WO2007110263A1 - Suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction device for suction and collection of a fluid or mixture of fluids, with a leaktight chamber (11) in which a container (8) for collecting the fluid or mixture of fluids is received. A suction line is connected to the interior of the container (8) such that the fluid or mixture of fluids to be suctioned and collected can be conveyed into the interior of the container (8). A line comprising a first attachment piece (25) connected to the interior of the chamber and a second attachment piece (23) connected to the interior of the container (8) is connected to a suction device. The suction line and the second attachment piece (23) are connected to the interior of the container via a common double-lumen plug (20). The second lumen corresponding to the second attachment piece (23) is provided for discharging fluids from the container (8). The invention also relates to a plug (20) for suction and discharge of liquids, which plug (20) can be used in particular with the suction device.

Description

 "SUCTION"

description

The invention relates to a suction device for suction and collection of fluids or fluid mixtures, and a plug for sucking and discharging fluids or fluid mixtures, which is particularly intended for use with a suction device.

In many different technical areas, there is always the problem of removing fluids or fluid mixtures from a location in order to collect and remove or reuse them. Examples include food technology, cleaning technology or medical technology.

In particular from medical technology, a suction device sketched in FIG. 3 is known, in which a fluid mixture F with liquid and gaseous content is conveyed into a container. The container is located in a gastight chamber. Gas present in the chamber, e.g. Air is sucked by means of a connection via a line to a pump, so that a negative pressure is created in the chamber. Due to the negative pressure, the pressurized fluid mixture F is conveyed through a conduit and a second port into the container.

Since the essential portion of the fluid mixture consists of air, it comes in a short time to complete filling of the container. In order to store a larger amount of liquid in the container, therefore, the interior of the container via a third connection to the line and the pump is connected. This ensures that the pressure in the tank is always lower than the ambient pressure remains, and the liquid portion of the fluid mixture is still collected in the container, while the gaseous portion of the fluid mixture is discharged through the conduit on to the pump.

In the device known from the prior art, the second and the third connection and the container are made in one piece with a lid. Due to this construction, both the lid and the second and third ports connected thereto must be replaced with the container by removing the entire assembly by a new assembly after the container is completely filled with liquid. On the one hand, this is disadvantageous for reasons of cost, but on the other hand, even a single use of the components, which are preferably made of plastic, is questionable from an ecological point of view.

It is the object of the invention to further develop a generic suction device such that the disadvantages known from the prior art are avoided.

The object is achieved by a suction device according to claim 1 or by a plug according to claim 17. Advantageous embodiments are carried out according to the dependent claims.

A suction device according to the invention for aspirating and collecting a fluid or fluid mixture has a fluid-tight chamber, in which a container for collecting the fluid or fluid mixture is received. A suction line is connected to the interior of the container in order to guide the fluid or fluid mixture to be aspirated and collected into the interior of the container. An aspirator is connected to a conduit which a first port connected to the interior of the chamber and a second port connected to the interior of the reservoir.

Both the suction line and the second connection are connected to the interior of the container via a common, double-lumen connector section. In this case, the lumen of the second connection serves for discharging fluids out of the container and in particular for discharging the gaseous components of the fluid mixture in the container.

The two-lumen design of the connector section advantageously saves a connection. This facilitates u.a. advantageous use when replacing the container, since only the connector portion but not two lines must be connected to the container.

Advantageously, the container can be closed with a plug. When connecting the container to the suction pipe and the second port, the plug portion is passed through the plug. As a result, the container is sufficiently fixed within the chamber.

Instead of a graft, the container may also be closed by means of another closure system, e.g. be sealed a welded hose. Also may be provided within the chamber fixations for the container.

In particular, it is possible by this design of the connector portion to use spent, empty medical container such as infusion bag or blood plasma bag as a container for the suction device, which can be advantageously saved costs and material. It is also possible to use plastic or glass bottles instead of the container.

According to the invention, the fluid-tight chamber can have a wall section with an opening and the plug section can be secured to the wall section by means of a securing device. In the region of the plug and the opening can advantageously be provided corresponding guides which prevent rotation of the connector portion to ensure the optimum position of the two lumens in the connector portion.

In addition, according to the invention, a wall section of the fluid-tight chamber can be provided for opening in order to exchange the container.

To prevent liquid fractions of the

Fluid mixture into the line and into the chamber or to the suction device, may be provided between the second port and the first port a Sammelbehalter. In fact, when the container is full, liquid may be discharged through the lumen connected to the second port, which in turn may enter the chamber or aspirator. Preferably, a check valve may be provided in the Sammelbehalter, which prevents the further removal of liquid in the Sammelbehalter upon reaching a certain amount of liquid.

Instead of the check valve, a liquid filter may be provided, which can trigger a shutdown of the suction device in contact with devices with liquid. Advantageously, the second connection outside the container but be executed within the fluid-tight chamber in the plug. As a result, it is not necessary to provide the line leading to the intake device with a branch.

In particular, the liquid filter can be provided inside the plug between the second connection and the line leading to the suction device.

Advantageously, the plug may have a substantially conical tip. This allows easier insertion of the plug by a closure closing the container. Additionally, liquid aspirated during operation of the aspirator may run along the conical tip to collect at the tip and drip into the container.

At the bottom of the chamber below the container, a sensor device may be provided which detects the weight of the container and outputs a signal for switching off the suction device when a certain weight value of the container is reached.

In particular, the suction device may be formed as a vacuum pump. Advantageously, the suction device and the chamber can be accommodated in a common housing, which allows a compact embodiment of the suction device.

An inventive connector for sucking and discharging liquids has a lumen having an outlet opening for sucking in a fluid mixture and a second lumen having an inlet opening for discharging a fluid mixture. A fastening device serves for the fluid-tight attachment to a container. The outlet opening and the inlet opening lie between the fastening device and a projecting into the container in the assembled state end.

In the case where a container having sufficient rigidity, e.g. a glass bottle is used, the use of the plug according to the invention allows a simplified design of the suction device, in which the chamber for receiving the container is not required.

It shows:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a suction device according to a first embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a connection of a connector with a container according to the first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a suction device according to the second embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a suction device according to the prior art.

The suction device according to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is used for aspirating mixtures of liquid and gas, in particular in the medical treatment of persons or animals arise. In this case, the mixture F is transported via a line 1 to the suction device described below.

According to the first exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a housing is divided into two parts, one of the parts serving to receive a vacuum pump 9 serving as a suction device and the second part forming a gas-tight chamber 11. In a wall of the chamber 11, an opening is provided, through which the gas located in the chamber before the start of operation of the suction device is sucked off via a connection 10 in the region of the opening and a line 13 from the vacuum pump.

A used and deflated medical container 8, such as an infusion bag, is received in the chamber. The container 8 has a closed by a plug 7 made of rubber or silicone opening. To attach the container 8 in the chamber 11, the plug 7 is plugged onto a plug 2. The coefficient of friction between plug 7 and plug 2 is sufficiently large to prevent inadvertent slipping of the plug 7 or container 8 from the plug.

The plug 2 has two lumens in its interior. One of these lumens is connected to the conduit 1, while the second of the lumens is connected to a port 12, which in turn is connected to the conduit 13 to the port 10 and the vacuum pump 9 via a collecting vessel 18 to be described later.

To ensure the relative position between the plug 2 and housing, the plug 2 has on its outer side two flanges 4 and 5 and a Locknut 3 on. For mounting the plug, this is guided through an opening in a wall element 6 of the chamber 11 and the housing, respectively, until the front flange 5 comes into contact with the peripheral area on the outside of the wall element 6. Around the opening of the wall element 6, an annular projection 18 is formed, which is provided with an external thread. The inner diameter of the annular projection 18 is made larger than that of the flange 5. As the last assembly step, the nut 3 is then brought into engagement with the external thread of the annular projection 18 until it is in contact with the flange 4. In this case, the flange 4 ensures a play-free fit of the plug 2 in the wall element 18.

After mounting the Behalters 8 by attaching to the already mounted in front of connector 2 and the gas-tight sealing of the chamber 11, the suction device can be taken by switching on the vacuum pump 9 in operation. In this case, the gas present in the chamber is first supplied through the connection 10 and the line 13 in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 1 to the vacuum pump 9.

This creates a vacuum in the chamber 11, so that the slack received in the chamber container is inflated via the line 1 in the direction of the arrow F and the corresponding lumen of the plug 2. After a certain pressure has been reached within the container 8, the gas present in the container 8 flows through the second lumen via the collecting container 18 into the line 13 and on to the vacuum pump 9. As a result, the pressure within the container 8 is always between during operation the ambient pressure and the pressure in the chamber 11th When a suction opening, not shown in the figures, connected to the line 1, is brought into contact with a liquid, this liquid is charged by the pressure difference together with the gas flowing into the tank as fluid mixture through the line 1 and the plug 2 into the container , However, while the gas is again discharged through the second lumen, the substantial portion of the liquid falls downwardly from the end of the plug 2 due to gravity, so that the container 8 is continuously filled with liquid.

After the container 8 is full, it can simply be replaced by opening a wall element and removing it from the plug 2 by another emptied, previously used container 8, and the operation of the suction device can be continued, as described above.

Between the port 12 and the line 13 is still provided with a check valve 14 Sammelbehalter 18 is provided. In the Sammelbehalter 18 liquid is collected, which is accidentally advised in the leading to the port 12 lumen. This may be the case if the container is not replaced in time after it has been filled. Besides, too

Liquid components are collected, which have fallen into the second lumen with the gas required in the container.

A blocking valve 14 provided in the collecting tank performs the function of inhibiting the discharge of the gas through the pipe 13 to the vacuum pump 9 when the amount of liquid accumulated in the collecting tank 18 reaches a predetermined value. A second embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The fluid-tight chamber 11 consists of a substantially cylindrical lateral surface and a substantially circular bottom surface. A removable lid 26 serves to gas-tightly seal the chamber 11. The lid 26 is secured by means of an inwardly projecting flange 28 to a corresponding projection at an upper edge of the chamber 11. Alternative attachment possibilities such as e.g. by means of a thread or by simply attaching the lid 26 are also possible.

In the central region of the lid 26 is an opening through which a two-lobed plug 20 is guided so that has a conical end 33. At the opposite end of the conical end 33 of the plug 20 is a connected to the one lumen of the plug 20 connecting piece 21 and connected to the second lumen discharge pipe 35. The connecting piece 21 is connected to a suction line, not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 while the discharge pipe 35 can be connected to a pipe connected to a vacuum pump as an example of a suction device.

In a central region of the plug 20 is a fixing device, which is designed as a thread 29 in the embodiment. Between the thread 29 and the conical end 33 is located in the outer wall of the plug 20 a Austrittsoffnung 27 through which a fluid from the first lumen can escape into the environment of the plug 20. At the exit wall 27 opposite wall of the plug 20 is a slightly displaced in the direction of the thread, serving as a second port inlet port 23 through which a fluid from the environment of the plug 20 can enter into the second lumen. Between the cover 26 and the thread 29 there is a second inlet opening 25, which serves as the first connection, via which a fluid can likewise enter the second lumen.

Furthermore, located between the second lumen and the discharge pipe 35, a liquid-impermeable air filter 31, which is connected to a shut-off for switching off the suction device, not shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

For operation of the suction device according to the second embodiment, the cover 6 is attached to the guided through this connector 20 to the chamber 11 that it is airtight except for the lumen of the plug 26. In this case, the plug is pushed through a closure 7 of an existing in the chamber 11, serving as a container bottle 8 and secured by rotation by means of the thread 29.

In this position are the conical end 33, the outlet opening 27, the first inlet opening 23 and a part of the thread 29 within the bottle 8. The second inlet opening 25 is located outside the bottle 8 in the interior of the chamber 11 and therefore connects the second lumen with the area of the chamber 11 not occupied by the bottle 8. The nozzle 21 is then connected to the suction line and the discharge pipe 35 to the pipe leading to the vacuum pump. In the assembled state of the suction device are the Chamber 11 and the bottle 8 received therein substantially in an upright position, so that the conical end 33 of the plug protrudes in a downward direction.

After switching on the vacuum pump, the air present in the chamber 11 is sucked through the second inlet opening 25 through the second lumen and the line connected thereto to the vacuum pump and discharged from the outside to the vacuum pump. Similarly, the air present in the bottle through the first inlet opening and the second lumen and the line connected thereto is sucked by the vacuum pump and discharged to the outside.

Due to the simultaneous suction of the air from the chamber 11 and the bottle 8 prevails in both essentially the same negative pressure, so that it can come to any deformation of the bottle 8. For this reason, in addition to solid glass bottles and thin-walled plastic bottles can be used. In particular, those bottles are also suitable which have previously served as containers for various liquids such as drinks, infusion solutions or medicines and must be disposed of as waste after their emptying anyway, as long as the size of the chamber 11 forming container for receiving the bottle 8 is suitable , As an alternative to bottles of any kind, however, suitable pouches such as e.g. deflated blood plasma bags or empty infusion bags are used.

The negative pressure in the bottle 8 or in the chamber 11, in turn, creates a negative pressure in the first lumen, so that a fluid mixture consisting of liquids and gases can be sucked in via the suction line connected to the connecting piece 21. The aspirated fluid mixture passes through the outlet opening 27th from the first lumen and runs on the outer wall of the plug to the top of the conical end 33 to drip from there into the bottle. The sucked gases in turn are discharged through the first inlet opening via the second lumen in the manner described above.

Should the amount of liquid in the bottle increase too much or, for some other reason, liquid be introduced via the second lumen, a gas-permeable liquid filter 31 provided between the second lumen and the discharge nozzle 35 acts as a barrier to prevent liquid from entering the line connected to the vacuum pump penetrates. Furthermore, the liquid filter is connected to an automatic shut-off, so that the vacuum pump is switched off when liquid comes into contact with the liquid filter 31.

Claims

claims A suction device for suctioning and collecting a fluid or fluid mixture comprising: a fluid-tight chamber (11) in which a container (8) for collecting the fluid or fluid mixture is received, a suction line (1) connected to the interior of the container (8) for directing the fluid or fluid mixture to be aspirated and collected into the interior of the container (8), and a line (13) connected to a suction device (9), which has a first connection (10) connected to the interior of the chamber (11) 25) and a second connection (12; 23) connected to the interior of the container, characterized in that the suction line (1) and the second connection (12; 23) are connected to the one via a common two-lobed plug section (2; Inside the container (8) are connected, wherein the second port (12; 23) corresponding second lumen for discharging fluids from the container (8) is provided. 2. Suction device according to claim 1, wherein the container (8) with a plug (7) is closed, the Connecting the Behalters (8) with the suction line (1) and the second terminal (12; 23) through the plug portion (2; 20) is made penetrable. A suction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid-tight chamber (11) has a wall portion (6; 26) with an opening, and the plug portion (2; 20) is secured to the wall portion by means of a securing device (3, 16). A suction device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plug (2; 20) is provided with and the opening in the wall portion (6; 26) for preventing rotation of the plug (2; 20) with corresponding guides. A suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a wall portion (6; 26) of the fluid-tight chamber (11) is provided for opening to replace the container (8). 6. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container (8) is a recycled medical bag (8). 7. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the container (8) is a plastic or glass bottle (8). Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein between the second port (12) and the first port (10) a collecting container (18) is provided for collecting liquid present in the second lumen. A suction device as claimed in claim 8, wherein a check valve (14) is provided in the reservoir (18) for, at a predetermined amount of fluid collected in the reservoir (18), drain fluid through the line (13) to prevent. 10. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first port (25) outside the container (8) within the fluid-tight chamber (11) in the plug (20) is executed. A suction device according to claim 10, wherein a liquid filter (31) is provided downstream of the first port (25). 12. Suction device according to claim 11, wherein the liquid filter (31) is received within the plug (20). A suction device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the plug (20) has a substantially conical tip (33). 14. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 13, wherein within the chamber (11) below the container (8), a weight sensor for detecting the container weight is provided which outputs a shut-off signal for the suction device when reaching a certain weight value. 15. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the suction device (9) is designed as a vacuum pump. 16. Suction device according to one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the chamber (11) and the suction device (9) are accommodated in a common housing. 17. Plug (20) for sucking and discharging fluids or fluid mixtures, in particular for use with a suction device according to one of claims 1 to 16, with an outlet opening (27) having a lumen for sucking a fluid mixture, an inlet opening (23) having second lumen for discharging a fluid mixture, a fastening means (29) for attachment to a container (8), wherein the Outlet opening (27) and the inlet opening (23) between the fastening means (29) and a in the assembled state in the container (8) projecting end (331 are.