Surgical suction pump assembly

Claim 1

A surgical suction assembly for withdrawing fluids from within a closed wound, comprising a tube having an intake end adapted for insertion within a closed wound and a discharge end, a resiliently compressible and expansible suction-collector unit having a port in one wall thereof for both entry and discharge of fluids in response to expansion and compression of said unit, means including a plug body removably connecting said discharge end of said tube to said port, said plug body having its outer surface adjacent one end thereof in sealing engagement within said port, said plug body having a central bore of substantially cylindrical section, perforate web means partially closing said bore at said one end of said plug body, tubular connector means at one end inserted firmly into the other end of said bore, shoulder means limiting the extent of insertion of said tubular connector means into said bore to provide a space between said web means and the opposed one end of said tubular connecting means, a ball received in said space and of smaller diameter than said bore and the axial dimension of said space to provide for free movement of said ball in said space, said tubular connector means having an inner diameter smaller than said ball diameter to form an annular seat for said ball, and means connecting the other end of said tubular connector means to said discharge end of said tube, whereby with said bore constituting the sole passagway into and out of said collector unit, said ball will move away from said seat in response to negative pressure within said collector unit to provide for application of suction to said tube and drainage therefrom of fluid through said perforate web means into said collector unit, and said ball will move into seated engagement with said seat in response to positive pressure within said collector unit and thereby block the flow of fluid outwardly from said collector unit.