An Improved Suction Apparatus for Medical Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th My, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 17th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Dr. EDUARD LÖBELL, of Freiburg, Baden, in the
Empire of Germany.]
An Improved Suction Apparatus for Medical Purposes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to suction-apparatus for medical purposes.
It often happens in medical practice that matter has to be sucked from the windpipe
especially when, as in the case of diphtheria, it is necessary to cut the windpipe.
Suction apparatus operated by mechanical means are not well adapted for this
purpose, because no sufficient control is obtained over the force of the suction, and it
is moreover necessary that the hand of the operating physician shall be free.
Accordingly the suction can be effected in a proper manner only with the mouth,
which in the case of infectious diseases such as diptheria, is liable to infect the
physician.
This danger is obviated by using the suction apparatus constructed according to
the aforesaid invention. The improved apparatus comprises three principal parts, that
is to say, a soft elastic catheter the free end of which is placed in the windpipe when
the operation is effected, a tubular middle-piece which can be made of glass ebonite or
the like, and has a lateral discharge-tube; and a bag having a very thin wall and
made of elastic gum, fish bladder or the like. Over the lower pointed end of the
middle-piece is slid the catheter, and over the opposite end the bag.
The physician who uses this suction-apparatus takes the thin bag in his mouth and
closes his lips at the end of the middle-piece which carries the bag.
When a sucking movement is performed by the physician the bag enables the same
to be transmitted to the free end of the catheter in case the orifice of the above-
mentioned lateral discharge-tube has been closed. Matters which are sucked from
the windpipe do not under the circumstances enter the mouth of the physician but pass
into the bag. The bag is emptied by the physician pressing it together with his
tongue, thus causing the contents to leave through the open discharge-tube of the
middle-piece. The free end of the lateral discharge-tube may be provided with a flap-
valve which is automatically closed during the suction and opened when the bag is
compressed for emptying the same.
L 1
131
Ր
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Suction Apparatus for Medical Purposes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to suction-apparatus for medical purposes.
It often happens in medical practice that matter has to be withdrawn from the
windpipe especially when, as in the case of diphtheria, it is necessary to cut the
windpipe.
Suction apparatus operated by mechanical means are not well adapted for this

page_text: purpose, because sufficient control is not obtained over the time and force of the
suction, and it is moreover necessary that the hand of the operating physician shall
be free. Accordingly the suction can he effected in a proper manner only with the
mouth, which in the case of infectious diseases, such as diphtheria, is liable to infect
the physician.
This danger however is obviated by using the suction apparatus constructed
according to the aforesaid invention.
The improved apparatus is shown in the accompanying drawing and comprises
three principal parts, that is to say, soft elastic catheter 1, the free end 2 of which is
placed in the windpipe during the operation a tubular middle-piece 3 which can be
made of glass ebonite or the like and has a lateral discharge-tube 5 and a bag 4 made
of very thin elastic indiarubber, fish-bladder or the like.
Over the lower pointed end of the middle-piece 3 is slid the catheter and over the
opposite end of the said middle-piece is slid the bag 4.
The physician when using this suction-apparatus takes the thin bag in his mouth
with the discharge tube 5 downwards and closes his lips tightly upon the end of the
middle-piece 3, which carries the bag. He then closes the lateral discharge tube 5
and exerts a sucking action with the mouth whereby the flat portion of the bag is
expanded to approximately spherical shape so that the said sucking action is trans-
mitted to the free end of the catheter.
Matter which is sucked from the windpipe does not under these circumstances
enter the mouth of the physician but pass into the bag.
The bag is emptied by the physician pressing it together. with his tongue or
exerting pressure thereon by blowing and at the same time opening the discharge-
tube 5 and holding it downward and closing the catheter thus causing the contents
to leave through the said discharge-tube of the middle-piece.
The free end of the lateral discharge-tube 5 may be provided with a flap-valve
which is automatically closed during the suction and opened when the bag is com-
pressed for emptying the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
In a suction apparatus for medical purposes a bag of elastic indiarubber or other
material, fixed to that part of the apparatus which is designed to be taken in
the mouth
Dated this 3rd day of December 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.