Suction apparatus with a flushable drainage line

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9486561-B2
Application number	US-201313939369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 7, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A suction apparatus for aspirating a fluid from a human or animal body by negative pressure comprises a drainage connection for a drainage line in order to remove the fluid from the body. A vacuum source generates a negative pressure at the drainage connection. A fluid connection container collects the sucked-up fluid. The drainage line can be flushed with air by an auxiliary connection and an auxiliary line connected to the latter. In order to reduce the entraining of pathogens, a sterilizing cell is provided. The supplied air is treated in the latter in such a manner that pathogens contained in the air are modified and thereby rendered harmless.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suction apparatus for aspirating a fluid from a human or animal body by means of negative pressure, the suction apparatus comprising:
a pump assembly housing;
a drainage connection for a drainage line for removing the fluid from the body;
a vacuum source arranged in the pump assembly housing, for generating a negative pressure at the drainage connection in order to suck up the fluid through the drainage line;
a fluid collection container for collecting the sucked-up fluid;
an auxiliary connection for an auxiliary line; and
a sterilizing device with a sterilizing cell arranged in the pump assembly housing, wherein the sterilizing cell has an inlet in order to supply a gas to the sterilizing cell, wherein the sterilizing device is configured to treat the supplied gas in such a manner that pathogens contained in said gas are modified and thereby rendered harmless, and wherein the sterilizing cell has an outlet in order to conduct the treated gas out of the sterilizing cell to the auxiliary connection, and
wherein the sterilizing device comprises an inlet valve at the inlet of the sterilizing cell, through which inlet valve the gas can be supplied to the sterilizing cell, and an outlet valve at the outlet of the sterilizing cell, through which outlet valve the treated gas can be conducted out of the sterilizing cell, such that the inlet valve and the outlet valve act as a lock for the supplied gas entering the sterilizing cell.

2. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet is connected to an environmental space in order to supply ambient air to the sterilizing cell.

3. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a treatment device in order to treat the supplied gas by means of UV rays, by increasing a temperature and/or by an action of steam.

4. The suction apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the treatment device comprises at least one UV light source.

5. The suction apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the treatment device comprises at least one heat source.

6. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suction apparatus comprises a control device which is configured to carry out the following steps:
(a) closing the outlet valve;
(b) opening the inlet valve in order to supply the gas to the sterilizing cell;
(c) closing the inlet valve;
(d) treating the supplied gas in the sterilizing cell in such a manner that pathogens contained in said gas are modified and thereby rendered harmless; and
(e) opening the outlet valve in order to conduct the treated gas out of the sterilizing cell, wherein step (b) is carried out before, during or after step (a), wherein step (c) is carried out after step (b), and wherein step (d) is carried out at least between step (c) and step (e).

7. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing cell has a variable volume.

8. The suction apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sterilizing cell has a cylindrical wall region and a plunger disposed therein, wherein the plunger is displaceable within the cylindrical wall region in order to change the volume of the sterilizing cell.

9. The suction apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sterilizing cell has an elastic or expansion-bellows-like wall region in order to change the volume of the sterilizing cell.

10. The suction apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a spring element which is designed and arranged in such a manner that it tends to maximize the variable volume.

11. The suction apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a drive in order to actively change the volume of the sterilizing cell.

12. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing cell is designed as a continuous flow cell having a constant volume.

13. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suction apparatus comprises the drainage line which is connected to the drainage connection,
wherein the suction apparatus comprises the auxiliary line which is connected to the auxiliary connection, and
wherein an apparatus-remote end of the auxiliary line is in fluid-communicating connection with an apparatus-remote end of the drainage line.

14. The suction apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing cell is retrofittable and/or interchangeable.

15. A sterilizing device for a suction apparatus for aspirating a fluid from a human or animal body by means of negative pressure, the suction apparatus comprising a pump assembly housing;
a drainage connection for a drainage line for removing fluid from the body;
a vacuum source arranged in the pump assembly housing for generating a negative pressure at the drainage connection in order to suck up the fluid through the drainage line; wherein the sterilizing device comprises a sterilizing cell which is provided with an inlet in order to supply a gas to the sterilizing cell, wherein the sterilizing device is configured to treat the supplied gas in such a manner that pathogens contained in the supplied gas are modified and thereby rendered harmless, in order to reduce a risk of the human or the animal body being infected by the supplied gas, wherein the sterilizing cell has an outlet, and wherein the sterilizing device comprises an inlet valve at the inlet of the sterilizing cell such that the supplied gas is supplied through the inlet valve to the sterilizing cell, and an outlet valve at the outlet of the sterilizing cell such that the treated gas is conducted through the outlet valve out of the sterilizing cell, and wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve act as a lock for the supplied gas entering the sterilizing cell.

16. The sterilizing device according to claim 15 , wherein the inlet is connected to an environmental space in order to supply ambient air to the sterilizing cell.

17. The sterilizing device according to claim 15 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a treatment device in order to treat the supplied gas by means of UV rays, by increasing a temperature and/or by an action of steam.

18. The sterilizing device according to claim 15 , wherein the sterilizing cell has a variable volume.

19. The sterilizing device according to claim 15 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a spring element which is designed and arranged in such a manner that it tends to maximize the variable volume of the sterilizing cell.

20. The sterilizing device according to claim 15 , wherein the sterilizing device comprises a drive in order to actively change the volume of the sterilizing cell.

21. A method for supplying air to an auxiliary line of a suction apparatus, wherein the suction apparatus comprises:
a pump assembly housing;
a drainage line; and
a vacuum source arranged in the pump assembly housing, for generating a negative pressure, in order to aspirate a fluid from a human or animal body through the drainage line by means of the negative pressure,
a sterilizing cell being arranged in the pump assembly housing and having an inlet and an outlet;
an inlet valve at the inlet of the sterilizing cell; and
an outlet valve at the outlet of the sterilizing cell;
and wherein an apparatus-remote end of the auxiliary line is in fluid-communicating connection with an apparatus-remote end of the drainage line, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) closing the outlet valve;
(b) opening the inlet valve in order to supply the gas to

Assignees

• Medela Holding Ag

Inventors

• Walti Martin
• Ehlert Hilmar

Classifications

• A61M1/85

  with gas or fluid supply means, e.g. for supplying rinsing fluids or anticoagulants (for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92, A61M1/94; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463; dental instruments with combined rinsing and aspirating A61C17/0208) · CPC title

• A61L9/015 Primary

  using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone (A61L9/20 takes precedence {; evaporation in general B01B1/005}) · CPC title

• A61M1/82

  Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs · CPC title

• A61M1/94

  with gas supply means · CPC title

• A61M1/71

  Suction drainage systems (containers therefor A61M1/60, A61M1/64; negative pressure wound therapy systems A61M1/90) · CPC title