GB2058227A

GB2058227A - Bung assemblies for use with vacuum apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2058227A
Application number: GB8023654A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Matburn Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Matburn Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1979-07-19
Filing date: 1980-07-18
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: GB2058227B

Abstract

An assembly is provided for connecting a patient via a jar to a source of vacuum. The assembly includes a bung (1) for receipt in an opening in the jar, the bung having first and second ducts (2, 3) extending therethrough. A connector block (27) is removably mounted on the bung with first and second passages (28, 29) therein communication with the ducts (2, 3) via nipples (7, 8) extending from the ducts (2, 3). The passage (28) is connected to a patient to remove fluid from the patient's body and the passage (29) is connected to a source of vacuum. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Suction pump assembly This invention relates to an assembly for connecting a patient via a jar to a source of vacuum, for example, a vacuum pump. Vacuum pumps are widely used in hospitals for extracting fluids from patients during operations. The fluids involved may be body fluids, or they may be fluids introduced into the body for the purpose of the operation, for example the fluid may be saline. One particular area in which suction pumps are currently being used i; in the area of abortions, where uterine fluid, including the foetus, is removed from the body by the operation of a suction pump. The jar serves to receive fluid from the patient and prevents the fluid from reaching the suction pump. It should be mentioned that in this description the term "fluid" is used to include such solid or semi-solid matter as may be present in the fluid.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly by means of which, when a jar is full, or is no longer to be used for some other reason, the patient line and the vacuum can be readily disconnected from that jar and connected to another jar.

According to the invention there is provided an assembly for connecting a patient via a jar to a source of vacuum, comprising a closure member for receipt in an opening in the jar, first and second ducts extending through the closure member into the jar, and a connector member removably mounted on the closure member and having therein first and second passages in communication with the said first and second ducts respectively and adapted for connection respectively with a patient line and a source of vacuum.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section through the assembly; Figure 2 is a vertical section of a valve included in the assembly in the path of fluid entering the jar, the view being a section on line B through B-B of Figure 4; Figure 3 shows the valve of Figure 2 in a section taken on line A-A of Figure 4; and Figure 4 is an underplan view of the valve of Figures 2 and 3.

The assembly shown in Figure 1 comprises a bung 1 adapted to be received in the mouth of a jar (not shown). Passages 2 and 3 extend vertically through the bung, both passages being circular in cross-section, and the passage 2 being larger in cross-section than the passage 3. Metal tubes 4 and 5 are received within the bores 2 and 3 respectively, both tubes being connected at their upper ends to a metal plate 6. Nipples 7 and 8 extend upwardly from the plate 6 in communication with the tubes 4 and 5 respectively. For a reason which is explained below, the nipple 7 is longer than the nipple 8.

The lower end of the tube 2 has an external screw thread 9 formed thereon, and the lower end of the tube 5 has a similar screw thread 10. An internally screw threaded collar 11 is secured to the screw thread 9, the collar 11 having a downwardly extending tube 12 in communication with the interior thereof. A valve assembly 13 is secured to the screw thread 10, for which purpose it has an internally screw threaded portion at its upper end.

The collar 11 has a valve 14 therein, which is shown in more detail in Figures 2 to 4. The valve is preferably formed of a plastics material, and a silicone rubber is particularly suitable. The valve 14 has a generally cylindrical bowl portion 15 with three radial ribs 16 extending downwardly therefrom. The ribs are hollow, and each rib is slit along a line 17 at its lower end, the slit being made after the valve has been formed. The upper end of the bowl portion 15 terminates in an inwardly directed head 18 which engages in a groove in the outside of the lower end of the tube 4. The valve is retained in place by a retaining ring 19.

The valve assembly 13 comprises a domeshaped metal float 20. The float is retained in a metal cage 21 having four downwardly extending bars spaced 900 from one another about the axis of the float. A diametrically extending retaining member 22 serves to prevent the float falling out of the bottom of the valve assembly. The upper end of the float bears against a slide 23 so that if the float 20 is caused to rise the upper end of the slide will be brought into sealing engagement with the seal 24. The seal 24 forms part of a Schrader valve which also includes a valve member 25 biased downwardly by a compression spring 26.

The spring pressure is so chosen that the valve is open when vacuum is applied to the upper end thereof, but is closed in the absence of such vacuum, even if the assembly mounted on a jar full of liquid is inverted, i.e. the spring pressure is greater than the hydraulic pressure of an inverted jar of liquid.

The assembly thus far described is normally mounted on a jar but can of course be removed from the jar for purposes of emptying the jar. To connect the assembly thus far described to a patient and a source of vacuum a removable connector block 27 is employed. This block is composed of a single piece of material, for example a plastics material or neoprene rubber.

Passageways 28 and 29 are formed in the block, the lower end of passage 28 being adapted to mate with the nipple 7, and the lower end of the passage 29 being adapted to mate with the nipple 8. The passage 28 is connectable to a patient line via a patient line adaptor 30, and the passage 29 is arranged to receive a suction line connector 31.

The adaptor 30 and the connector 31 are different in diameter from one another so that there can be no possibility of connecting the patient line and the suction line to the wrong passages in the block 27. As an alternative to what is shown in the drawings the adaptor 30 and/or connector 31 may be integrally formed with the block 27. The lower end of the passage 28 is stepped and has two upwardly directed circumferential grooves 32 and 33. These are designed to retain liquid by capillary action, and so reduce dripping when the block is removed from the nipples.

In use of the apparatus, the block 27 is securely mounted on the nipples 7 and 8 and the adaptor 30 and the connector 31 are secured to a patient line and a suction line respectively. Fluid is thereby drawn into the jar, the valve 14 being sufficiently flexible to permit the passage of solid bodies of quite substantial size. If during the course of the operation the jar becomes full the float 20 rises and pushes the upper end of the slide 23 into engagement with the seal 24, thus cutting off vacuum to the jar. The block 27 can then be removed from the nipples and repositioned on a new jar. The fact that nipple 8 is shorter than nipple 7 helps to ensure that vacuum is cut off from the jar before the fluid path from the patient is cut off. To further assist in achieving this result it is also possible to provide finger holds along the side of the block 27, the finger holds being so placed that someone seeking to remove the block from the nipples will automatically align his hand so that his finger tips are nearer the nipple 8 than the nipple 7. In removing the block from the nipples it is natural to use a levering action, and if the hand is orientated as described above this automatically results in the end of the connector block which receives nipple 8 being removed before the other end of the block.

Claims

1. An assembly for connecting a patient via a jar to a source of vacuum, comprising a closure member for receipt in an opening in the jar, first and second ducts extending through the closure member into the jar, and a connector member removably mounted on the closure member and having therein first and second passages in communication with the said first and second ducts respectively and adapted for connection respectively with a patient line and a source of vacuum.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein communication between the first and second ducts in the closure member and the first and second passages in the connector member is provided by first and second nipples respectively secured in the ends of the said first and second ducts and removably engaged in the said first and second passages.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first nipple extends further into the first duct than the second nipple extends into the second duct.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the connector member is provided with finger holds so placed that a user seeking to remove the connector member from the closure member will align his hand so that his finger tips are nearer the second nipple than the first nipple.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the region of the first passage in which the first nipple engages is provided with at least one drip ring adapted to retain liquid when the first nipple is removed from the first passage, thereby to prevent or reduce dripping.

6. An assembly for connecting a patient via a jar to a source of vacuum, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.