Abstract:
An embodiment includes a suction device handle for use with a vacuum supply conduit to suction a fluid or tissue, the handle comprising: a hand-grippable body defining a chamber; the hand-grippable body comprising a distal end configured to support a suction tip; the suction tip including a distal end of a vacuum supply conduit extending within an outer cannula, the vacuum supply conduit being offset from a distal end of the outer cannula by a predetermined distance; wherein the distal end of the hand grippable body is connected to a proximal end of the outer cannula and the chamber is connected in fluid communication with the suction pressure or vacuum generated at the distal end of the vacuum supply conduit. Additional embodiments are described herein.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/613,219 filed on Mar. 20, 2012 and entitled “Suction Device”, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    U.S. Pat. App. Publication No. 2011/0144571 entitled SUCTION DEVICE filed on Oct. 14, 2010 (“the &#39;571 application”) shares a common inventor with the present application. The &#39;571 application is hereby incorporated by reference. The &#39;571 application discloses a suction device including an outer tube and an inner suction tube. The inner suction tube is offset a distance from an inlet of the outer suction tube. The offset distance facilitates its use in surgical (and other) suction activities with reduced risk of clogging. 
         [0003]    Healthcare personnel desire further improvements in suction devices, especially for laproscopic procedures, to facilitate effective removal of tissues and fluids from the surgical site. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a suction device, including a handle; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of the suction device of  FIG. 1  being attached to nested suction cannulae; and 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a body of the suction device of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    Implementations of the present disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter. Indeed, these implementations can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein; rather, these implementations are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in the specification, and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is used synonymously with the term “including” and variations thereof and are open, non-limiting terms. 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows a suction device  10  of the present invention including a hand-grippable body  12 , a plurality of buttons  14 , and a suction tip. The body defines a chamber or passage  26 . A vacuum supply conduit  18  connected to a vacuum supply  20  and an irrigation fluid supply conduit  22  connected to a fluid supply  24  may pass through the passage  26 . Advantageously, the chamber or passage  26  may facilitate generation of suction or negative pressure by attachment to a suction tip, when the suction tip is in contact with fluid, tissue or any surface. 
         [0009]    For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the suction tip may include an outer cannula  50  and an inner cannula  51 . The outer cannula  50  may have a proximal end  37  and a distal tip  44 . The inner cannula  51 , which conducts a vacuum supply, extends within the outer cannula  50 . The inner cannula  51  also may have a proximal end  53  and a distal tip  46 . But, the distal tip  46  of the inner cannula  51  is recessed inwardly from the distal tip  44  of the outer cannula  50 . Any and all space defined between the outer cannula  50  and inner cannula  51  that contains a vacuum may be a first suction volume. 
         [0010]    Attachment of the suction tip to the body  10 , as described in more detail below, establishes fluid communication between the chamber or passage  26  and the suction volume. When fluid communication is established, the chamber or passage  26  may become an additional or second suction volume. Advantageously, a vacuum generated by the inner cannula  51  at its distal tip  46  extends through the suction volume defined between the inner cannula  51  and outer cannula  50  and into the chamber  26  defined in the body  12 . Further advantageously, the recessed position of the inner cannula  51  distal tip  46  helps to break blockages from fluids and tissue being suctioned from the surgical site. Additional details about the structure and operation of the suction tip are described in the &#39;571 application. 
         [0011]    The fluid supply  24  may be a bag of saline, for example, under pressure due to the head generated by its elevation above the suction device  10  on a pole. Or, it may be supplied as a standard fluid in an operating room or other healthcare setting. This pressure facilitates urging the fluid down the fluid supply line  22  so as to facilitate suction. 
         [0012]    The fluid supply conduit  22  may be polymer or rubber medical tubing, for example, that is configured to direct and control fluid flow to the body  12 . At the same time, some flexibility of the tubing is advantageous in order to allow its connection to and passage through the passage defined by the body  12 . 
         [0013]    The vacuum supply conduit  18  may be of similar construction, although it may have characteristics better adapted to resisting collapse than elevated pressures. 
         [0014]    The vacuum supply  20  may be generated by a standalone device, such as a portable pump, or may be part of an existing built-in vacuum or suction pressure supply in the clinical setting. Also, the vacuum supply  20  may include some type of catch basin or other container to capture and hold suctioned fluids and tissues for later safe disposal. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the conduits  18 ,  22  may extend through the passage  26  and merge into a single distal conduit end  32 . This merger combines the fluid for irrigation with the vacuum so, if both lines are free-flowing, the majority of the irrigation fluid is sucked into the vacuum conduit  18 . If only the irrigation conduit  18  is flowing, the conduit  18  supplies fluid at the distal conduit end  32  to dilute tissue, blood or and other bodily fluids. This allows tissue and fluid entering the distal conduit end  32  to be diluted before being sucked up through the vacuum conduit  18 , when activated, for disposal. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the proximal end  37  of the outer cannula  50  may include a connector. Also, the proximal end  53  of the inner cannula  51  may include a connector. For example, each of the cannulae proximal ends  37  and  53  may have one-half of an appropriately-sized luer, bayonet or other style lock or connector. The other half of the connector may be positioned on the distal end of the body  12  and the single distal conduit end  32 . Connecting these connectors will attach the cannulae to the body and conduit, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the body  12  of the suction device may have an ergonomic shape, such as an eggplant or teardrop shape, with a resulting greater volume defined in a portion of the passage  26  proximal of the midline (i.e., half way between the proximal and distal ends) of the body. This shape is configured to facilitate easy gripping and manipulation in a normal range of hand sizes. The body  12  may be constructed of a polymer material so as to be light and inexpensive. Its outer surface may be textured for further ease of gripping and manipulation. The greater volume of the teardrop shape may facilitate the generation of suction or negative pressure in the volume between the inner cannula  51  and outer cannula  50  when the outer cannula  44  is in contact with fluid or tissue. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the body  12  may also include a neck region that extends out of the bulbous proximal region and then curves gently downward over a region where the fingers would wrap. Restated, the fingers of the hand would wrap around and under the inner curvature. The thumb would be positioned near the buttons  14 . 
         [0019]    The body  12  includes a proximal end  34  and the distal end  36 . At the proximal end may be an air-tight sealing disc  38 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The sealing disc  38  may be a rubber or polymer plug, for example, that friction fits within a cylindrical opening at the proximal end  34 . Defined through the sealing disc  38  may be a pair of holes configured to allow snug passage of the conduits  18 ,  22 . Separate construction of the sealing disc  38  facilitates its removal and replacement along with threading new conduits  18 ,  22 . Also, revealing the opening at the proximal end  34  facilitates cleaning and sterilization of the passage  26  of the body  12 . 
         [0020]    The distal end  36  defines its own cylindrical opening that, as shown in  FIG. 2 , may be configured to receive the similarly-sized connector on the proximal end of the outer cannula  50 . The opening at the distal end  36  may include its own stopper or member to support in a central location, and allow passage therethrough, of the single distal conduit end  32 . Central positioning may facilitate attachment of the conduit end  32  to the proximal end of the inner cannula  51 . 
         [0021]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the buttons  14  are on the dorsal outer curvature of the body  12  so as to be positioned for thumb actuation. The buttons  14  include shafts or posts that extend through sealed openings in the body  12  so as to prevent air escape. Each of the buttons  14  is spring biased on its shaft to clamp shut on or open a respective one of the conduits  18  or  22 . 
         [0022]    Depression of the buttons  14  against the spring bias progressively opens the conduits  18  and  22 . Progressive opening results in progressively increasing supply of fluid or suction. Linear, adjacent positioning of the buttons  14  on the dorsal surface (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) of the body  12  facilitates simultaneous, dual compression to route some irrigation and vacuum at the same time. Isolated suction or irrigation may also be performed by depressing only one of the buttons  14 . 
         [0023]    The suction device  10  may also include a single button or more than two buttons for selective application of various combinations of suction and fluids. A single button may be used to actuate a single suction line. Multiple buttons may be used for different types of fluids through different conduits. 
         [0024]    The buttons  14 , for example, may include compression members such as pyramidal members that trap the flexible conduits  18  or  22  against the inner surface of the body  12  under compression of the spring. Also, the buttons themselves may have an ergonomic shape of a tear drop and be nested within shaped recesses  40  on the dorsal, outer curvature of the body  12 . 
         [0025]    The chamber or passage  26  is defined within the body  12  by the wall structure of the body. Advantageously, the passage  26  is configured to allow positioning and passage of the conduits  18  and  22  in a configuration that allows their selective compression by the buttons  14 . For example, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the conduits  18  and  22  may be configured in a crossing or overlapping configuration that facilitates positioning of the buttons  14  along the mid-dorsal line of the body  12 . 
         [0026]    The passage  26  has the same general shape as the outer surface of the body  12  due to the relatively consistent wall thickness of the body. However, the passage  26  could have a less similar shape, such as a curved cylinder. Regardless, the passage  26  can extend from the proximal end  34  to the distal end  36  of the body  12  so as to guide and shield the conduits  18  and  22  from entanglement or exposure to the environment. 
         [0027]    A number of aspects of the systems, devices and methods have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other aspects are within the scope of the following claims.
     10  suction device     12  body     14  buttons     18  vacuum supply conduit     20  vacuum supply     22  fluid supply conduit     24  fluid supply     26  passage     32  single distal conduit end     34  proximal end     36  distal end     37  outer cannula proximal end     38  sealing disc     40  shaped recesses     44  outer cannula distal tip     46  inner cannula distal tip     50  outer cannula     51  inner cannula     53  inner cannula proximal end