Medical/surgical irrigator with a tip through which irrigation fluid is discharged and a suction is drawn, a variable rate pulse pump for discharging the irrigation fluid and a seperate battery pack for powering the pump

Abstract

A medical/surgical irrigator comprising a handpiece and a tip assembly that is removably attached to the handpiece. Internal to the handpiece is a variable speed pulse pump from which irrigation fluid is discharged through the tip assembly. A single, variable speed motor regulates the pumping rate of the pump. The tip assembly includes a suction wand through which the discharged fluid is drawn away from the site to which the fluid is applied.

1 - 30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . A medical irrigator comprising: 
 a housing shaped to be hand held and having a front end, the front end having a fluid outlet opening;    a tip assembly that extends forward from the front end of said housing, said tip assembly having an outlet tube in fluid communication with the housing fluid outlet opening and a suction tube;    an inlet tube extending to said housing;    a pulse pump capable of operating at a variable rate disposed in said housing that opens to the housing front end, said pump configured to receive fluid from said inlet tube and discharging the fluid through the fluid outlet opening;    a single electric motor disposed in said housing and connected to said pump for actuating said pump, said motor operable at variable speeds to control the pumping rate of said pump;    a control assembly disposed in said housing to regulate the speed of said motor;    a flexible suction tube that is in fluid communication with said tip assembly suction tube and that extends away from said housing;    a battery pack separate from said housing; and    a flexible conductor assembly extending from said battery pack to said housing for supplying energy stored in said battery pack to said motor.    
     
     
         32 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein said control assembly has a switch that is moveably mounted to said housing, said control assembly configured so that: 
 when said switch is in a first position, said control assembly does not supply an energization signal to said motor;    when said switch is in a second position, said control assembly supplies a first energization signal from said battery pack to said motor; and    when said switch is in a third position, said control assembly supplies a second energization signal from said battery pack to said motor.    
     
     
         33 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein said switch is configured to move: 
 from the first position and to the second position; and    from the second position to the third position.    
     
     
         34 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein: 
 said housing is formed to have: a handle; and a barrel integral with and located above said handle that extends forward from said handle, said barrel having the housing front end; and    said motor is located in said housing handle.    
     
     
         35 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein said tip assembly outlet tube surrounds said tip assembly inlet tube.  
     
     
         36 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein said inlet tube extends from said battery pack to said housing.  
     
     
         37 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31  wherein: 
 the housing front end is formed with a fluid inlet opening;    said tip assembly inlet tube is connected to the housing fluid inlet opening;    a suction hose disposed in said housing extends from the housing fluid inlet opening and said flexible suction tube is connected to said suction hose.    
     
     
         38 . The medical irrigator of  claim 31 , wherein said housing and said tip assembly are formed with complementary features for releasably holding said tip assembly to the housing front end.  
     
     
         39 . A medical irrigator comprising: 
 a housing shaped to have a front end;    a pulse discharge pump that operates at a variable rate disposed in said housing having an inlet and discharge conduit, the discharge conduit opening towards the front end of said housing;    an inlet line that extends into said housing that is in fluid communication with the pump inlet;    a single electric motor disposed in said housing and connected to said pump to actuate said pump, said motor operating at variable speeds to regulate the pumping rate of said pump;    a tip assembly that extends from the front end of said housing, said tip assembly having an outlet tube that is in fluid communication with the pump discharge conduit and a suction wand;    a flexible suction tube that is in fluid communication with said tip assembly suction wand;    a battery pack separate and spaced from said housing that contains at least one battery that stores energy for energizing said motor;    a flexible cable that extends from said battery pack to said housing for supplying energy from said battery pack to said motor; and    a control assembly integral with said housing, said control assembly having a switch member moveably mounted to said housing and said control assembly being configured to apply a variable energization signal from said battery pack to said motor so as to control the speed of said motor and regulate the pumping rate of said pump.    
     
     
         40 . The medical irrigator of  claim 39 , wherein: 
 said cable includes a first conductor over which a first energization signal is available from said battery pack and a second conductor over which a second energization signal is available from said battery pack; and    said control assembly is configured so that switch member can be selectively positioned to: connect neither of said cable conductors to said motor; connect the first said cable conductor to said motor; or connect the second said cable conductor to said motor.    
     
     
         41 . The medical irrigator of  claim 40 , wherein said control assembly is configured to sequentially move from the position in which neither said cable conductors are connected to said motor to the position in which said first cable conductor is connected to said motor and to the position in which the second said cable conductor is connected to said motor.  
     
     
         42 . The medical irrigator of  claim 39 , wherein said pump is a reciprocating pump.  
     
     
         43 . The medical irrigator of  claim 39 , wherein said inlet line extends from said battery pack to said housing.  
     
     
         44 . The medical irrigator of  claim 39 , wherein said tip assembly is constructed so that said outlet tube is disposed in said suction wand.  
     
     
         45 . The medical irrigator of  claim 39 , wherein: 
 a suction hose having opposed ends is disposed in said housing;    said suction wand is connected to a first end of said suction hose; and    said flexible suction tube is connected to a second end of said suction hose.    
     
     
         46 . A medical irrigator, said irrigator comprising: 
 a housing having a front face;    a tip assembly that extends from the front face of said housing, said tip assembly including an outlet tube and a suction wand;    a pulse discharge pump disposed in said housing that operates at a variable rate, said pump having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet opening into the front face of said housing so as to be in fluid communication with said tip assembly outlet tube;    a flexible suction tube that is in fluid communication with said tip assembly suction wand, said flexible suction tube extending away from said tip assembly;    a single, variable speed electric motor disposed in said housing connected to said pump for actuating said pump at variable rates;    a battery pack separate from said housing containing at least one battery;    a flexible cable that extends from said battery pack to said housing, said flexible cable having at least one conductor over which an energization signal from said at least one battery is supplied; and    a control assembly attached to said housing and connected between said at least one conductor and said motor for supplying a variable potential energization signal to said motor, said control assembly having a single switch member that is moveably attached to said housing that selectively makes/breaks a connection between said at least one conductor and said motor and that establishes the potential of the energization signal supplied to said motor.    
     
     
         47 . The medical irrigator of  claim 46 , wherein: 
 said cable has a first conductor over which a first energization signal is available from said at least one battery and a second conductor over which a second energization signal is available from said at least one battery; and    said control assembly is configured so that switch member can be selectively positioned to: connect neither of said cable conductors to said motor; connect the first said cable conductor to said motor; or connect the second said cable conductor to said motor.    
     
     
         48 . The medical irrigator of  claim 47 , wherein said control assembly has a first contact to which said first cable conductor is attached and a second contact to which said second cable conductor is attached and said contacts are statically mounted to said housing.  
     
     
         49 . The medical irrigator of  claim 46 , wherein: 
 the housing front face is formed with a fluid inlet opening in which said tip assembly suction wand is received;    a suction hose is disposed in said housing and extends from the fluid inlet opening; and    said suction tube is connected to said suction hose.    
     
     
         50 . The medical irrigator of  claim 46 , wherein said tip assembly is constructed so that said outlet tube is disposed in said suction wand.