# US 2019/0167869 A1 · Collection Jar and Collection Basket for Surgical Use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167869 A1 - Document ID: US20190167869A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/248,703 - Filed: 2019-01-15 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-12 - Assignees: Tobra Medical, Inc. - Applicants: Tobra Medical, Inc. - Inventors: Gretchen WILLARD; Eli Breeden NICHOLS; Thomas Ralph BLACKBURN, III; Theodore J. MOSLER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167869A1 ## CPC - A61M 1/88: {Draining devices having means for processing the drained fluid, e.g. an absorber (for liposuction A61M1/892)} - A61B 10/0045: {Devices for taking samples of body liquids} - A61B 10/0096: {Casings for storing test samples (A61B10/0038, A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/10; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30)} - A61M 1/631: {Emptying the suction container without interrupting suction} - A61M 1/67: {Containers incorporating a piston-type member to create suction, e.g. syringes (cupping glasses A61M1/08; with a flexible member creating suction A61M1/68)} - A61M 1/79: {Filters for solid matter (specially adapted for dental use A61C17/065)} - B01D 29/824: {using pistons} - A61B 10/0283: {with vacuum aspiration, e.g. caused by retractable plunger or by connected syringe (A61B10/025, A61B10/0266 take precedence)} - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract A surgical collection assembly for filtering material from liquid obtained during surgery. A jar having an inlet and an outlet each adapted for connection to a suction line. A set of orientation features to position an upper portion of a collection basket within the jar such that an upper portion of the collection basket does not impede a flow of material entering the jar through the inlet. A bottom surface with a pattern of recessed paths in the bottom surface, the pattern of recessed paths connected to the outlet. A plunger assembly that may be reversibly attached to the jar so that a distal end of a plunger may be used to compress collected material within the collection basket to help remove fluid from the collected material. For certain uses, the surgical collection assembly may have a simple jar lid without an integrated plunger. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A collection subassembly comprising a collection basket and a collection jar for collecting non-liquid material from a mixture of liquid and non-liquid material obtained during surgery; the collection basket having: basket sidewalls between a basket bottom and a rigid upper portion of the collection basket; the basket sidewalls and basket bottom forming a container with an open top end; a permeable portion of the collection basket being liquid permeable; and the collection basket sized relative to the collection jar so that a gap exists between the collection basket and the collection jar; and the gap fluidly connected to a jar outlet; the collection jar comprising: a walled perimeter of the collection jar joined to a bottom surface of the collection jar; the walled perimeter of the collection jar defining an open end that may be reversibly sealed with a jar top; a jar inlet located on the walled perimeter; the jar outlet located on the walled perimeter; and the jar inlet located closer to the open end than the jar outlet; the collection subassembly adapted to respond to suction applied to the jar outlet while a jar top is sealing the collection jar to pull liquid and non-liquid material through a section of tubing connected to the jar inlet of the collection jar; the mixture of liquid and non-liquid material passing into the collection basket with much of the liquid leaving the collection basket through the permeable portion of the collection basket to enter the gap between the collection basket and the collection jar and then out the jar outlet leaving collected non-liquid material in the collection basket; and the collection subassembly adapted to allow removal of the jar top from the collection jar and then removal of the collection basket from the collection jar to retrieve the collected non-liquid material from the collection basket: without disconnecting a suction line from the jar outlet; and without disconnecting the section of tubing from the jar inlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the collection basket has basket sidewalls and basket bottom that form a substantially cylindrical container which fits inside the collection jar which is substantially cylindrical. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the basket sidewalls are sufficiently flexible to allow the basket sidewalls of the collection basket to be passed through the rigid upper portion of the collection basket to at least partially invert the collection basket and facilitate removal of the collected non-liquid material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the collection basket has a protrusion extending above the basket sidewalls to provide a location for grasping the collection basket to move the collection basket into the collection jar; and the collection jar is adapted to prohibit placement of the collection basket into the collection jar in an orientation that would allow the protrusion to obstruct a flow of liquid and non-liquid material from the jar inlet to the collection basket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The collection subassembly of claim 4 wherein: the protrusion is a handle with an open area within a perimeter of the handle and the collection jar is adapted to allow placement of the collection basket into the collection jar in an orientation that allows a flow of liquid and non-liquid material to flow from the jar inlet through the open area within the perimeter of the handle and into the collection basket. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the basket sidewalls are liquid permeable. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the basket bottom is liquid permeable. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of the collection jar has a pattern of recessed paths that are connected to the jar outlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the collection basket is maintained in a substantially cylindrical shape by a lower basket ring which maintains the basket bottom in a substantially flat orientation inside an inside perimeter of the lower basket ring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The collection subassembly of claim 9 wherein the lower basket ring can be moved to proximity of the rigid upper portion of the collection basket as the basket sidewalls of the collection basket are passed through the rigid upper portion of the collection basket to at least partially invert the collection basket and facilitate removal of the collected non-liquid material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the jar inlet and jar outlet are on opposite sides of the walled perimeter of the collection jar. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the jar inlet and jar outlet are not on opposite sides of walled perimeter of the collection jar. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 further comprising a lid to reversibly close the collection jar. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 further comprising a lid and plunger subassembly to reversibly close the collection jar and to allow collected non-liquid material in the collection basket to be compressed by a plunger that moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The collection subassembly of claim 14 wherein the lid and plunger subassembly includes a spring to apply pressure to the plunger to move the plunger to a raised position which does not impede the mixture of liquid and non-liquid material from moving from the jar inlet into the collection basket. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The collection subassembly of claim 14 wherein the plunger moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom to provide a compression of the non-liquid material between the plunger and the basket bottom as the basket bottom is at least partially supported by the bottom surface of the collection jar. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The collection subassembly of claim 16 wherein the compression of the non-liquid material between the plunger and the basket bottom as the basket bottom is at least partially supported by the bottom surface of the collection jar allows liquid material to pass through the basket bottom and through a pattern of recessed paths in the bottom surface of the collection jar, set pattern of recessed paths connected to the jar outlet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The collection subassembly of claim 1 wherein the walled perimeter of the collection jar has a set of ribs, the set of ribs creating a set of pathways within the walled perimeter to allow liquid to pass through liquid permeable basket sidewalls and through the set of pathways to travel to the jar outlet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The collection subassembly of claim 18 wherein the set of ribs support the rigid upper portion of the collection basket to position the collection basket within the collection jar. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The collection subassembly of claim 18 wherein the set of ribs engage with the rigid upper portion of the collection basket to limit allowed orientations of the collection basket within the collection jar relative to the jar inlet. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method for collecting non-liquid material from a mixture of liquid and non-liquid material obtained during surgery the method comprising: obtaining the collection subassembly of claim 1 for collecting non-liquid material from a mixture of liquid and non-liquid material obtained during surgery; inserting the collection basket with the permeable portion into the collection jar; adding a jar top to seal the open end of the collection jar; such that suction applied to the jar outlet will pull a flow of liquid and non-liquid material through inlet tubing connected to the jar inlet, the flow of liquid and non-liquid material passing through the jar inlet, with at least some fluid in the flow of liquid and non-liquid material passing through the permeable portion of the collection basket and into the gap then to the jar outlet to leave collected material in the collection basket; connecting the inlet tubing to the jar inlet; connecting outlet tubing to the jar outlet; applying suction to the outlet tubing connected to the jar outlet so that whenever a non-jar end of the inlet tubing is placed into a surgical site, liquid and non-liquid materials are pulled through the inlet tubing through the jar inlet and into the collection basket; removing the non-jar end of the inlet tubing from the surgical site; removing the jar top from the collection jar; removing the collection basket with the collected material from the collection jar; and removing collected material from the collection basket. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein removing collected material from the collection basket includes moving the basket bottom of the collection basket through an upper portion of the collection basket to at least partially invert the collection basket. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1, 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the collection subassembly of claim 1 further comprises a lid and plunger subassembly to reversibly close the collection jar and to allow collected non-liquid material in the collection basket to be compressed by a plunger that moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom; and wherein the before removing the jar top from the collection jar to remove collected material, the plunger moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom to compress the collected material. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23 wherein the plunger compresses non-liquid material between the plunger and the basket bottom as the basket bottom is at least partially supported by the bottom surface of the collection jar. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1, 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the collection subassembly of claim 1 further comprises a lid and plunger subassembly to reversibly close the collection jar and to allow collected non-liquid material in the collection basket to be compressed by a plunger that moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom; and wherein the before removing the jar top from the collection jar to remove collected material, the plunger moves downward from the lid and plunger subassembly while staying within the container formed by the basket sidewalls and basket bottom to assist the suction in removing liquid from the collected material. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the basket sidewalls are sufficiently flexible to allow the basket sidewalls of the collection basket to be passed through the rigid upper portion of the collection basket to at least partially invert the collection basket and facilitate removal of the collected non-liquid material; and removing collected non-liquid material from the collection basket includes at least partially inverting the collection basket. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21 wherein the collection basket has a protrusion extending above the basket sidewalls to provide a location for grasping the collection basket to move the collection basket into the collection jar; and the collection jar is adapted to prohibit placement of the collection basket into the collection jar in an orientation that would allow the protrusion to obstruct the flow of liquid and non-liquid material from the jar inlet to the collection basket; and inserting the collection basket with the permeable portion into the collection jar includes selecting an orientation of the collection basket within the collection jar that is not prohibited by an interaction of the collection jar with the collection basket.