Device for draining a body cavity

Abstract

An intake tube is inserted into a cavity in a patient's body to withdraw fluid therefrom, and means including an outlet tube cooperates with the intake tube to form a passage that is connected to a vacuum source to withdraw the body fluid. The outlet tube has an outlet port for releasable connection to the vacuum source, and a removable plug closes the outlet port when a vacuum is not needed. A thin-walled, flexible reservoir communicates with said passage to accumulate fluid that may flow from the body cavity in the absence of a vacuum. In some embodiments of the invention, the reservoir encloses the two confronting ends of the intake tube and the outlet tube, the arrangement being such that when a vacuum is applied to the outlet tube, fluid flows directly from the intake tube to and through the outlet tube; and in the absence of a vacuum, fluid flows from the intake tube directly to the reservoir. In some embodiments an input tube introduces irrigating fluid into the body cavity, the irrigating fluid being withdrawn by the intake tube.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.