A low-cost and simple-to-use system and method to facilitate a prophylactic pleural lavage protocol at the time of thoracostomy tube placement for traumatic hemothorax in order to reduce the need for secondary intervention for the management of retained hemothorax. The invention may be used in conjunction with existing chest tubes and be administered at the time of initial chest tube placement, and continued at the bedside (by a bedside nurse) over the duration of chest drainage, as necessary. The system includes an operator device that semi-automatically administers a pleural lavage protocol consisting of saline instillation, and suction to slow the clotting process, prevent “gelling” of blood, and maintain drainability.

An adapter for a surgical hand piece having a single lumen work tip with an open end and a small lateral hole is designed to convert the work tip to infusion/aspiration (I/A) cleanup of lens epithelial cells after phacoemulsification. The adapter is in the form of a sleeve adapted to be slid over the distal end of the work tip. The sleeve includes at least one aspiration hole located toward the distal end of the sleeve. When the distal end of the sleeve is at a first distance L.sub.1 from the distal end of the work tip, aspiration occurs through the aspiration hole of the sleeve and the open end of the work tip. When the distal end of the sleeve is at a second and smaller distance L.sub.2 from the open end of the work tip, aspiration through the open end of the work tip is blocked by the sleeve and aspiration occurs through the aspiration hole of the sleeve and the lateral hole in the work tip.

An ophthalmic irrigator-aspirator has a handpiece with aspiration and irrigation openings through its distal end. A tip component connects to the handpiece and has an aspiration cannula. A flexible sleeve has an annular hub for watertight connection to the handpiece or a base portion of the tip. The sleeve has an intermediate portion that forms a channel for an irrigation fluid along the exterior of the cannula to an irrigation port in the sleeve. The distal end portion of the sleeve is sized for a watertight connection over the distal portion of the cannula. Such distal end portion of the sleeve has an aspiration port in communication with the cannula aspiration port. The sleeve proximate, intermediate, and distal portions are integral with each other and are formed of a resilient material that allows the sleeve to be tightly fitted on the handpiece or tip base portion and the cannula.

A medical/surgical lavage unit including internal ribs that extend into a void space of a suction tube attached to the lavage unit.

Described herein are devices and methods for irrigating and suctioning fluids from the lumens or cavities of a mammalian body. The devices include a malleable irrigation tube and a suction tube that is slidably mounted upon the irrigation tube.

A suction device is shown and described. The suction device includes a body, an input port configured to receive a flow of matter, a suction port, and a suction lumen that couples the suction port to the input port. In some embodiments the suction device is configured to couple with a surgical instrument for use in a surgical procedure.

A lavage handle for facilitating at least one of an irrigation function and a suctioning function at a target zone preferably includes a portable body, a power-operated fluid-displacing mechanism in communication with said body wherein said fluid-displacing mechanism has one of a first operating mode for inducing outward irrigation of fluid towards the target zone and a second operating mode for inducing inward suction of fluid from the target zone. An actuation mechanism is located at said body and operable communicated with said fluid-displacing mechanism such that said fluid-displacing mechanism is selectively operated in at least one of said first operating mode and said second operating mode. The actuation mechanism may include an irrigation-inducing mechanism and/or a suction-inducing mechanism.

A novel irrigation and aspiration system is disclosed. A pump (6) is disposed on an irrigation tube (2) for delivering irrigation fluid. The irrigation tube (2) is connected in series with a check valve (3) and then connected with a first port of a tee joint (4); a second port of the tee joint (4) is connected with a suction tube of a negative pressure device through an aspiration tube (5); an electronic choke device (7) is installed on the aspiration tube (5); a third port of the tee joint is connected with an irrigation and aspiration common tube (8) also connected with a terminal execution device. The electronic choke device (7) and the pump (6) are controlled by a host computer. The electronic choke device (7) is turned off when the pump (6) works; and the pump (6) is stopped when the electronic choke device (7) is turned on.

A self-contained ocular surgery instrument, including a power module having a body presenting a mating coupler and including a compressed gas supply; a fluid reservoir; an aspiration pump; an aspirated material reservoir and a control panel. The mating coupler is structured to receive and couple to at least one module that facilitates performance of an eye surgery task. The compressed gas supply is coupled to the aspiration pump and the aspirated material reservoir is in fluid communication with the aspiration pump to receive aspirated material from the mating coupler. The fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the mating coupler such that fluid is supplied under pressure to the mating coupler and thus to the at least one module that facilitates performance of an eye surgery task. The control panel is in controlling communication with the compressed gas supply, the aspiration pump and the aspirated material reservoir.

A method for maintaining anterior chamber intraoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) is provided by receiving and/or detecting variables of a surgical system and utilizing those variables to monitor intraoperative IOP. Determining an IOP in real time during a surgical procedure either provides a notification to an eye surgeon or allows a target IOP of the anterior chamber of a patient's eye to be set and maintained.