY

Fill in when claims are finalized

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure provides a medical drainage device, a fill funnel and a method of manufacturing a fill funnel.

In embodiments, the present disclosure provides a medical drainage device including: a casing, and a chamber for indicating the amount of suction applied to an animal or human body by the height of a water column. A fill funnel may be attached to an opening in the casing for filling water through the opening into the chamber, wherein the fill funnel has a configuration rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable.

In embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a fill funnel for a medical drainage device, the fill funnel being attachable to an opening in the casing of a medical drainage device for enabling to fill water through the opening into a chamber, and the fill funnel having a configuration rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable.

In embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a method of manufacturing a fill funnel for a medical drainage device, which includes the steps of providing a fill funnel being attachable to an opening in the casing of a medical drainage device for enabling to fill water through the opening into chamber and providing a configuration of the fill funnel rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable.

In embodiments, the fill funnel may have a configuration rendering the fill funnel impermeable to components and/or particles exceeding a predefined size.

In embodiments, the fill funnel may have a configuration rendering the fill funnel permeable to gas and liquid.

In one embodiment, the fill funnel may include a blocking device for rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable.

In embodiments, the blocking device may be a cloth. Alternatively, the blocking device may include means for reducing the inner size and/or the diameter of the fill funnel. In embodiments, the blocking device may be a bar across the inner side of the fill funnel, a cross within the fill funnel or at least one bar, in embodiments, a circumferential bar, protruding from the inner walls of the fill funnel. In embodiments, the fill funnel may be flush with the casing.

In one embodiment, the fill funnel may be at least partly inserted into the opening. Alternatively, the fill funnel may be imposed on connection means protruding from the casing around the opening.

In embodiments, fixation means may be provided for fixedly attaching the fill funnel to the casing.

In an embodiment, the chamber may be a patient assessment manometer chamber.

In embodiments, the fill funnel may be attached to the medical drainage device by means of a string.

The present disclosure will now be explained in more detail in the following description of embodiments in relation to the figures.

The present disclosure refers to a medical drainage device1used for draining air and/or fluid from a patient's body. An example of such a medical drainage device1of the prior art is shown inFIG. 1and is described above. The present disclosure is not limited to a medical drainage device1as shown inFIG. 2but can be used with any other type of medical drainage device having different shapes and/or configurations.

The medical drainage device according to the present disclosure includes a casing11and a chamber16for indicating the amount of suction applied to an animal or human body, i.e. the amount of suction applied to the pleural space, by the height18of a water column. Further, a dyeing device13is provided in the chamber16for dyeing the water therein. The dyeing device13can be, for example, a dyeing ball, and the water can be, for example, coloured in blue so as to facilitate the recognition of the water height within the16. When the medical drainage device1is prepared for use, then the dyeing device13and afterwards the water17is filled through the opening19into the chamber16. In embodiments, the chamber16is a patient assessment manometer chamber16.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a medical drainage device1is provided having a fill funnel2attached to the opening19in the casing11for filling water through the opening19into the chamber16. This is schematically shown in the drawing inFIG. 2.FIG. 2shows a part of the casing11of the medical drainage device1having opening19therein. The fill funnel2is attached to the opening, which is indicated by an arrow inFIG. 2. The present disclosure therefore proposes a medical drainage device, with a simple and more secure means to fill water17through the opening19into the chamber16. The fill funnel2attached to the opening19allows it to easily fill water into the chamber16without water falling outside the opening19.

Further, according to the present disclosure, the fill funnel2has a configuration, rendering the fill funnel selectively impermeable, i.e. a configuration which allows to select specific components and/or particles which are not able to pass through the fill funnel2. The fill funnel2has a configuration rendering the fill funnel2impermeable to components and/or particles exceeding a predefined size or particle size.

In order to enable to fill water17through the fill funnel2into the chamber16, the fill funnel is permeable to water, more generally to liquids. Further, since air is removed out of the chamber16when the water is filled in and since the pressure within the chamber16is adjusted during the use of the medical drainage device1, the fill funnel is also permeable to air, more generally to gas.

It is hereby noted, that the permeability or impermeability is not intended to relate to the material out of which the fill funnel2is made but rather relates to the configuration of the fill funnel2, i.e. to the shape of the fill funnel2itself and to the shape of components being part of the fill funnel2and to the relative position of the components of the fill funnel2.

In embodiments, the fill funnel2is configured in such a way, that it is impermeable to the dyeing device13. That means that the fill funnel either prevents the dyeing device13from leaving the chamber16or in any case prevents the dyeing device13from leaving the fill funnel2. Thereby, if the medical drainage device1falls down or is held in a wrong position, the dyeing device13slides or falls back into the chamber16, since the fill funnel2due to the configuration stops the dyeing device13from passing the fill funnel2and thereby from getting lost.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the fill funnel2can be attached to the medical drainage device1by a string60. The string60prevents the fill funnel2from dropping or getting lost. On the other hand, the string60is long enough and flexible enough to enable the insertion of the fill funnel2into the opening19of the casing11.

FIGS. 3ato3dshow different embodiments of a shape of a fill funnel2according to the present disclosure. The fill funnel2has a diameter and/or size which increases with increasing distance from the opening19, when the fill funnel2is attached to the opening19. Therefore, the fill funnel2has the smallest diameter and/or the smallest size in the vicinity of the opening and with increasing distance from the opening, the size and/or the diameter of the fill funnel2increases.

In the following description, a reference to the “top” of a fill funnel2, is intended to refer to the part of the fill funnel2, where water is filled in, and a reference to the “bottom” of the fill funnel2is intended to refer to the part of the fill funnel2, where the water comes out.

FIGS. 3ato3cshow a fill funnel, which has a cylindrical bottom part21with different types of top parts attached thereto. InFIG. 3a, the top part is a truncated cone22, the top part shown inFIG. 3bis a cuboid23, and the top part shown inFIG. 3cis a paraboloid of revolution24. Depending on the way the fill funnel2is attached to the opening19, the fill funnel can also consist of one single part, which is for example shown inFIG. 3d, where the fill funnel2is a truncated cone25.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above shown embodiments of a fill funnel2. The fill funnel can consist of one, two or more parts and each of these parts can have a circular, oval, elliptical, rectangular or any other cross-section and can be constant in size or can be increasing in size. The top of the fill funnel2is larger in size and/or diameter than the bottom part of the fill funnel2, so that more water or any other fluid can pass through the top than through the bottom of the fill funnel.

The specific configuration of the fill funnel2for rendering the fill funnel2selectively impermeable will be described in more detail. One possibility is to make the fill funnel2at the bottom part too small or so tight, that components and/or particles exceeding a predefined size are not enabled to pass. Alternatively, an additional blocking device can be provided, which will be described below.

FIGS. 4ato4dshow bottom views of a fill funnel2having a circular cross-section. InFIGS. 4ato4c, different embodiments of a blocking device for rendering the fill funnel impermeable to the dyeing device13are shown. InFIG. 4a, the blocking device is a bar30across the inner side of the fill funnel2. In the embodiment as shown inFIG. 4b, the blocking device is a cross31within the fill funnel2. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4c, the blocking device includes two bars32, noses or wedges protruding from the inner walls of the inner fill funnel2.FIG. 4dshows an embodiment where a circumferential bar33protrudes from the inner walls of the fill funnel2. The embodiments shown inFIGS. 4ato4dthus reduce the size and/or the diameter of the fill funnel2in such a way, that the fill funnel2is rendered selectively impermeable, such that the fill funnel2is rendered impermeable to the dyeing device13but at the same time permeable to gas and liquid. A further possibility is to provide as a blocking device, a cloth within the fill funnel2permeable only to gas and liquid.

The present disclosure is not limited to the shown embodiments of a blocking device. The blocking device only has to fulfill the conditions that it renders the fill funnel2selectively impermeable and consequently also selectively permeable to specific components and/or particles, i.e. predefined selected components and/or particles are able to pass the fill funnel2and others are blocked.

The blocking device blocks the dyeing device13from passing the fill funnel2, but renders the fill funnel2permeable to gas and liquid. Specifically, the blocking device is permeable to water, since water is filled into the chamber16through the fill funnel2. The blocking device is also permeable to gas, since when the water is filled into the suction control chamber16, air comes out through the fill funnel2. Additionally, in case that the height18of the water17within the chamber16changes, then air moves out through the opening and the fill funnel2in order to avoid an increased pressure within the chamber16.

The blocking device is not limited to fill funnels having a circular cross-section but can be used with any type of fill funnel2.FIGS. 5ato5cshow different embodiments of positioning the blocking device in the fill funnel2. A cross31is shown as blocking device, but it is to be noted that the relative positions can be adapted to any other blocking device. InFIG. 5a, the blocking device31is attached to the bottom26of the fill funnel2. In this case, the dyeing device13is prevented from entering the fill funnel2and will be kept within the chamber16.

FIG. 5bshows a fill funnel2having positioned the blocking device31in the middle of the fill funnel2, i.e. somewhere between the bottom26and the top27. In this case, the dyeing device13may enter the fill funnel2until it is blocked by the blocking device31and afterwards it may fall back into the chamber16.

FIG. 5cshows a third embodiment of positioning the blocking device31. In this case, the blocking device31is positioned at the top27of the fill funnel2. In this embodiment, the dyeing device13could possibly pass through the opening19into the fill funnel2, however when the medical drainage device1is correctly positioned in an upward position, the dyeing device13will pass through the fill funnel2and through the opening19back into the chamber16.

In embodiments, when the fill funnel2is attached to the opening19, no space is left between the fill funnel2and casing11, i.e. the fill funnel2is flush with the casing11. This can, for example, be achieved by providing a fill funnel2having a cross-section or shape at least at the bottom part, which corresponds to the shape and cross-section of the opening19, so that when the fill funnel2is attached to the opening19, no space is left between the fill funnel2and casing11.

The present disclosure is not limited to such an embodiment and covers all other embodiments, where the fill funnel2when attached to the opening19may leave some parts of the opening19uncovered, such that the uncovered openings are small enough to prevent the dyeing device13from passing through.

FIGS. 6ato6cshow different embodiments of attaching the fill funnel2to the opening19. A part of the casing11is shown having opening19. As shown inFIG. 6a, the opening19can simply be a cut-out in the casing11defining borders40of the opening19within the casing11. The fill funnel2is inserted at least partly into the opening19and in embodiments, the fill funnel2is flush with the borders40of the opening19.FIG. 6bshows a further embodiment, where within the casing11around the opening19, a nose41is provided for providing more stabilisation to the fill funnel2when inserted into the opening19.

FIG. 6cshows an embodiment, where the fill funnel2is not inserted into the opening19, but imposed onto connection means42protruding from the casing11around the opening19. The fill funnel2is flush with the casing11and the connection means42.

Generally, the fill funnel2at the bottom part as shown inFIGS. 6aand6bcan have a size smaller than the opening19to be inserted into the opening19. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 6c, the fill funnel2at the bottom part can have a size larger than the opening19and therefore can be imposed onto connection means42.

In embodiments, the fill funnel2is fixedly attached to the opening19. This can either be accomplished by choosing the sizes of the opening19and the fill funnel2in such a way, that the fill funnel is kept attached to the casing11by friction force such that the space between the fill funnel2and the casing11is so tight, that the fill funnel2is thereby fixedly attached to the opening.

Alternatively or additionally, fixation means can be provided for fixedly attaching the fill funnel2to the opening19and to the casing11. Two embodiments of such fixation means are shown inFIGS. 7aand7b.

InFIG. 7a, the fill funnel2includes wedges50, which engage with the border40of the opening19. The wedges50of the fill funnel2are deformable when the fill funnel2is inserted into the housing19and then after being completely inserted, the wedges50will protrude from the fill funnel2in such a way, that the fill funnel is fixedly attached to the casing11.

FIG. 7ashows one possible embodiment, but the present disclosure also includes any other embodiments, where wedges and/or recesses are provided at the fill funnel2and/or at the opening19, and which are adapted to interconnect with each other in such a way, that the fill funnel2is fixedly attached to the opening19.

FIG. 7bshows a further embodiment of fixedly attaching the fill funnel2to the casing11. A screw thread51,52is provided on the fill funnel2and on the borders40of the opening19, so that the screw thread52of the fill funnel2can engage with the screw thread51in the casing11. The fill funnel2can thereby be screwed into the opening and fixedly be attached to the opening19.

It is to be noted that even if theFIGS. 7aand7bare shown for the cases that the fill funnel2is inserted into the opening19, the described fixation means can also be used in an embodiment as shown inFIG. 6c, where the fill funnel is imposed onto connection means42protruding from the casing11around the opening19from the casing11.

The present disclosure thus provides a medical drainage device with a fill funnel which makes the handling easier and reduces the numbers of failures or mistakes which may arise during the preparation of the medical drainage device.