GB2222086A

GB2222086A - Mouth-operated medical aspirator

Info

Publication number: GB2222086A
Application number: GB8817464A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Frederick Henley; Simon John Barker
Original assignee: HENLEYS MEDICAL SUPPLIES Ltd
Current assignee: HENLEYS MEDICAL SUPPLIES Ltd
Priority date: 1988-07-22
Filing date: 1988-07-22
Publication date: 1990-02-28
Also published as: GB8817464D0

Abstract

A mouth-operated medical aspirator comprises a first air-tight container (1A) having an inlet spigot (11A) coupled to a patient tube (15) and a second air-tight container (1B) having an outlet spigot (12B) coupled to an aspiration tube (17). An outlet spigot (12A) of the first container is connected to an inlet spigot (11B) of the second container by connecting tubing (20) and the containers are held together side-by-side by a coupling strap (21). Fluid sucked through the patient tube by suction applied to the aspiration tube by an operator is deposited in the first container, the connecting tubing forming a barrier to the onward transmission of the fluid to the second container which itself forms a buffer between the aspiration tube and the connection tubing (20). <IMAGE>

Description

Description of Invention "Mouth-operated medical aspirator" THIS INVENTION relates to a mouth-operated medical aspirator for use by medical personnel in extracting mucus and other fluids from the mouth of a patient, particularly an accident casualty or a newly born baby.

A known disposable mouth-operated medical aspirator is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the known aspirator comprises a container in the form of a cup-shaped transparent receptacle 2 closed by a cap 5. The receptacle 2 has a circular base 3 and a substantially cylindrical side wall 3' which flares slightly from the base 3 to an open end of the container which is formed on its rim with an enlarged lip 4 (Figure 3). The receptacle 1 is made of relatively rigid plastics material.

A cap 5 has a circular top 6 from which depends a peripheral skirt 7 which is formed over part of its circumference with a projecting finger grip 8 by which the cap may be manipulated. As shown in Figure 2, a circular flange 9 extends downwardly from the top 6 of the cap to define with the skirt 7 a channel 10 adapted to receive the lip 4 when the cap is fitted onto the open end of the container. The cap 5 is made of rlatil resilient plastics material and the canny is dimensioned so that it tightly receives the lip 4 to establish an air-tight seal between the rim of the container and the cap.

A pair of hollow spigots 11 and 12 project from the top 6 of the cap 5 and define respective inlet and outlet passages through the cap 5. The inlet passage extends through spigot 11 and through a spigot continuation 13 projecting from the other side of top 6 and tapering to a smaller diameter than spigot 11. The outlet passage extends through the spigot 12 from a hole 14 which penetrates the cap top 6. The inlet spigot 11 is tightly received in one end of a patient tube 15 which has a free end 16 for insertion into a patient's mouth. The outlet spigot 12 is tightly received in one end of an aspiration tube 17 which has a mouthpiece 18 fitting tightly into the other end of the tube 17. A filter plug 19 is disposed in the aspirator tube 17 in the proximity of the spigot 12.Each of the flexible tubes 15 and 17 is made of a transparent plastics material and typically has a bore in a region of 3mm.

In use of the device, the free end 16 of the inlet tube 15 is placed in a patient's mouth and the mouthpiece 18 of the aspiration tube 17 is placed in the operator's mouth. Suction applied by the operator to the tube 17 (through the mouthpiece 18) is applied through the sealed container 1 to the patient tube 15. Fluid drawn through the patient tube 15 under suction is deposited in the container 1 and, in normal use of the aspirator collects at the bottom of the container. After use the aspirator is discarded.

Concern has been expressed by medical personnel that the above described aspirator does not provide an effective barrier against possible airborne transmission of bacterial and viral infections from the patient to the operator or to the ingress of fluid extracted from the patient into the aspiration tube should the container inadvertently be inverted during use.

The present invention aims to overcome or at least substantially mitigate the suggested disadvantage of the known aspirator and,to this end, the invention provides a medical aspirator comprising a first air-tight container having an inlet and an outlet, a second air-tight container having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible patient tube connected to the inlet of the first container, a flexible aspiration tube connected to the outlet of the second container and a conduit connecting the outlet of the first container to the inlet of the second container.

Preferably the said conduit comprises a flexible tube.

Advantageously, the inlet and outlet of each of the first and second containers comprises a spigot projecting from a cap of the container.

Advantageously, a detachable coupling element is provided to engage and hold the two containers in a predetermined orientation relative to one another.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a known disposable medical aspirator; Figure 2 is a plan view of the underneath of a cap of the aspirator; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a top part of a receptacle of the aspirator; Figure 4 is a side elevation of a disposable medical aspirator embodying the present invention; and Figure 5 is a plan view of a coupling element of the aspirator embodying the invention.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a mouth-operated disposable medical aspirator embodying this invention comprises first and second containers, 1A and 1B respectively. Each of the containers 1A and 1B is of the same construction as the known container 1 shown in Figure 1 and like parts of the containers 1A and 1B are indicated in Figure 4 by the same reference numerals as in Figure 1, but with the addition of "A" and "B" respectively.

As shown in Figure 4, the first container 1A has its inlet spigot 11A connected to flexible patient tube 15 and the second container 1B has its output spigot 12B connected to flexible aspiration tube 17. The outlet spigot 12A of the first container 1A is connected to inlet spigot 11B of the second container 1B by a conduit in the form of a short length of flexible tubing 20 of the kind used for the patient and aspiration tubes 15 and 17.

The two containers 1A and 1B are coupled together in side-by-side relationship by a coupling strap 21 made of plastics material and provided with pairs of locating holes 22A, 23A and 22B, 23B dimensioned to be tightly received over the respective spigots 11A, 12A and 11B, 12B of the containers 1A and 1B, thereby to interconnect the caps of the containers together in order to hold the containers in a side-by-side relationship. If the strap 21 is made of relatively flexible material, the spring action of the intermediate tubing 20 will tend to flex the strap 21 so that the containers abut at their bases.

It is envisaged that other coupling means could be provided and that the containers might be coupled together in an orientation different from the simple side-by-side relationship shown in Figure 4.

In use of the aspirator embodying the invention, suction applied to the aspiration tube 17 by the operator will be transmitted through the sealed second container 1B and the connecting tube 20 to the sealed first container 1A, where it will act to draw any fluid in the patient's mouth through the patient tube 15.

Fluid arriving through the patient tube 15 will be deposited in the first container 1A, the connecting tubing 20 forming a barrier to the onward transmission of the fluid to the second container which itself forms a buffer chamber between the aspiration tube and the connecting tubing 20. The interconnection of the first and second containers 1A and 1B by the strap 21 moreover locates the containers relative to one another and provides a stable assembly which minimises the risk of the first container being inverted in such a manner as to release fluid from the first container 1A into the second contaienr 1B. It is envisaged that the effectiveness of the transmission barrier between the patient and the operator may be enhanced by including a further filter or filters in the connecting tube 20.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A mouth-operated medical aspirator comprising a first air-tight container having an inlet and an outlet, a second air-tight container having an inlet and an outlet, a flexible patient tube connected to the inlet of the first container, a flexible aspiration tube connected to the outlet of the second container and a conduit connecting the outlet of the first container to the inlet of the second container.

2. An aspirator according to claim 1, wherein the said conduit comprises a flexible tube.

3. An aspirator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inlet and outlet of each of the first and second containers comprises a spigot projecting from a cap of the container.

An at aspirator according to any preceding claim, comprising a detachable coupling element to engage and hold the two containers in a predetermined orientation relative to one another.

5. An aspirator according to claim 4, wherein the coupling element comprises a coupling strap.

6. An aspirator according to claim 5 as appendant to claim 3, wherein the coupling strap has apertures through which respective spigots of the caps are passed to couple the containers together.

7. A mouth-operated medical aspirator substantiaily as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.