United States Patent Ericson [451 Mar. 21, 1972 [54] DRAINAGE BAG [72] Inventor: Richard E. Ericson, Keene, NH.
[73] Assignee: C. R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ.
[22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 75,506
[52] U.S. Cl ..128/275, 4/110 [51] int. Cl. ..A61i 5/44 [58] Field of Search ..128/D1G. 24, 275, 294, 295; 4/1 10 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,872 10/1919 Hofstetter ..128/295 2,815,025 12/1957 Fenton et al.... ..128/275 3,332,422 7/1967 Jinkens et a1. ..128/275 3,537,109 ll/1970 Spurrier et al. ..128/275 X 3,537,455 11/1970 Skyles et a]. 128/275 3,568,965 3/1971 Clark l28/275 Primary Examiner-Charles F. Rosenbaum Attorney-W. Saxton Seward [5 7] ABSTRACT A closed system urine collection bag having a rigid combined drip chamber and bifurcated inlet tubes having their ends communicating with the bag adjacent opposite upper corners thereof and firmly secured thereto, thereby acting as a spreader to stabilize the form of the bag, the drip chamber and tubes constituting a carrying handle, and the medial upper edge of the bag being further stabilized by a rigid bar extending horizontally between spaced points of fixation to the inlet tubes.
9 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEBHARZI m2 SHEET 2 [IF 4 INVENTOR RICHARD E. ER ICSON PAIENTEUMARm I972 SHEET 3 OF 4 FIG. 4
FIG. 6
INVENTOR ATTORNEY PAYENTEDHARZI I972 3.650.272
sum u or 4 INVENTOR RICHARD E. ERICS'ON BY v) f A Z11, m ATTORNEY DRAINAGE BAG This invention relates to the drip chamber and collection bag portion of a closed urinary drainage system, the remaining elements of such a system (i.e., the catheter and drainage tube) being of any normal and suitable type.
It is an object of the invention to provide an inlet assembly which is rigid, and which includes a drip chamber from the base of which integral inlet tubes extend laterally to points adjacent to, but spaced from, the upper corners of a flat bag, the inlet assembly constituting a carrying handle.
It is a further object to provide such a bag in which the wet path, along which bacteria could migrate, is not only interrupted at the drip chamber but is extended and tortuous between the drip chamber and the liquid level in the bag, to further discourage the communication of infection back to the patient.
It is another object to provide a drainage bag of exceptional strength and durability, yet of such simplicity that it is inexpensive to make and is fully disposable after a normal term of use by a single patient.
A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 represents a front elevation of the bag;
FIG. 2 represents a rear elevation of the bag;
FIG. 3 represents a front perspective view of a modified form of bag;
FIG. 4 represents a side elevation of the bag with the outlet tube in closed position; 1
FIG. 5 represents a side elevation, opposite from FIG. 4, and with the outlet tube in open position;
FIG. 6 represents a bottom plan view of the bag as shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 represents a top plan view of the bag as shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 8 represents a section on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 represents a vertical section on the line IXIX of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 10 represents a detail horizontal section on the line X-X of FIG. 1.
Referring to the drawings, thebag 10 is constituted by complementary front andback walls 11, 12 of plastic sheets, at least one of which is preferably transparent to permit ready observation of the liquid level in the bag. The inner surface of at least one wall is preferably roughened, as by calendering the surface or embossing the sheet, to ensure separation of the walls as liquid enters the bag. In the form shown, the bag has a wide somewhat kidney-shaped outline, the sheets being sealed together around their entire peripheries. The opposite side edges l3, 14 are substantially vertical or sloped slightly inward while the profile of thebottom edge 15 is convex downwardly to form a sump portion 16in certain bag positions, as later explained. The middle upper edge is horizontal and provided with anarrow tab 17 betweenseal lines 18' and 18, the tab having spacedelongated perforations 19 for engagement with a support bar. Each upper corner of the bag extends upward to formears 20, 21.
The liquid inlet assembly comprises acylindrical drip chamber 22 conveniently made in two parts, theupper part 23 being cylindrical with atop wall 24 traversed by the downwardly extendinginlet sleeve 25, and thelower part 26 being tapered (FIG. 9) and formed integrally with the laterally and downwardly extendinginlet tubes 27, 28. Theparts 23, 26 are securely cemented together at 29 and aflexible drainage tube 30 is cemented in thesleeve 25 centrally of the compartment formed by theparts 23, 26 to constitute a drip chamber, adapted most effectively to interrupt the liquid path from the bag to the drainage tube. For a further discussion of the function of a drip chamber in a closed system, see applicants US. Pat. No. 3,343,542.
In each of theears 20, 21, there is anopening 31, 32 andside spouts 33, 34 are affixed to thefront wall 11 by means of theflat base portions 35, 36, so disposed that the spout openings are alined with thetubes 27, 28, the ends of which are inserted in and cemented to the respective spouts.
While thetubes 27, 28 are rigid and their attachment to thespouts 33, 34 andears 20, 21 is secure enough to support the bag without more, as indicated in FIG. 3, it is preferable to add the flat rigid support bar 37 (FIG. 2) which extends horizontally adjacent thetab 17, is connected integrally at its ends to thetubes 27, 28 throughextensions 38, 39, and is provided withelongated projections 40 of a size and location such as to engage tightly in theperforations 19. Theextensions 38, 39 may conveniently be provided withholes 38', 39 for cooperation with certain types of bag hangers.
For emptying the bag, there is provided adrawoff tube 46 mounted on aspout 41 which communicates with the bag interior through thewall 11 in the region of thesump 16. Thespout 41 extends perpendicularly from theannular base 42 cemented to thewall 11. In its non-draining (closed) position, the free end of thetube 40 is snugly housed in the downwardlyopen pocket 43, which is fixed on thefront wall 11 of the bag at a point directly above thesump 16. When thetube 40 is turned up to the closed position, it turns thespout 41,base 42 andsump portion 16 of the bag through around a horizontal fold line 1l-12, thus tending to close off the sump from communication with the remaining interior of the bag. This closing tendency disappears when thedrawoff tube 40 is lowered to or below the emptying position shown in FIG. 5, and the bag can be emptied and reclosed without interruption of its functioning as part of a closed drainage system.
In use, thetube 30 is normally connected to a catheter having its distal end retained in a body cavity, particularly the bladder. Thetube 30 is initially capped in a customary manner, and thedrawoff tube 40 is in closed position, so that the system can be supplied with its interior sterile and adapted to be kept closed during operation. Undesirable suction effects in the descending drainage tube can be most simply avoided by using a tube which has a large enough internal diameter (e.g., one-half inch or more) to allow free flow of liquid without formation of a hung-up column or slugs.
As actually constructed, this bag has a maximum capacity of 2,000 cc. as indicated by the scale 44. The wide shape of the bag is such that a lower corner can be provided with asupplementary scale 45 for fine measurement up to I00 cc. by tipping the bag sidewise about 45.
What is claimed is:
1. A urine collection bag for operative association with a drainage tube, comprising front and back flexible plastic walls peripherally sealed together to form a closed receptacle, inlets extending through one of said walls at horizontally spaced points adjacent the upper edge of the bag, relatively stiff inlet tubes extending from said inlets to a point midway between and higher than said inlets and a chamber at said last named point integral with and in communication with each said inlet tube and with a drainage tube.
2. A bag according to claim 1 wherein the upper edge of the bag includes a middle straight horizontal portion and upwardly extending comer portions, each inlet extending through the bag wall substantially in one of said corner portrons.
3. A bag according to claim 2 wherein said straight portion is spaced below said inlet tubes and chamber sufficiently to permit said tubes and chamber to be used as a carrying handle.
4. A bag according to claim 2 which includes a support bar having its ends connected to said tubes, respectively, and being provided with means for engaging the bag adjacent said straight portion at one or more points.
5. A bag according to claim 1 wherein the lower edge of the bag has a downwardly convex profile, the middle portion being adapted to constitute a sump, and which includes outlet means associated with said sump.
6. A bag according to claim 5 wherein the outlet means includes a drawoff tube having one end fixed to a wall of the bag and movable from a closed position wherein the walls of the bag are folded adjacent the sump to an open position wherein said walls are unfolded and the bag contents can flow out through said drawoff tube.
7. A bag according to claim 6 which includes means for 9. A bag according to claim 6 wherein the point of fixation releasably holding the drawoff tube in its closed position f the d fi tube is so spaced f the lowest part f the 8. A bag according to claim 6 wherein the drawoff tube is l ower edge that the wall fold lme m closed position has a fixed to said bag wall by means of an annular base attached to length less than half the width of the bag the wall and a tubular spout projecting from said base at substantiallyaright angle. s r w 1: :u