Wound drainage device

A device for removal of fluids from a wound comprising:

• a. a housing having side walls and at least one end wall at one end thereof, said end wall having an opening;
• b. an airtight and watertight passive container disposed within the housing, the passive container being collapsible and expandable and having an upper and a lower end;
• c. means for communicating with the interior of the passive container, the communicating means including a hollow tube, said tube being integral with the upper end of the passive container and communicating therein, said tube extending through the opening of said end wall such that the interior of the passive container is in communication with the outside of the housing;
• d. means for maintaining the upper end of the passive container adjacent said end wall of the housing, the maintaining means including a flange disposed about the hollow tube and above the upper end of the passive container a distance at least slightly larger than the thickness of said end wall, said flange adapted to normally permit one-way passage of the hollow tube from within to without the housing through the opening of said end wall, such that the upper end of the passive container is kept disposed adjacent said end wall of the housing;
• e. means for collapsing the passive container within the housing;
• and
• f. means disposed outside the passive container for automatically expanding the passive container from its collapsed state so as to provide a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the passive container, thereby providing for the removal of fluids from the wound at a substantially constant rate of suction throughout the range of evacuation.

A device for removal of fluids from a wound comprising:

• a. a housing having side walls and at least one end wall at one end thereof, said end wall having an opening;
• b. an airtight and watertight passive bellows disposed within the housing, the passive bellows being collapsible and expandable and having an upper and a lower end;
• c. means for communicating with the interior of the passive bellows;
• d. means for maintaining the upper end of the passive bellows adjacent said end wall of the housing;
• e. means for collapsing the passive bellows within the housing;
• f. means disposed outside the passive bellows for automatically expanding the passive bellows from its collapsed state so as to provide a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the passive bellows, thereby providing for the removal of fluids from the wound at a substantially constant rate of suction throughout the range of evacuation, the expansion means being a constant force spring assembly;
• g. means for retaining the passive bellows in a collapsed state;
• and
• h. a base capable of being mated and attached to the other end of the housing.

A device for drawing fluids from a portion of a human body comprising:

• a. a housing having at least one opening;
• b. airtight and watertight passive container means disposed within the housing, the passive container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing;
• c. constant force expansion means disposed outside the passive container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the passive container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that a substantially constant level of negative pressure is created within the passive container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from the portion of a body at a substantially constant rate of suction throughout the range of evacuation;
• and
• d. means for connecting the opening of the housing to the portion of the human body from which fluids are to be drawn.

A method for drawing fluids from a portion of a body comprising:

• a. taking a suction device in a preactivated state, said device including a housing having at least one opening, airtight and watertight passive container means disposed within the housing, the passive container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing, and constant force expansion means disposed outside the passive container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the passive container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that a substantially constant level of negative pressure is created within the passive container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from a portion of a body at a substantially constant rate of suction throughout the range of evacuation;
• b. connecting the opening of the housing to a portion of a body from which fluids are to be drawn;
• and
• c. activating said suction device so as to draw fluids into said suction device at said substantially constant rate of suction.