Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vented liquid drainage systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that in systems for the drainage of fluids
from the body, such as indwelling catheters, a negatlve pressure
may be created in such systems which has a deleterious ef~ect on
the body. -
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTXON
The principal feature of the present invention is a
vented drainage system having tubular sections interfitting with
each other to provide intimate interfacial contact sufficient to `~
prevent~the passage of liquld between the interfacial~surfaces
~thereof,~ one of the sections being flexible and responsive to a
~pressure differential between the inside of the sections when
filled with liquid and the atmosphere on the outside of the sec~
tions~to cause the flexible tubular sectlon to flex and to become
disengaged from interfacial contact with the other section to pro-
vide a passageway for the passage of air therebetween. The pass- `
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ageway communicates with the atmosphere to relieve the pressure
- differential. ~ ;
The invention will first be described embodied in a new
and improved vented adapter of simplified construction for in-line ~-~
use in a li~uid drainage system.
The vented adapter of the present invention has a body
member and a section of flexible tube received in the body member.
The body member includes first and second tuhular sections, each
of which has a drainage lumen. The second tubular section is
spaced from and positioned downstream from the first tubular sec-
tion wi~h ~heir lumens being generally aligned. ~he flexible
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tube has one end secured to the downstream end of the first tubu-
lar section and the other free end received in the lumen of the
second tubular section, and the outside diameter of the free tube
end is approximately equal to the inside diameter of the second
tubular section.,
A feature o~ the present invention is that the tube com~
municates between the lumens in the first and second tubular sec-
~tions,.
Another feature of the invention is that the free tube
1~ end enqa~es the inside of the second tubular section to prevent '
the e~cape of drainaqe liquid from the system.
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' ' A furthe~ feature o the invention is that the free tube
end flexes to permit passaqe of air into the drainaqe lumen of
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the'second tubular~section.
~ The body member includes an annular rim extendinq out~
, ~ wardlv and downstream from the first ~tubular section, and a fIanae
extend~nq;radiallv outwardlv from the second~tubular section and
attaohed to the r~lm. such that the rim and flanae define a chamber ,
contai:ninq the downstream end of the first tubular section and an
~; 20 ~ ;uPStream portion of;the tube. An air ~ermeable filter element is ~:
secured to the~f~anqe and extends periPherallv around the second
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tubular section,~
Another feature of the Dresent invention is the Provi
sion of relativel~ lar~e filter means to filter and pass air for '~
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ventina the svstem.
A further feature of the invention is that the flanae "~
mav be removablv attached to the annular rim and the tube ma~ be , ,
removabIv secured to the first tubular section. in order that the
second tubular section may be removed from the adapter to secure a
drainage tube in the liquid drainage system directly to the down-
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stream end of the fixst tubular section.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the
following description of the embodiments of this invention and
from the appended claims~
DESCRIPTION OF ~HE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a liquid
drainage system, including the vented adapter of the present inven-
tion;
Fig. 2 is a fraomentary elevational view, taken parti~
ally in section, of the liquid drainage system and adapter of Fig.
Fig~ 3 is a sectional view taken substantially as indi~
cated along the line 3~3 of Fig. 2;
Fig~ 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the adapter
Qf FigO 2 with a drainage tube in the liquid drainage system
- ~ secured to the adapter in a non-vented configuration
Fig. S is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodi
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ment of the present invention; and
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodi~
ment of the invention. ~;
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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The present inven~ion relates generally to liquid drain~ ~ '~
age systems, such as systems for draining liquid from the body cav~
ity of a patient, which are vented to the atmosphere to alleviate
negative pressure which may develop in the systems. The invention
will first be described embodied in a vented adapter for in~line
use in a liquid drainage system.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a liquid drainage system,
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generally designated 10, is shown including an interconnected
catheter 12, an adapter designated generally 14, and a drainage
tube 16. During use of the drainage system 10, the distal end of
the catheter (not shown) is inserted into the body cavity of a
patient, such as the bladder, and liquid drains through a lumen 18a
in the catheter 12, as shown in Fig. 2, through the adapter 14, and
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through a lumen 18b in the drainage tube 16 to a recepta~le (not
shown) for collection.
The adapter 14 of the present invention has a relatively
rigid body member, generally designated 20, which includes first
and second spaced tubular sections 22 and 24,~respectively. The
first tubular section 22 has a longitudinally extending drainage
~lumer. 18c anù the upstream end 26 of the first tubular section 22
~is;~received in the proximal end 28 of;the catheter 12, such that
the lumen~l8c aOmmunlCates with th~e lumen 18a in the catheter.
The second tubular section 24 has a longitudinally extending~drain~
age~lumen 18d~,~and the~tubular section 24 is received in the drain~
age;tube 16 with~the lumen 18d communicating with the lumen 13b in
the~drainage tube. The first and second tubular sections 22 and
20~ ~ 24 are po~sitioned~in the body member~20 with their respective drain-
~age lumens l8c and~18d~being generally aligned with each other.~
The body member 20 has an annular rim 30 which extends
outwardly from the flrst tubular seotion 22 intermediate its ends
and which extends downstream from the first tubular section. The ~ `
body member 20 also has a flange 32 extending radially outwardly
from the upstream end of the second tubular section 24, and which
is secured to the rim 30, such as by gluing or heat sealing the
1ange 32 in an annular groove 34 in the rim 30. However, it is
contemplated that the flange 32 may be removably attached to the
rim 30, such as by snap-fitting the flange and rim together in
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sealing en~agement. Also, the 1ange 32 and rim 30 may be inte-
gral with each, such that the rim may be secured ito the first tubu- ;
lar section 22 adjacent the juncture of the rim and the first tubu-
lar section.
The rim 30 and flange 32 constitutes a housing defining
a chamber 36 which contains the downstream end 38 of the first
tubular section 22~ As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an air permeable
filter element or filter means 40 is secured to the flange 32 and
extends peripherally around the second tubular section 24 to pro-
vide a relatively large filter means or the system 10. The fil~ter element 40 permits passage of air into the chamber 36 to vent
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the drainage system, as described below, and filters the air pass~
ing into the chamber 36 to prevent contamination to the drainage ~ -^-
system 10.
A section of fléxible tube designated generally 42 is
received in the body member 20, and has one end 44 secured to the
downstream end 38 of the first tubular section 22 in the chamber ~ -
36. Although the downstream end 38 of the first tubular section
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22 1s shown as being received in the one tube end 44, it is under- ;
stood that the one tube end 44 may be received in the drainage
lumen 18c of the first tubular section and secured in place in the ~ ;
downstream section end 38. Also, the tube 42 may be removably
secured to the ~irst tubular section 22. The other free end 46 of
the flexible tube 42 which extends downstream from the first tubu~
lar section 22 is received in the lumen 18d of the relatively ;~
rigid second tubular section 24, and the outside diameter of the
free tube end 46 is approximately equal to the inside diameter of
the second tube section 24. Accordinqly, the tube 42 communicates
between the drainage lumens 18c and 18d in the first and second
tubular sections 22 and 24, respectively.
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When a negative pressure develops in the drainage system
10, relative to the atmosphere, air passes through the filter ele-
ments 40 into the chamber 36, and the free end 46 of the tube 42
~lexes sufficiently from the inside of the second tubular section
24 such that air from the chamber passes between the outside of
the free tube end 46 and the inside of the second tubular section ~ :
24, and into the drainage lumen 18d to vent the system 10. The
direction of air flow durin~ venting is indicated by the arrows in ~ ~ ~
the drawings. When a positive pressure, relat;ive to the atmosphere,~ -
develops in the draina~e s~stem, such as caused by liquid .refluxing ;from the draina~e tube 16 into the adapter 14, the ~ree tube end 46
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is forced against and enqaqes the inside of the second tubular sec-
: tion 24 to prevent the escape of drainage llquid from the lumen 18d
o:f the drainage system into the chamber 36, since the outside diam~
eter of the free tube end 46 is approximately equal to the inside
~ diameter of:the second tubular section 2:4.~ Accordingly, liquid
: draining in the system 10 is prevented from contacting the filte~
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: element~:40 which~might result in damage to the filter element and
~: cause eventual contamination.to the drainage ~ystem 10
: As noted previously/ the flange 32 may be removably `~
attached to the annular rim 30, and the one tube end 44 may be ~ .
removably secured to the downstream end 38 of the first tubular
section 22. When the flange 32 is removed from the rim 30 and the
tube 42 is removed from the first tubular section 22, as shown in ~ - :
Fig~ 4, the drainage tube 16 may be directly secured to the down- :
stream end 38 of the first tubular section 22. Thus, the drainage
system 10 may be readily modified to a non-vented configuration by
attaching the drainage tube 16 to the adapter 14 in this manner.
A vented liquid drainage system is illustrated in Fig. 5
30 as another embodiment of the present invention. The drainage sys-
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tem designated generally 60 includes a drainage tube 62 having a
lumen 64 for draining liquid. A vent 66 extends from the tube and
communicates between the atmosphere and an opening 68 in the wall
of the tube 62 to vent the tube lumen 64, and an air permeable fil-
ter 70 is positioned in the vent 66 to filter the air passing
through the vent.
A section of flexible tube 72 is received in the drainage
tube 62 and has an outside diameter approximately equal to the
inside diameter of the drainage tube 62. The tube se~tion 72 is
positioned in the drainage tube 62 with the tube opening intermedi~
ate the ends of the tube section. In order to prevent the tube
section from sliding in the drainage tube, one end 74 is secured
to the inside of the drainage tube 62, as at 80~ and the other free
end 76 extends past the tube opening 68. ~-~
Thus, when a negative pressure develops in the tube lumen
64, relative to the atmosphere, the free end 76 of the tube section
72 flexes to permit passage of air from the vent 66 into the lumen
64~ However, when a positive pressure, relative to the atmosphere
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develops in the lumen 64, such as caused by liquid refluxing in
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the tube 62, the free end 76 of the tube section 72 is forced ~;
against and engages the inside of the drainage tube 6~ to prevent ~ -
the escape of liquid from the lumen into the vent 66. Consequently,
the filter 70 is protected against contact by the liquid, as des-
cribed in connection with the adapter of Figs. 1-4. Although the
lumen 64 is shown as being vented through a single opening 68, it
is readily apparent that the system 60 may be vented through a
plurality of openinqs disposed circumferentially around the tube
relative to the openinq 68 by approPriate modification of the vent
66.
During drainage of the system 60, the fluid normally
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flows in a single direction. Although the tube section 72 is oper-
able to vent the system and protect the filter from fluid normally
flowing in either direction in the system, preferably the free
tube end 76 extends downstream from the tube opening 68 relative
to the normal direction of fluid flow. Accordingly, the preferred
direction of normal fluid flow is directed from left to right as
viewed in Fig. 5.
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Another embodiment of the vented drainage system, which
is similar to the system shown in Fig. 5, is illustrated in Fig. 6.
In this embodiment, the drainage tube has an enlarged annular por-
tion 82 extending on both sides of the tube opening 68. The length
of the enlarged~portion 82 is sliqhtly greater than the length of
the tube section 72, and the outside diameter of the tube section
72 is approximately equal to the inside diameter of the enlarged ~ -
portion 82, such that the tube section 72 may be received in the ~ ~ -
enlarged portion a2 ~of the drainage tube 62.
Since the drainage tube is more narrow at the ends of the i;~;
enlarged portion 82, the tube section 72 is prevented from sliding
from its position in the enlarged portion, and it is apparent that
~20 ~ ~both ends 84a and~84b of the tube section-72 may be free to vent `~
the system 60 at both ends. Also, both of the free ends 84a and b
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of the tube section 72 engage against the inside of the enlarged
portion 82 to prevent passage of fluid from the lumen 64 into the
vent. Accordingly, there is no preferred direction of normal
fluid flow, as viewed in Fig. 6, since the system is equally oper~
able for normal drainage flow in either direction. Preferahly, the
longitudinal center of the tube section 72 is located approximately -~
adjacent to the tube opening 68 to provide paths of equal distance
for air flowing past the ends 84a and b in venting the system 60.
The foregoing detailed description is given for clear-
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ness of understanding onlyt and no unnecessary limitations should - :
: be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those ~
skilled in the art. ~:
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