Abstract:
A method and apparatus for draining a liner-type medical suction apparatus. The method includes the acts of positioning the liner-type medical suction apparatus relative to a drainage device including a conduit, causing the conduit to communicate with the liner interior, and draining the fluid from the liner interior through the conduit. The apparatus includes a support member adapted to support the liner-type medical suction apparatus and a drainage device housing adjacent to the support member. The device also includes a conduit including a first end coupled to the drainage device housing and a second end for communication with the liner interior.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 09/819,243, filed on Mar. 28, 2001, which claimed the benefit of provisional patent Application No. 60/192,751, filed on Mar. 28, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates to draining bodily fluid contained in the liner of a liner-type medical suction apparatus.  
           [0003]    Medical suction systems are used in hospital environments and particularly during various surgical procedures to drain and store bodily fluid from a patient. In general, medical suction systems are used in conjunction with a vacuum source which enables the bodily fluid to be drained from the patient.  
           [0004]    One type of medical suction system used to drain and contain fluid from a patient is an apparatus including a disposable bag-like liner and a cover secured to the liner. Such liners are thin-walled pliable plastic members. The cover typically includes a patient port for receiving the fluid from a patient and a vacuum port for establishing a vacuum within the liner. The vacuum draws fluid from the patient through the patient port for collection in the liner.  
           [0005]    It has become important in environments such as hospitals to eliminate the handling of and thus reduce personnel exposure to bodily fluids. Hospitals typically dispose of the bodily fluid contained in a liner-type medical suction apparatus in various ways. Bodily fluid can be poured from the liner through a port in the cover down the hospital sink and into the sewer system, can be incinerated as a liquid or solid, or can be disposed of at an approved hazardous waste site. Since the liner is in the form of a pliable bag filled with liquid, special disposal handling is required in order to prevent puncturing or bursting due to contact with sharp objects.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention provides improved methods and apparatus for removing body fluids from a liner-type medical suction apparatus to eliminate the potential for a person handling the apparatus to come into contact with the fluid being drained.  
           [0007]    Specifically, the invention provides for methods of draining bodily fluid from a liner that is drained of potentially hazardous fluid without contact with the fluid. The liner is drained in conjunction with a drainage device. Various types of drainage devices can be employed to drain the liner.  
           [0008]    More particularly, the invention provides a method for draining a liner-type medical suction apparatus, the liner-type medical suction apparatus including a liner, a liner interior filled with fluid, a cover, and a port in the cover. The method includes providing a drainage device, the drainage device including a conduit and a cradle. The method also includes positioning the cover of the liner-type medical suction apparatus within the cradle of the drainage device with the liner-type suction apparatus inverted, causing the conduit to communicate with the liner interior through the port, and draining the fluid from the liner interior through the conduit.  
           [0009]    The invention also provides another method for draining a liner-type medical suction apparatus, the liner-type medical suction apparatus including a liner, a liner interior filled with fluid, a cover, and a port in the cover. The method includes providing a drainage device, the drainage device including a movable support member and a conduit. The method also includes positioning the liner-type medical suction apparatus in a substantially upright position within the support member, attaching the conduit to the port, and moving the support member to cause the liner-type medical suction apparatus to move from the substantially upright position to a position in which the fluid flows out of the liner interior into the conduit.  
           [0010]    The invention also provides a medical apparatus including a liner-type medical suction apparatus. The liner-type medical suction apparatus includes a liner, a liner interior for containing fluid, a cover, a port in the cover, and a pre-attached tube coupled to the port and extending into the liner interior. The medical apparatus includes a drainage device including a housing. The medical apparatus also includes a conduit including a first end coupled to the drainage device housing and a second end coupleable to the port so that fluid in the liner interior can flow through the pre-attached tube and the conduit to the drainage device.  
           [0011]    The invention also provides another device for draining a liner-type medical suction apparatus, the liner-type medical suction apparatus including a liner, a liner interior filled with fluid, a cover, and a port in the cover. The device includes a drainage device housing and a cradle coupled to the drainage device housing, the cradle being adapted to support the cover of the liner-type medical suction apparatus when the liner-type medical suction apparatus is in an inverted position. The device also includes a breakout pipe including a first end coupled to the cradle and a second end for communication with the liner interior. The breakout pipe is movable upwardly between a storage position in which the second end is stored substantially within the cradle and a drainage position in which the second end is in communication with the liner interior through the cover.  
           [0012]    The invention also provides still another device for draining a liner-type medical suction apparatus, the liner-type medical suction apparatus including a liner, a liner interior, a cover, and a port in the cover. The device includes a drainage device housing, a drain coupled to the drainage device housing, and a conduit including a first end coupled to the drain and a second end adapted for attachment to the port. The device also includes a support member coupled to the drainage device housing and adapted to support the liner-type medical suction apparatus. The support member is movable between a loading position in which the liner-type medical suction apparatus is in a substantially upright position and a drainage position in which the liner-type medical suction apparatus is in a position in which the fluid flows through the conduit to the drain.  
           [0013]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description, claims and drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a front view of a liner-type medical suction apparatus.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus and one method for draining the liner.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus and a second method for draining the liner.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views of the apparatus and a third method for draining the liner.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus and a fourth method for draining the liner.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the apparatus and a fifth method for draining the liner.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a liner and sixth method for draining the liner.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 9 is a front view of a seventh method for draining the liner.  
         [0022]    Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a liner-type medical suction apparatus  10 . The apparatus  10  includes a cover  12  and a liner  14  suitably attached to the cover  12 . The liner  14  is a thin-walled bag having an interior  16  adapted to hold the fluid drained from a patient. The liner  14  is preferably fabricated from a plastic such as ultra low density polyethylene, however, other materials can be used as desired.  
         [0024]    The cover  12  includes a patient port  18 , a suction port  20 , and other access ports as desired. A patient conduit is connectable to the patient port  18  to enable communication between the patient and the interior  16  of the liner  14 . A suction conduit is connectable to the suction port  20  to enable communication between the interior  16  of the liner  14  and a suction source, such as a hospital suction system.  
         [0025]    To drain fluid from a patient, the patient and suction conduits are respectively secured to the patient and suction ports  18  and  20 . The liner  14  is supported by a stand or by a rigid outer container or canister (not shown), and fluid is drained from a patient as is conventionally known.  
         [0026]    When it is desired to drain the fluid contained in the liner  14 , one of the seven methods described herein can be employed to drain the fluid contents from the interior  16  of the liner  14  while eliminating any contact with the fluid by the person handling the apparatus  10 .  
         [0027]    Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown the liner-type medical suction apparatus  10 . To drain the fluid contents of the interior  16  of the liner  14 , a conduit  22  is positioned in the interior  16  of the liner  14 , such as through an open port  24  in the cover  12 . One end  26  of the conduit  22  is positioned in the interior  16  of the liner  14  and the other end  28  is in communication with a drainage device  30  which evacuates the fluid from the interior  16  of the liner  14 . To support the apparatus during drainage, the apparatus  10  can be hung from a stand or hung from a bracket secured to a wall.  
         [0028]    With reference to FIG. 3, a second method for draining the apparatus  10  is shown. In this embodiment, a tube  32  is pre-attached to the inside of the cover  12  and hangs down into the interior  16  of the liner  14 . To drain the liner  14 , the end  26  of the conduit  22  is secured to the open port  24  on the cover  12  and the second end  28  is secured to the drainage device  30 , such as was described above.  
         [0029]    Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a third method for draining the liner  14  is shown. With this method, the cover  12  includes a flapper-style valve  34  positioned in a port  36 . To drain the fluid from the liner  14 , the apparatus  10  is inverted with respect to a drainage device  38  and the cover  12  is positioned in a cradle  40  of the drainage device  38 . Preferably, the drainage device  38  creates a negative pressure or suction force within the cradle  40  to hold the apparatus  10  in place. The drainage device  38  includes a breakout pipe  42  that is movable vertically. After the cover  12  has been positioned in the cradle  40 , the pipe  42  is actuated such that it moves upwardly toward the valve  34 . Further upward movement of the pipe  42  pivots the valve  34  to enable fluid to escape the liner  14  through the pipe  42  as is shown by the arrow in FIG. 5. After drainage, the pipe  42  is actuated downwardly, the valve  34  returns to its normally closed position and the apparatus  10  can be removed from the cradle  40 . One suitable construction for the pipe  42  is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/239,842, titled “Method and Apparatus for Removing and Disposing of Body Fluids,” filed Jan. 29, 1999, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0030]    A fourth method for draining the liner is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the cover  12  includes a breakaway portion  44 . Preferably, the breakaway portion  44  is a frangible part of the cover  12 . To drain the fluid from the liner  14 , the apparatus  10  is inverted with respect to the drainage device  38 , the cover  12  is positioned in the cradle  40 , and drainage device  38  creates a suction force within the cradle  40  to hold the apparatus  10  in place. After the cover  12  has been positioned in the cradle  40 , the pipe  42  is actuated upwardly toward the portion  44 . Further upward movement of the pipe  42  breaks the breakaway portion  44  allowing fluid to drain from the interior  16  of the liner  14  through the pipe  42 . After drainage, the pipe  42  is actuated downwardly and the apparatus  10  can be removed from the cradle  40 .  
         [0031]    As shown in FIG. 7, a fifth method is depicted for draining the liner  14 . In this method, the cover  12  includes a port  46  that is normally occluded with a plug  48 . To drain the fluid from the liner  14 , the apparatus  10  is inverted with respect to the drainage device  38 , the cover  12  is positioned in the cradle  40 , and the drainage device  38  creates a suction force within the cradle  40  to hold the apparatus  10  in place. After the cover  12  has been positioned in the cradle  40 , the pipe  42  is actuated upwardly toward the plug  48 . Further upward movement of the pipe  42  dislodges the plug  48  from the port  46  allowing fluid to drain from the interior  16  of the liner  14  through the pipe  42 . After drainage, the pipe  42  is actuated downwardly and the apparatus  10  can be removed from the cradle  40 .  
         [0032]    Turning now to FIG. 8, a sixth method is shown for draining the liner  14 . In this embodiment, the liner  14  includes a nipple portion  50  on the bottom of the liner  14 . To drain the contents of the liner  14 , the nipple portion  50  is severed or punctured allowing fluid to drain from the interior  16  of the liner  14 .  
         [0033]    In addition to the cover structures shown in FIGS.  4 - 8 , other cover structures may be employed. While the structures disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/239,842 are generally shown as being incorporated into the bottom of a medical suction apparatus, those structures may also be incorporated into the cover of a liner-type medical suction apparatus.  
         [0034]    With reference to FIG. 9, a seventh method for draining the liner  14  is shown. In this embodiment, a drainage device  52  includes a pivotable swing arm  54  that rotates about a pivot point  56 . To drain the liner  14 , the apparatus  10  is positioned in the swing arm  54  with the swing arm  54  in a first position, shown in phantom in FIG. 9. One end  58  of a conduit  60  is secured to a port on the cover  12  and the second end  62  of the conduit  60  is secured to the drainage device  52 . The swing arm  54  is then pivoted to a second position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 9 and the contents of the liner  14  drained. The second position may be a substantially horizontal position as shown in FIG. 9, or the second position may be any position that allows as much fluid as possible to drain out of the liner  14 . After drainage is completed, the swing arm  54  is returned to its first position and the apparatus  10  can be removed from the swing arm  54 .  
         [0035]    The embodiments of the drainage device shown herein can operate using various methods to drain the liner such as a venturi action, a pumping action, or the like. One example of a drainage device is the Eductor Fluid Management System available from Deknatel or Bemis Manufacturing Company. However, it should be noted that other drainage devices can be utilized and the invention herein is not limited to use of the Eductor Fluid Management System to drain the liner-type medical suction apparatuses shown herein.  
         [0036]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.