Patent ID: 8721595

Claim:
A suction wand for use in aspirating a surgical site during a surgical operation involving cutting of tissue which yields debris, the suction wand comprising: a handle; a head portion attached to the handle at a connection, wherein the head portion comprises a tubular member; a suction conduit at least partially disposed in the head portion and partially defining a suction path; a suction tip at a free end of the suction conduit remote from the handle, wherein the suction path extends from the suction tip to a vacuum source end of the suction path remote from the suction tip; a filter screen for retaining debris, wherein the filter screen comprises a surface with holes perforated therein and is disposed in the suction path at the suction tip and has a first side facing a tip direction and an opposite second side facing a vacuum source direction; a positive pressure conduit in the head portion through which fluid flows and is directed into the suction conduit in a direction toward the tip such that fluid flows in the tip direction for expelling debris from the tip; and a conduit valve operable between an open position in which fluid flows through the positive pressure conduit and into the suction conduit toward the suction tip and a closed position in which fluid does not flow into the suction conduit; wherein the positive pressure conduit has a longitudinal axis which is coincident with a longitudinal axis of the suction path along a majority of the length of the tubular member of the head portion.