Arthroscopy pouch

A surgical drape is described which includes a pouch having one embodiment a one-piece construction and formed with a single seam. An edge of the pouch may be extended to create a concave surface to control and contain fluids during a surgical procedure. Once formed or shaped into the pouch and the edge sealed, the sheet has a front portion, a back portion, an upper back edge in the back portion for placement relatively near the surgical site, and an upper front edge on the front portion, which in the final configuration, is located away from the upper back edge. The upper back edge and the upper front edge together define the opening in the pouch having a circumference. Additionally, the length of the upper front edge is preferably greater than the length of the upper back edge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to fluid collection pouches or bags for use 
in surgical procedures to collect, channel and contain fluids from a 
surgical site during an operation, and more specifically to pouches such 
as arthroscopic fluid collection pouches and to pouch and drape 
assemblies. The invention also relates to methods of making such pouches 
and such pouch and drape assemblies. 
2. Related Art 
During many surgical procedures, it is frequently desirable to create a 
sterile field around a surgical site to reduce the possibility of 
infection of a patient. Typically, a sterile field is created by draping a 
sterile material over a patient in such a manner as to leave an opening 
only at the actual site of an incision. Such surgical drapes have been 
used for many years. Originally, the focus of draping was to protect the 
patient from infection. Recently, that focus has expanded to include 
protection of the surgical staff from infection. Examples of the types of 
infection that a staff member may be exposed to from fluids include the 
hepatitis B virus and the AIDS virus. Thus, another function of surgical 
drapes used today is to provide a barrier to the exposure of liquids or 
bacteria which may result in contamination of the patient or the staff 
performing the surgical procedure. 
In some surgical procedures very large volumes of fluid may be present 
either from irrigation sources or from the patient's body fluids. It is 
desirable in most instances to control and contain such fluids. Some 
drapes have been used in the past which contain a pouch to collect fluids 
present during surgery. Collection of the fluids in the pouch also 
facilitates disposal of the fluids after the surgery. 
Fluid collection pouches are commonly used in a number of surgical 
procedures. Cranial procedures, endourological operations, ophthalmic 
procedures and arthroscopic surgery use fluid collection pouches to 
collect, contain and facilitate disposal of fluids produced during the 
procedure. In arthroscopic surgery, patient blood, other body fluids, as 
well as irrigation fluid used to flush material from the joint, is 
collected in the fluid collection pouch. 
Fluid collection during arthroscopic procedures is different in some 
respects from fluid collection during other surgical procedures. For 
example, using a collection pouch to collect and contain fluid during 
abdominal surgery has the fluid collection pouch placed adjacent one side 
of the surgical site and extending down the side of the patient. 
Arthroscopy procedures typically place a patient's leg through a 
collection pouch mounted to a drape with one sheet of the collection pouch 
in front of the surgical site on the limb and another sheet of the 
collection pouch in back of the surgical site. Therefore, the fluid 
collection pouch is supported in part by the limb itself, as well as by 
the surgical drape to which the fluid collection pouch is attached. 
One disadvantage of the currently available disposable collection pouches 
is that they are formed of separate sheets sealed together, and may leak. 
Leaks may form at any number of seals in the pouch when the pouch is 
pulled outward or is opened before the procedure for collecting fluids. As 
many as five seals may be used in the construction of a single bag, each 
of which may present a risk of leakage in the pouch. 
A relatively large number of seals used in assembling a fluid collection 
pouch uses significant labor and assembly time. Depending on the 
complexity of a collection pouch design, the location and the positioning 
of the seal lines may substantially add to handling time. This additional 
time and labor represents a significant increase in the cost of production 
for disposable fluid collection bags. 
Another disadvantage of prior fluid collection pouches is that they are 
relatively complicated to manufacture in that they require the joining of 
multiple sheets to form a pouch that is conformable to the body of a 
patient to control fluids. For certain applications, the collection pouch 
pattern may be more complicated in order to control fluids released at a 
particular surgical site, such as the arm or leg of a patient. Substantial 
labor steps may be necessary for forming odd-shaped patterns, or for 
joining multiple sheets of material into a pattern for a pouch 
specifically constructed for controlling fluids during surgery, such as an 
arthroscopic procedure. 
Another disadvantage of some fluid collection bags, particularly for use 
during surgical procedures on a patient's leg, is that the collection 
pouch may not extend forward and away from the patient far enough to 
adequately expose a surgical site, and it may not provide an opening large 
enough for capturing fluids. The opening in a conventional fluid pouch, 
for example, may be symmetrical and relatively simple to manufacture and 
pack. However, a symmetrical opening in a fluid pouch may not adequately 
control fluid at an irregularly-shaped area of a body, such as the leg of 
a patient. 
Some conventional collection pouches having extended portions to control 
fluids during a surgical procedure formed of multiple sheets of flexible 
plastic that require multiple seals and multiple sealing steps. One 
disadvantage of these pouches is that they require separate sheets of 
plastic and a significant number of seals. The increased number of seals 
in a collection bag generally increases the risk of fluid leakage and the 
spread of infection, in addition to an added cost of assembly. 
Therefore, there is a need for a fluid collection pouch and for a pouch and 
surgical drape assembly which minimizes the possibility of leaks 
developing during use, such as at seal points, and which is easier to 
assemble and use. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to 
provide a more reliable fluid collection pouch that can be economically 
formed from one sheet of flexible fluid impermeable material for 
channeling, collection and control of fluid during surgical procedures. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a pouch that can be formed 
using a single seal joining edges of a sheet of flexible fluid impermeable 
material cut and folded to provide the pouch with an opening that extends 
forward and away from a patient. 
It is also another object of the invention to provide a fluid collection 
pouch that has an exit port with a reliable seal to minimize the 
possibility of leaking around the port. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an 
economical fluid collection pouch formed with a single seal that is 
resistant to tearing. 
Further object of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a 
fluid collection pouch that is joined with a surgical drape where the 
pouch has a single seam positioned adjacent the drape and between spaced 
apart points where the pouch is joined to the drape so that the drape 
serves to reinforce the pouch. 
These as well as other objects are achieved through the present invention 
which provides a fluid collection pouch, such as for a pouch and surgical 
drape assembly, which minimizes the possibility of leaks developing during 
use and which is easier to use and assemble. In one preferred form of the 
invention, a pouch is preferably formed with a single seal, preferably at 
a rear portion of the pouch, joining edges of the sheet to form the pouch. 
In one preferred embodiment, the pouch is formed from a single sheet of 
flexible, fluid impermeable material folded in such a way as to form the 
pouch once the single seal is formed. 
In another preferred form of the invention, the pouch is formed from a 
sheet of flexible fluid impermeable material initially rectangular, and 
which has the edges of preferably a long side cut, from a center line 
parallel to the short sides, downward in a direction toward the opposite 
long side. The resulting cut long side will thereafter form an upper back 
edge spaced from an upper front edge, and the cutting of the long side 
gives a final pouch which has an effectively wider opening as defined by 
the upper back and front edges. 
In a further preferred form of the invention, a single seam fluid 
collection pouch is attached to a surgical drape having an opening 
therethrough so the seam is in the back of the pouch positioned between 
the junction points between the pouch and the drape so that the drape 
reinforces the pouch material around the seam and isolates the seam from 
stress which may be created elsewhere in the pouch. 
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from a 
consideration of the drawings, a brief description of which follows, along 
with a consideration of the preferred embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In accordance with the present invention, a fluid collection pouch is 
provided which minimizes the potential for leaking. In one preferred 
aspect of the present invention, a pouch 10 (FIG. 1) is provided for 
channeling, controlling and collecting fluids from a surgical site 12. The 
pouch 10 is preferably formed essentially from one sheet of flexible fluid 
impermeable material 14 for minimizing the number of seams or seals used 
in the pouch. 
The sheet has a front portion 16, a back portion 18, an upper back edge 20 
in the back portion for placement in close proximity to the surgical site 
12, and an upper front edge 22 in the front portion located spaced apart 
from the upper back edge 20, when the pouch is properly positioned and 
opened. The reference to one sheet refers to the enclosure portion of the 
pouch, namely that portion typically attached to a draft and forming an 
opening for collecting fluid, and which also may accept attachment of 
other elements such as adhesive, elastomeric material, and the like. 
In the application of an arthroscopy pouch, the pouch includes one or more 
openings for accepting the limb of the patient and for supporting the 
pouch on the patient's limb. Specifically, a back fenestration 24 is 
defined by walls 26 (FIG. 1-3) in the back portion 18 for passing over the 
patient's leg 28 to be positioned above the surgical site 12, and a front 
fenestration 30 is defined by walls 31 in the front portion 16 for passing 
over the patient's leg and which will be positioned below the surgical 
site 12, when the pouch 10 is fully opened to the configuration shown in 
FIG. 1. It should be noted that the pouch 10 is typically attached, joined 
or mounted to a conventional surgical drape 44 (FIG. 12) having an 
encircling sheet (described more fully below) for surrounding the leg 28, 
but the drape is omitted from FIG. 1 for clarity. In one embodiment of the 
invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and.2, the front fenestration 30 of 
the pouch 10 is further defined by a sheet of an elastomeric material 32, 
with an opening or fenestration 34, attached by heat sealing or adhesive 
at 35 to the sheet 14 from which the pouch 10 is formed. The fenestration 
34 of the elastomeric sheet 32 conforms to the contours of the body member 
which passes through the fenestration 34, such as a patient's leg 28, and 
has a size smaller than that of the front fenestration 30. In part, the 
body member 28 supports the fluid collection pouch 10 since the 
elastomeric material 32 rests directly on the body member, which in turn, 
supports the front portion 16 of the pouch 10. 
In the preferred embodiment, the upper front edge 22 includes a malleable 
and formable contour wire or draw wire 36 for configuring and shaping the 
front portion 16 of the pouch 10, such as through manipulation of the 
contour wire, in the conventional manner. In the preferred embodiment, the 
contour wire 36 is positioned and retained in at least one channel 38 
(FIG. 9B), which extends along at least a portion of the upper front edge 
22. The contour wire 36 positioned at the upper edge 22 of the front 
portion 16 allows at least a portion of the upper front edge to be formed 
into a generally concave surface 40. The concave surface 40, along with 
the back portion 18, controls and contains fluids from the surgical site 
12. The draw wire 36 within the channel 38 of the upper front edge 22 
maintains the upper front edge in a relatively fixed position throughout a 
surgical procedure without repeated adjustment or manipulation by the 
operating room staff. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 6, 7 and 11-13, the sheet of flexible plastic 
material 14 is preferably joined and sealed at a single seam 42. In the 
preferred embodiment, the seam 42 is located in the proximity of the 
center of the back portion 18 so as to be isolated from possible stresses 
that may arise by pulling on other parts of the pouch 10, such as at the 
front portion 16 when the pouch is first opened. The seam 42 may be formed 
in one embodiment by heat sealing the ends of sheet 14 between rollers as 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The seam 42 may also be formed by a thermoimpulse 
pressure bar machine, such as to create a quarter-inch seam. Although the 
seam 42 is preferably formed by one seal line along the sheet 14, multiple 
seal lines may be used to form the seam. It is desirable to locate the 
seam 42 away from the edges of the pouch 10 where the pouch is attached to 
the surgical drape 44 (FIG. 12), e.g. where the front portion 16 and the 
rear portion 18 meet, and more significantly where the upper front edge 22 
and upper back edge 20 meet, since this juncture is a location where 
tearing may occur. For example, when front edge 22 is pulled open and away 
from the patient to further expose the surgical site 12, seams which might 
be located at the juncture between the front portion 16 and the back 
portion 18, or seams located near the point where a staff member may grasp 
the plastic, are susceptible to tearing. Therefore, it is preferable not 
to have other seams located on the front portion 16, and preferably not 
elsewhere on the back portion 18 of the pouch, so that the risk of tearing 
is reduced. 
The significance of placing the seam 42 in the back portion 18 can be seen 
by referring to the attachment of the pouch 10 to the surgical drape 44, 
such as is shown in FIG. 12. Adhesive or other attachment means 46 (FIGS. 
2 and 12) is used to attach, join or mount the pouch to the surgical drape 
44. The adhesive 46 can take any manner of forms and configurations, and 
can be applied in a number of ways. However, the configuration of the 
adhesive 46 shown in the drawings is suitable for the purposes of the 
present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the side adhesive portion 
46 and the upper edge adhesive portion 52 of the pouch 10 are sprayed-on 
adhesive that joins the pouch to the surgical drape 44. The upper edge 
adhesive portion 52 comprises a thin portion preferably extending across 
the upper edge and a further portion adjacent the top fenestration tape. 
In this preferred embodiment, the adhesive applied around the fenestration 
24 is by double-faced adhesive tape to control the application of adhesive 
around the fenestration. In another embodiment, all adhesive portions are 
applied by double-faced adhesive tape. 
Preferably, side adhesive strips 46 are applied at an angle 48 relative to 
the upper back edge 20 for defining the outer portion of the back portion 
18 which is attached to the surgical drape 44. Therefore, the portion of 
the pouch 10 which extends outward away from the side adhesive strips 46 
and the drape 44 constitutes the front portion 16, extends away from the 
back portion 18, and is free to be pulled away from or spaced from the 
drape and manipulated by the surgical staff. For example, when the drape 
44 and pouch assembly 10 is placed over the patient's leg 28, the front 
portion 16 is pulled away from the back portion 18, and the contour wire 
36 is manipulated to form the front portion in the desired configuration. 
Thereafter, the front portion 16 may be further manipulated or adjusted, 
or it may simply be accidentally pulled or otherwise stressed. Such 
movements of the drape may cause undue stress to be applied to the pouch 
10, which stress may cause tearing in any unprotected seams. However, in 
the present invention, the seam 42 is located adjacent the drape 44 and 
between the side strips 46 so that the attached drape can serve as a 
reinforcement to the seam 42 and the back portion 18. Thus, any stress 
which occurs in the front portion 16 is transmitted, if at all, to the 
combination of the back portion 18 and the drape 44, rather than directly 
to a seam 42, and such stress would be relieved by movement of the 
assembly rather than by separation of a seam. 
The reinforcement provided by the drape 44 also occurs through joining of 
the pouch 10 to the drape through other adhesive portions. Fenestration 
adhesive portions 50 and upper edge adhesive portions 52 may be provided 
for additional reinforcement. In the preferred embodiment, adhesive areas 
46 and the upper edge portion 52 accept sprayed-on adhesive while the 
fenestration adhesive portions 50 are lined with double-faced adhesive 
tape with removable liners or release strips 51. The additional adhesive 
portions 50 and 52 serve to more securely attach the pouch to the drape 44 
and minimize the possibility that a stress applied to the front portion 16 
is transmitted to the protected seam 42. The seam 42 is protected, in the 
preferred embodiment, by being bounded by adhesive portions 48-52 on each 
side of approximately the upper half of the seam 42. 
The seam 42, therefore, is preferably positioned approximately in the 
center of the back portion 18, between the side adhesive strips 46. 
However, it should be understood that the seam 42 can be positioned 
elsewhere to still achieve beneficial results provided by the present 
invention. For example, the seam 42 can be positioned elsewhere on the 
back portion 18, or on the front portion 16, and still provide benefits in 
manufacturing and otherwise. Similarly, the pouch 10 may have a number of 
different seams yet provide the benefits of the present invention by 
positioning at least one seam 42 between adhesive strips 46 that adjoin 
the surgical drape 44 and the pouch but there is preferably only one seam, 
and which is positioned adjacent the drape and between adhesive strips 
mounting the pouch to the drape. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, in accordance with one embodiment of the 
invention, the upper front edge 22 and the upper back edge 20 of the pouch 
10 are formed in such a way that a suitably sized concave opening 40 can 
be formed in the pouch for allowing the surgical team access to the 
surgical site 12 and to properly channel, collect and contain fluid. In 
the preferred embodiment, the length of the upper front edge 22 in the 
sheet 14 is greater than the upper back edge 20 to form the generally 
concave surface 40 surrounding the surgical site 12. Also in the preferred 
embodiment, the pouch 10 is formed from a single sheet 14, which may be 
originally rectangular in shape (FIG. 3). Beginning with a rectangular 
sheet 14 of appropriate material, cuts may be made (as described more 
fully below) to form the upper front edge 22, first and second upper back 
edge portions 54 and 56, respectively, and first and second seam edges 58 
and 60, respectively. To provide the desired pouch opening 40 dimensions, 
the length of the upper front edge 22 is formed longer than the sum of the 
first and second upper back portions 54 and 56, so that once the complete 
pouch is formed, the length of the upper front edge 22 is greater than the 
length of the upper back edge 20. 
The opening 40 formed between the upper front 22 and back edges 20 can be 
made effectively larger, by appropriate cutting of material from the 
original rectangular sheet of material 14, than otherwise would be 
available if the sheet were left rectangular when formed into the pouch 
10. For example, considering the folded pouch 10 in FIG. 7, folded along 
fold 62, the angle between the fold 62 and the seam edge 64 is preferably 
less than 90.degree. , and the angle between the seam edge 64 and the 
folded upper back edge 20 is also preferably less than 90.degree. . This 
dimensioning of the material prior to forming the pouch 10 followed by 
application of the adhesive and then the pouch to the drape 44 reduces the 
amount or length of material along the upper back edge 20 which is adhered 
to the drape, and effectively increases the unattached length of the upper 
front edge 22. The result is a larger opening 40 in the resulting pouch 
10. The cut edges are depicted in FIG. 13 as the cut portions A and B. The 
upper front edge 22 is extended relative to the upper back edge 20 since 
the front edge is not at a right angle to the upper back edge 20 when 
portions A and B are removed from sheet 14. 
An exit port 66 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 10A-10D) is attached to the sheet 14 which 
forms the pouch 10. It is desirable to position the exit port 66 in the 
lower portion of the pouch 10 along or adjacent the center line 78 of the 
sheet 14, as indicated in FIG. 3, so that fluids may gravitate toward the 
bottom of the pouch 10 and be removed through the exit port 66. In one 
embodiment of the invention, a hole 68 is formed in the sheet 14 to 
accommodate the exit port 66. As shown in FIG. 10A, the exit port 66A may 
have a removable plug 70 that it is replaceable over the exit port 66A 
opening to contain fluid in the pouch 10. In another embodiment, the port 
66B has an opening to be cut open as shown in FIG. 10B and attached to a 
tube to remove fluids from the pouch 10. The port 66A-B includes a crown 
72 and washer 74 to retain the port in a fixed position and sealed with 
respect to the pouch 10 by a friction fit. In another embodiment, as shown 
in FIG. 10C, a fluid-tight seal is created between a one piece exit port 
66C and the pouch 10 by heat sealing the bottom portion 76 of the port 66C 
onto the immediate sheet area surrounding the hole 68 in sheet 14. In a 
further preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10D, the bottom portion of 
the port 66D is formed with ridges to permit the flow of fluid through the 
port even when the pouch is lying flat. 
The present invention also provides an economical method of manufacturing a 
fluid collection pouch formed from one sheet of material having edges that 
may be joined together with a single seal to form a pouch. In the 
preferred embodiment of the invention, a flat sheet of preferably fluid 
impermeable material 14 is selected to form the pouch 10. The top edge of 
the sheet 14 is folded over to form a channel 38 and the upper front edge 
22 of the pouch 10. A portion of the channel 38 material is thermally or 
adhesively sealed along the front edge 22 to form a continuous tube or 
closed channel 38. 
After the channel 38 is formed, an opening or fenestration 30 is cut at 
walls 31 from the central portion sheet of material 14 preferably 
symmetrically about a center line 78 as in FIG. 3. The size of this 
fenestration 30 is sufficient shown to receive a portion of a patient's 
body, such as a leg 28. A sheet of elastomeric material 32 covers and 
overlaps the opening 30 in the sheet 14 as shown in FIGS. 4-5. It is 
preferable to join the elastomeric covering 32 over the opening 30 by heat 
sealing, by ultrasonic sealing techniques, or that it be capable of 
forming a seam through the use of an adhesive. The elastomeric sheet 32 
may be made of a variety of materials such as Kraton which is supplied by 
the Clopay company. 
During the manufacture of the pouch 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 13, 
the sheet 14 of fluid impermeable material is next folded in half along 
the center line 78 of the sheet (FIG. 3). In the preferred embodiment, a 
triangular portion A of the folded sheet 14 of fluid impermeable material 
is removed from the sheet. A segment of portion A, which is along the same 
edge as the upper front edge 22 as illustrated in FIG. 13,, is identified 
as segment X. It is preferable for segment X to be such a length so that 
the upper front edge 22 of the folded sheet 14 has a length of about 24 
inches. 
Another triangular portion B of the folded sheet 14 is removed as shown in 
FIG. 13. A segment of portion B, which is along the same edge as the upper 
back edge 20 as illustrated in FIG. 13, is identified as segment Y. It is 
also preferable for segment Y of portion B to be such a length so that the 
upper back edge 20 is about 19 inches when folded flat in a side-to-side 
position. During this phase of manufacture, waste is greatly minimized 
since only portions A and B are discarded as scrap material. Although the 
lengths of segments X and Y may vary according to patient size and 
available stock material, the preferred dimensions of the remaining 
portions of the folded sheet after cutting ensure an extended pouch 
opening or surface 40 for greater exposure to the surgical site 12. 
After both portions A and B have been removed from the folded sheet 14, a 
seam 42 is formed along an edge 64 Of the sheet that was adjacent to 
removed portion B. The seam 42 is preferably formed by a thermoimpulse 
pressure bar, or may be formed by other heat sealing or ultrasonic 
techniques. As shown in FIG. 7, the pouch 10 is folded along fold 62 so 
that the angle 63 between the fold 62 and the seam edge 64 is preferably 
less than 90.degree. , and the angle 65 between the seam edge 64 and the 
folded upper back edge 20 is preferably less than 90.degree. . 
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 12-13, the preferred embodiment of the 
invention has an opening or fenestration 24 on the back portion 18 of the 
pouch 10 that accepts the part of the body that is being operated on such 
as the leg of a patient 28. The fenestration 24 preferably is located 
below the upper back edge 20 and centrally along the seam 42. This opening 
24 is formed by removing an additional portion of the folded sheet 14 
along the seal edge 64. This portion is identified as portion C as 
illustrated in FIG. 13. The removed portion C defines the walls 26 of the 
fenestration 24. In the preferred embodiment, the respective formed walls 
26 of the fenestration 24 are parallel to the upper back edge 20 of the 
folded sheet 14, and parallel to the seal edge 64. 
Referring now to FIG. 13 again, in the preferred embodiment of the 
invention, the draw wire 36 is inserted into the channel 38 along the 
upper front edge 22 of the folded sheet 14. The ends of channel 38 are 
then closed, preferably by heat sealing, thereby containing the draw wire 
36 within the channel 38. In general, the draw wire 36 may be formed from 
a malleable and conformable material. For instance, the draw wire 36 may 
be formed from two wires surrounded by a relatively soft flexible 
protective layer 37 as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The purpose of the 
protective layer 37 is to prevent the wire from puncturing the sheet 14 of 
the pouch 10. 
In another embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and 9A, 
a portion of the draw wire 36 may be directly attached to the upper front 
edge 22 of the pouch 10. The draw wire 36 may be secured to the pouch 10 
by applying adhesive over the surface area of the wire protective layer 37 
that is joined with the sheet 14. As a result, when front edge 22 is 
pulled forward and .away from the back edge 20 and the back portion 18, 
the front edge 22 will form a generally concave surface 40 to expose the 
surgical site 12. 
Referring now to FIGS. 3, 7 and 11-12, various adhesive surfaces are 
applied to the back portion 18 of the pouch 10. The pouch 10 in the 
preferred embodiment of the invention has adhesive strips 50 formed around 
the fenestration 24 located on the back portion 18 of the pouch 10. Other 
adhesive strips 46 and 52 may be placed at various locations on the back 
portion 18 of the pouch 10 for joining with a surgical drape 44. In one 
embodiment, adhesive strips 46 and 52 are sprayed-on adhesive. A layer of 
sprayed-on adhesive may also be applied in the area between the upper edge 
adhesive portion 52 and the top fenestration adhesive portion 50. These 
adhesive portions 46, 50 and 52 may also be formed by pieces of 
double-faced adhesive tape with removable linings or release strips 51 
that are peeled back and removed before use as depicted in FIGS. 8 and 11. 
After the removable strips 51 are peeled back, the pouch 10 may be 
attached to a surgical drape 44 through the exposed adhesive surfaces of 
the double-faced tape 46, 50 and 52 located on the back portion 18 of the 
pouch 10. 
The side adhesive portions preferably extend along a line (not shown) 
running approximately from the corner, between the upper front and back 
edges toward the port 66. As seen in FIG. 7, the side adhesive portions 46 
are not exactly aligned but approximately. Additionally, the adhesive 
portions 50 and 52 that are above the back fenestration 24 combined are 
wider than the rest of the adhesive portions 50 around the back 
fenestration to provide greater support for the pouch and the seam 42. The 
fenestration adhesive portions 50 are preferable one inch wide. In the 
preferred embodiment, it is preferable not to spray on adhesive portions 
50 that surround the back fenestration 24 since this may introduce 
adhesive spray into the relatively sterile interior environment of the 
pouch through the back fenestration. 
In the preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, a surgical drape 44 is 
attached to the back portion 18 of the pouch 10. The surgical drape 44 
preferably has a fenestration 45 to receive a member of the patient's body 
that is being operated on such as a leg 28. It is preferable for the 
fenestration 45 in the surgical drape 44 to be located over the back 
portion fenestration 24 of the pouch 10 so that the body part being 
operated on may pass through the drape fenestration 45, the fenestration 
24 in the back portion of the pouch, and finally out through the 
elastomeric fenestration 34 in the front portion 16 of the pouch 10. 
In the preferred embodiment, the surgical drape 44 is also attached to the 
pouch 10 by sprayed-on adhesive 46. The sprayed-on adhesive area 52 
preferably runs along the backside of the upper back edge of the pouch 10, 
and along the area between the back fenestration 24 and the upper back 
edge. In addition, it is preferable to use a sprayed-on adhesive 46 to 
join the pouch 10 and the drape 44 along the backside of the pouch along a 
line from the upper back edge corners of the pouch down toward the exit 
port 66 as shown in FIG. 12. However, it is still preferable for the 
fenestration adhesive strips 50 to be formed from double-faced adhesive 
tape with release tape 51. It is preferable for the seam 42 to be located 
in between at least two adhesive surfaces 46 on the back portion 18 of the 
pouch 10 as illustrated in FIG. 12. When pulling the upper front edge 22 
of the pouch 10 to expose the surgical site 12, any tearing stress or 
force applied to the pouch is first absorbed by the pouch and drape along 
the adhesive surfaces 46 of the pouch 10 that joins the surgical drape 44. 
As a result, protection of the seam 42 of the pouch 10, positioned in 
between adhesive portions 46, reduces the risk of fluid leakage from the 
pouch. 
The immediate area of the fluid pouch 10 surrounding the back portion 
fenestration 24 is preferably covered with double-faced adhesive tape 50 
and release strips 51. It is preferable for the adhesive surfaces of the 
double-faced tape 50 to be covered with four separate liners, including a 
top and a bottom portion as well as two side portions, to surround the 
back fenestration 24 of the fluid collection pouch 10. 
In general, the pouch 10 may be formed from a variety of materials. In the 
preferred embodiment, however, the pouch 10 is formed from a transparent 
flexible material which does not allow liquid to pass therethrough. 
Examples of such fluid impermeable materials include a variety of 
polymeric films such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, 
polyvinylchloride, or a combination thereof. Another desirable feature of 
the material chosen to form the pouch 10 is that it be sealable to itself 
through the use of a thermoimpulse pressure bar, other heat or ultrasonic 
sealing techniques, or that it be capable of forming a seam through the 
use of an adhesive. In another embodiment of the invention, thicker 
material is not required to form the pouch since the risk of leakage or 
tearing is reduced by using .only one folded sheet of material 14 that 
does not have a tendency to come apart such as the prior pouches formed 
from multiple sheets. 
The pouch 10 also may be formed from an opaque material or may include 
gradations on a portion of the pouch to measure the amount of fluid that 
is captured in the pouch. 
The actual thickness of the sheet of flexible fluid impermeable material 14 
may also vary. Although previous fluid collection pouches have been 
constructed so as to require sheet material up to 7 millimeters in 
thickness, the preferred thickness of the sheet in the present invention 
is approximately 4-5 millimeters. In one embodiment of the invention, a 
thinner sheet material 14 may be used since the pouch 10 is formed with a 
single seam or seal 42 that is positioned in a manner resistant to 
tearing. 
Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference 
only to the presently preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by 
those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made 
without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the 
invention is limited only by the following claims.