Patent ID: 7845944

Claim:
A suction swab device for aspirating fluids from an oral cavity comprising: a suction tube including: an elongated hollow body having first and second end portions spaced by an intermediate portion, each of the first and second end portions being open to the hollow body; a transverse bore arranged proximate to the second end portion, said transverse bore defining first and second openings, with the first and second openings having first and second diameters respectively; and a bend portion formed in the intermediate portion at a position located closer to the first end portion than to the second end portion; a vacuum break arranged at the first end portion, said vacuum break being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with a source of vacuum; and a resilient tip arranged on the second end portion of the suction tube, said resilient tip including: a main body having a first end section, a second end section and first and second pairs of opposing side sections; a central, axial passage traversing the first and second end sections so as to define a first aperture arranged at the first end section which leads through the main body to a second aperture arranged at the second end section, said first aperture receiving the second end portion of the suction tube, with the second end section of the main body projecting beyond the second end portion of the suction tube and the second aperture being in fluid communication with the hollow body; and a transverse passage extending between the first pair of opposing side sections, said transverse passage being open to the central passage and defining third and fourth openings which align with the first and second openings of the suction tube, said third and fourth openings having third and fourth diameters, with each of the third and fourth diameters being smaller than either of the first and second diameters such that, in the event that oral tissue is extruded into the third or fourth openings, portions of the resilient tip will also be drawn into corresponding ones of the first and second openings to cover any sharp edges of the suction tube which may exist and, when a source of vacuum is attached to the first end portion of the suction tube, vacuum forces are created at the second aperture and the third and fourth openings to enable the aspiration of fluid from a cavity through the elongated hollow body.