The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2007
Filed:
Jan. 31, 2000
Christopher R. Clare, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Steve Griffiths, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Christopher R. Clare, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Steve Griffiths, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US);
Abstract
Apparatus for controlling the volume of surgical fluid present in a cavity in the body of a patient during surgery includes a conduit to the cavity for conducting the surgical fluid therefrom to at least one receptacle for receiving the fluid from said cavity. A source of vacuum assists in withdrawing fluid from the cavity and a vacuum controller interposed between the vacuum source and the receptacle controls the duration of time the receptacle is exposed to vacuum from the vacuum source. The apparatus preferably has a vacuum sensor for sensing vacuum levels in the receptacle when disconnected from the source of vacuum and shares the source of vacuum with another application, giving priority to maintaining a proper vacuum level in the receptacle.