A method and apparatus for cleansing the interior surfaces of body cavities employs a balloon catheter adapted to be inserted into a cavity through its ostium with the balloon in collapsed condition. An input flow tube for a cleansing and/or medicating fluid passes through a central passage in the balloon. When the balloon is inflated to establish a narrow passage between the balloon and the cavity walls, a pressurized flow of the fluid is pumped out the distal end of the input flow tube through the passage, parallel to the cavity walls, where it scours the inner wall of the cavity, removing debris as it flows out of the ostium. The fluid flow is urged toward a turbulent condition by attachments to the outer wall of the balloon.

A wound irrigation device may include a barrel having a fluid chamber at least partially filled with an irrigation fluid. A piston may be located in the barrel, where the piston is movable between a terminal proximal position and a terminal distal position within the barrel to control a volume of the fluid chamber of the barrel. An actuation spring may be mechanically coupled to the piston, where the actuation spring is configured such that a pressure of the irrigation fluid within the fluid chamber continuously exceeds about 4 psi as the piston moves between the terminal proximal position and the terminal distal position.

A method, including ejecting irrigation fluid from a distal end of a probe so as to irrigate tissue, and receiving, over a period of time, initial signals indicative of respective temperatures of the distal end, from a temperature sensor in the distal end. The method also includes formulating from the initial signals a temperature range between upper and lower temperature thresholds and, when a further signal from the temperature sensor, received subsequent to the period of time, is indicative of a further temperature above the upper temperature threshold, raising an alarm that a bubble is present in the irrigation fluid.

A vacuum assisted suction and irrigation system includes a suction and irrigation wand, an irrigation fluid supply, a vacuum source, and a dual impeller fluid pump. The vacuum source is connected to a suction valve of the suction and irrigation wand to provide suction within the suction and irrigation wand. The irrigation fluid supply is connected to the suction and irrigation wand via the dual impeller fluid pump to supply pressurized irrigation fluid to the suction and irrigation wand. The vacuum source is connected to the fluid pump to pressurize the irrigation fluid being delivered to the suction and irrigation wand.

Some illustrative embodiments of an instillation assembly for treating a tissue site may include a fluid distribution lumen and a fluid hub that may define a fluid instillation pathway. The fluid distribution lumen may be defined by a first film layer and a second film layer, and the fluid hub may be positioned in fluid communication with the fluid distribution lumen. The instillation assembly may be used in combination with a reduced-pressure assembly that may define a reduced-pressure pathway separate from the fluid instillation pathway.

A method and apparatus for cleansing the interior surfaces of body cavities employs a balloon catheter adopted to be inserted into a cavity through its ostium with the balloon in collapsed condition. An input flow tube for a cleansing and/or medicating fluid passes through a central passage in the balloon. When the balloon is inflated to establish a narrow passage between the balloon and the cavity walls, a pressurized flow of the fluid is pumped out the distal end of the input flow tube through the passage, parallel to the cavity walls, where it scours the inner wall of the cavity, removing debris as it flows out of the ostium. The fluid flow is urged toward a turbulent condition by attachments to the outer wall of the balloon.

A multi-headed catheter for fluid delivery and a method of placing a multi-headed catheter for fluid delivery are provided. The multi-headed catheter includes a first tube extending along an axis, wherein the first tube has at least one exit hole provided at a distal end of the first tube to define a perfusion section of the first tube; and a second tube extending along the axis, wherein at least a portion of the second tube is disposed within the first tube, wherein the second tube has at least one exit hole provided at a distal end of the second tube to define a perfusion section of the second tube. The distal end of the second tube is configured to exit said first tube at an opening provided along a wall of the first tube. The perfusion sections of the first tube and the second tube can be independently placed to deliver fluid to distinct anatomical areas within a surgical wound site.

Some illustrative embodiments of an instillation assembly for treating a tissue site may include a fluid distribution lumen and a fluid hub that may define a fluid instillation pathway. The fluid distribution lumen may be defined by a first film layer and a second film layer, and the fluid hub may be positioned in fluid communication with the fluid distribution lumen. The instillation assembly may be used in combination with a reduced-pressure assembly that may define a reduced-pressure pathway separate from the fluid instillation pathway.

Disclosed is a suction irrigator, including a tri-lumen tube which includes a normal-pressure irrigation lumen, a high-pressure irrigation lumen and a suction lumen, a manifold connected to the tri-lumen tube, two flexible tubes, a control unit and a dual-drainage tube connected to the two flexible tubes, where the cross-sectional area of the suction lumen is larger than that of the normal-pressure irrigation lumen, and the cross-sectional area of the normal-pressure irrigation lumen is larger than that of the high-pressure irrigation lumen; and the normal-pressure irrigation lumen and the high-pressure irrigation lumen are connected to one of the flexible tubes and the suction lumen is connected to the other flexible tube by means of the manifold; and flow rates of gas or liquid in the two flexible tubes are controlled by the control unit. The suction irrigator has a good irrigation effect and is convenient to use.

A vacuum assisted suction and irrigation system includes a suction and irrigation wand, an irrigation fluid supply, a vacuum source, and a fluid pump. The vacuum source is connected to a suction valve of the suction and irrigation wand to provide suction within the suction and irrigation wand. The irrigation fluid supply is connected to the suction and irrigation wand via the fluid pump to supply pressurized irrigation fluid to the suction and irrigation wand. The vacuum source is connected to the fluid pump to pressurize the irrigation fluid being delivered to the suction and irrigation wand.