Suction catheter

Claim 2

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a catheter tube and valve having a tubular valve body containing an elongate passage and provided at its ends with means for connecting it to said catheter tube and suction tube respectively, said body containing axially spaced openings in communication with said elongate passage and closure means mounted on the body having angularly disposed closure elements so arranged that when one is engaged with one of the openings the other is retracted from another of the openings and vice versa, and wherein one closure element comprises gate means which enters the opening with which it is associated to block the passage, and the other closure element provides means for covering the opening with which it is associated and for retracting the gate means from its opening to unblock said elongate passage and wherein the closure means is yieldably held with the gate means situated within the opening with which it is associated to block the passage.

Claim 3

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a flexible catheter tube and a valve having a valve body containing an elongate passage and provided at its opposite ends with means for connecting it to said catheter tube and to a suction tube respectively, said valve body having intermediate its ends axially spaced openings in communication with the elongate passage, a rocker mounted on the valve body having angularly disposed parts arranged to be rocked about an axis intermediate said openings alternately to dispose one part in overlying relation to one of the openings, and the other in overlying relation to the other of the openings, a gate carried by one part arranged to enter the opening associated with one part to block the passage, a closure carried by the other part arranged to cover the opening associated with said other part, said closure providing means for rocking said parts to cause the closure to cover its associated opening and to withdraw the gate from its associated opening and means for biasing the parts to cause the gate to block the passage.

Claim 4

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a flexible catheter tube and a valve having a valve body containing an elongate passage and provided at its opposite ends with means for connecting it to said catheter tube and to a suction tube respectively, said valve body having intermediate its ends axially spaced openings in communication with the elongate passage, a rocker mounted on the valve body having angularly disposed parts arranged to be rocked about an axis intermediate said openings alternately to dispose one part in overlying relation to one of the openings, and the other in overlying relation to the other of the openings, a gate carried by one part arranged to enter the opening associated with one part to block the passage, a closure carried by the other part arranged to cover the opening associated with said other part, said closure providing means for rocking said parts to cause the closure to cover its associated opening and to withdraw the gate from its associated opening and means for biasing the parts to cause the gate to block the passage.

Claim 5

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a catheter tube and a valve having a valve body containing an elongate passage and provided at its opposite ends with means for connecting it to said catheter tube and to a suction tube respectively, said valve body containing axially spaced openings in communication with said elongate passage, a rocker having angularly disposed arms, means mounting the rocker on the valve body for rocking movement to bring one or the other of the arms into operative relation to an opening, a gate on one arm movable into one of the openings to block the passage, a closure on the other arm movable into covering engagement with the other of the openings, said closure providing means for rocking the rocker to move the closure to cover said other opening, said other opening comprising a vent port connecting the passage to the atmosphere downstream of the one opening and means yieldably holding the rocker in a position such that the gate is in the blocking position.

Claim 6

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a catheter tube and a valve having a valve body containing an elongate passage and provided at its opposite ends with means for connecting it to said catheter tube and to a suction tube respectively, said valve body containing axially spaced openings in communication with said elongate passage, a rocker having angularly disposed arms, means mounting the rocker on the valve body for rocking movement to bring one or the other of the arms into operative relation to an opening, a gate on one arm movable into one of the openings to block the passage, a closure on the other arm movable into covering engagement with the other of the openings, said closure providing means for rocking the rocker to move the closure to cover said other opening, said other opening comprising a vent port connecting the passage to the atmosphere downstream of the one opening and means yieldably holding the rocker in a position such that the gate is in the blocking position.

Claim 7

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a catheter tube and having a tubular valve body containing an elongate interior passage, the ends of said valve body being adapted to be connected respectively to the part to be evacuated and to a flexible suction tube, said valve body containing intermediate its ends axially spaced openings in communication with the interior of the passage, a rocker member pivotally mounted on the valve body comprising a gate arranged to enter one of the openings into the passage to close the passage, and a closure lever arranged to be moved into engagement with the other opening by pivotal movement of the rocker valve to close said other opening and simultaneously to withdraw the gate from said passage, and means yieldably biasing the rocker valve in a direction to hold the gate in said closing position.

Claim 8

A catheter for aspiration from a body cavity of a patient comprising a catheter tube and having a tubular valve body containing an elongate interior passage, the ends of said valve body being adapted to be connected respectively to the part to be evacuated and to a flexible suction tube, said valve body containing intermediate its ends axially spaced openings in communication with the interior of the passage, a rocker member pivotally mounted on the valve body comprising a gate arranged to enter one of the openings into the passage to close the passage, and a closure lever arranged to be moved into engagement with the other opening by pivotal movement of the rocker valve to close said other opening and simultaneously to withdraw the gate from said passage, and means yieldably biasing the rocker valve in a direction to hold the gate in said closing position.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 4 wherein the one opening enters the valve passage at the end adapted to be connected to the part to be evacuated and the other opening enters the valve passage intermediate the one opening and the end of the valve body which is adapted to be connected to the flexible suction tube.

Claim 10

A device according to claim 4 wherein said other opening has a larger cross sectional area than that of the valve passage.

Claim 11

A device according to claim 4 wherein there is a finger cradle on the valve body diametrically opposite said other opening to facilitate pinching the closure lever into firm engagement with said other opening.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 4 wherein there is a tubular valve seat around said other opening provided with a flat sloping rim and the closure lever is provided with a flat feather for engagement with the ring of said seat.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 8 wherein the rim of the valve seat slopes at an angle of approximately 30* to the axis of the valve body.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 4 wherein there are guides on the valve body at the opposite ends of the one opening for guiding and confining the gate in alignment with said one opening when in a withdrawn position.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 4 wherein the tubular valve body has on it intermediate said openings diametrically disposed gudgeons on which the rocker valve is pivotally mounted for rocking about an axis at right angles to the axis of the valve body.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 11 wherein the rocker valve has spaced parallel knees containing aligned openings for rotatably receiving the gudgeons.

Claim 17

A device according to claim 11 wherein a cantilever supported spring element is fixed at one end to the rocker valve at one side of the pivot axis and in the closed position of the rocker valve yieldably bears on the valve body at the opposite side of the pivot axis.

Claim 18

A device according to claim 11 wherein a cantilever supported spring element is fixed at one end of the rocker valve at one side of the pivot axis and extends therefrom to the other side of the pivot axis and wherein the distal end of the spring element slidingly engages the top of tHe valve body and is displaced upwardly relative to the pivot axis by engagement with the top of the valve body.