Suction catheter having a non-stressed vacuum regulator

Abstract

A suction catheter having a vacuum regulator is useful in withdrawing and eliminating undesirable or unwanted fluids from the body. The catheter, which is essentially tubular in shape, has a longitudinal bore extending through its length and is open ended. Also provided is an opening transverse to the longitudinal bore, generally passing through the upper surface of the catheter. The portion of the catheter about this transverse opening is surrounded by a flexible band, such as a rubber band or a plastic material capable of springing back to its original conformation after deformation. The band is preferably oval-shaped with its long sides abutting the sides of the catheter, so that its top, short side is positioned away from the top surface of the catheter when the catheter is not being used or after the band has sprung back to its original conformation. When the end of the catheter is connected to a vacuum source, a suction drawn therethrough is regulated by selective finger depression of the band against the top surface of the catheter, and consequently against the transverse opening therein to allow undesirable fluids to be drawn through the catheter and out of the body. To temporarily eliminate such suctioning or reduce the suctioning force of the catheter, the finger pressure is released from the band or adjusted, so that the band covers only a desired portion of the opening.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.