Wound drainage device

A device for removal of fluids from a wound comprising:

• a. an elongated housing having at least one end wall at one end thereof, said end wall having an opening;
• b. an airtight and watertight resilient elongated bellows disposed within the housing, the bellows being collapsible and expandable and having an upper and a lower end;
• c. means for communicating with the interior of the bellows;
• d. means for maintaining the upper end of the bellows adjacent said end wall of the housing;
• e. means for collapsing the bellows within the housing;
• and
• f. variable force means for automatically expanding the bellows from its collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the bellows and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the bellows so as to provide for the removal of fluids from the wound at a substantially constant level of suction substantially throughout the range of evacuation, said variable force expansion means being disposed outside the container.

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 resilient container means disposed within the housing, the resilient container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing;
• c. variable force expansion means disposed outside the resilient container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the resilient container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the resilient container means and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the resilient container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from the portion of a body at a substantially constant level of suction substantially throughout the range of evacuation;
• and
• d. means for connecting the opening of the housing to the portion of the body so that fluids may be drawn therefrom into the interior of the bellows.

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 resilient container means disposed within the housing, the resilient container means being collapsible and expandable and having its interior in communication with the opening in the housing, and variable force expansion means disposed outside the resilient container means and secured to the housing for automatically expanding the resilient container means from at least a partially collapsed state such that the combined resultant force of the variable forces provided by the resilient container means and the variable force expansion means allows for the creation of a substantially constant level of negative pressure within the resilient container means so as to provide for the drawing of fluids therein from a portion of a body at a substantially constant level of suction substantially 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.