A chest drainage system with a fluid pathway clearing apparatus including a collection device and a fluid pathway configured to extend from a patient to the collection device, the fluid pathway having a proximal portion configured to extend proximally toward the patient and a distal portion configured to extend distally from the patient, wherein the chest drainage system is operable to detect a fully or partially blocked or kinked pneumatic fluid pathway based on an algorithm that considers one or more of elapsed time, pressure differential in the fluid pathway, and predetermined time delay settings, and is operable to clear the fluid pathway by applying more negative pressure to the distal portion of the fluid pathway, while allowing negative pressure to be relieved at the proximal portion of the fluid pathway, thus creating a pressure differential, the chest drainage system further comprising: a control module configured to receive a suction pressure from an external source via a first suction port, wherein the collection device is configured to receive the suction pressure from the control module via a second suction port and to provide the suction pressure to the fluid pathway via an inlet port; a negative pressure source configured to store sub-atmospheric pressure and configured for providing the sub-atmospheric pressure to the distal portion of the fluid pathway, the negative pressure source including a negative pressure accumulator configured to be charged with and to store the sub-atmospheric pressure; a first valve for isolating the negative pressure accumulator from the rest of the chest drainage system while the negative pressure accumulator is being charged with negative pressure, wherein the first valve is configured to be opened and the negative pressure exposed to the distal portion after a predetermined amount of negative pressure is achieved in the negative pressure accumulator, and a second valve configured to be coupled to the proximal portion of the fluid pathway and configured to selectively relieve pressure in the proximal portion of the fluid pathway by being activated when the first valve is opened, thus opening the proximal portion to allow air to be drawn into the chest drainage system. a control module configured to receive a suction pressure from an external source via a first suction port, wherein the collection device is configured to receive the suction pressure from the control module via a second suction port and to provide the suction pressure to the fluid pathway via an inlet port; a negative pressure source configured to store sub-atmospheric pressure and configured for providing the sub-atmospheric pressure to the distal portion of the fluid pathway, the negative pressure source including a negative pressure accumulator configured to be charged with and to store the sub-atmospheric pressure; a first valve for isolating the negative pressure accumulator from the rest of the chest drainage system while the negative pressure accumulator is being charged with negative pressure, wherein the first valve is configured to be opened and the negative pressure exposed to the distal portion after a predetermined amount of negative pressure is achieved in the negative pressure accumulator, and a second valve configured to be coupled to the proximal portion of the fluid pathway and configured to selectively relieve pressure in the proximal portion of the fluid pathway by being activated when the first valve is opened, thus opening the proximal portion to allow air to be drawn into the chest drainage system.