Medical suction apparatus and draining of same

A medical device for draining fluid contained in a liner-type or a rigid walled suction canister, and having a cover, said device comprising:

• a housing;
• a swingarm coupled to the housing, the swingarm movable between a first position and a second position, the swingarm adapted to support either a liner-type or a rigid-walled suction canister;
• a first drainhead adapted to engage a cover of the liner-type suction canister;
• and
• a second drainhead adapted to engage a cover of the rigid-walled suction canister, the first and second drainheads having therein a passageway such that fluid is drained from the liner-type and the rigid-walled suction canister through the passageway and into the housing when the swingarm is in its second position.

A method for draining a liner-type or a rigid-walled suction canister, and having a cover, filled with fluid using one device, said method comprising:

• placing one of the liner-type suction canister and the rigid-walled suction canister in communication with a device;
• moving a drainhead on the device and the selected one of the liner-type suction canister and the rigid-walled suction canister relative to one another so as to establish fluid communication between the drainhead and a port on a cover of one of the liner-type suction canister and the rigid-walled suction canister;
• and
• activating a suction source to drain the fluid from the selected one of the liner-type suction canister and the rigid-walled suction canister through the drainhead to a sanitary sewer.

A method for draining either a liner-type or a rigid-walled suction canister filled with fluid using one device, said method comprising:

• selecting one of the liner-type suction canister and the rigid walled suction canister to be drained;
• selecting a first drainhead if the liner-type suction canister is to be drained;
• selecting a second drainhead if the rigid-walled suction canister is to be drained;
• moving the selected drainhead and the selected suction canister relative to one another to establish fluid communication between a port on a cover of the selected suction canister and the selected drainhead;
• and
• activating a suction source to drain the fluid from the selected suction canister, through the selected drainhead, and to a sanitary sewer.