Stryker Corporation

Robert W Insalaco

Earl G Phillips

William M Booth, Iii

A continuous vacuum drainage system for wound drainage. A base unit has apparatus responsive to releasable attachment thereto of a drain reservoir for evacuating the reservoir to a subatmospheric pressure in a predetermined range. The drain reservoir is continuously operable before, during and after release from the base unit for uninterrupted suction draining of a wound.

Continuous vacuum wound drainage system

An irrigation-suction handpiece assembly, for dental and surgical use at an operating site, includes a handle containing longitudinally extending, side-by-side suction and irrigant passageways respectively connectible to a source of subatmospheric pressure (i.e., a vacuum source) and an irrigant fluid source. An irrigant valve is actuable for alternately opening and blocking flow of irrigant from the irrigant source through the irrigant passageway. An air pressure conduit includes a third passageway in the handle and connectible to an air pressure source which is not atmospheric pressure and not influenced by pressure changes in the suction passageway. This air pressure source is either a further subatmospheric pressure source or a compressed gas source. The third passageway has a relief opening in the handle selectively openable or closable by the hand of the operator for effecting a change in the pressure within the third passageway. The irrigant valve has a control input coupled with the air pressure conduit and third passageway and responsive to such change in air pressure therein for shifting between its open and blocking states to thereby control the flow of irrigant fluid to the operating site.

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Portage, MI, United States of America

Robert W Insalaco