Medical Suction Clearing Apparatus

Abstract

A suction cleaning apparatus as described below is a suitably shaped reservoir for enclosing any suitable cleaning fluid such as water or saline solution. Within the reservoir of cleaning fluid are one or more cleaning cylinders. The cleaning cylinders may adopt any suitable length to enclose a single cleaning bristle in the bore of the cleaning cylinder. The upper portion of each cleaning cylinder may have a generally conical or funnel shape, forming guide section to direct the distal end of a suction tube into alignment with the cleaning bristle coaxially aligned with the long axis of the bore of the cleaning cylinder. In use, an obstructed suction tool is inserted into the cleaning fluid and pushed into the cleaning cylinder thereby engaging the bristle. The bristle is sized such that the bristle extends into the obstructed suction tool to mechanically disengage the obstruction.

1 . A suction cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a suction tip cleaning cup enclosing a cleaning fluid volume;   a plurality of cleaning cylinders in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid volume, each cleaning cylinder including a guide section and a bristle section, the bristle section having a floor; and   a tapered bristle coaxially oriented in the bristle section of each cleaning cylinder, the bristle attached to a ridge formed on the floor of each bristle section.   
     
     
         2 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the tapered bristles has a cross section with three or more vertices. 
     
     
         3 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the tapered bristles has a cross section with three or more vertices defining a side between each pair of adjacent vertices, and the side between each vertex is fluted. 
     
     
         4 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a fluid passage through the floor of one or more bristle sections, the fluid passage in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid volume. 
 
     
     
         5 . A suction cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a fluid container with a contiguous sidewall and floor enclosing a cleaning fluid volume;   one or more cleaning cylinders within the cleaning fluid volume, each cleaning cylinder including a guide section and a bristle section, the bristle section having a floor; and   a tapered bristle coaxially oriented in the bristle section of each cleaning cylinder, the bristle supported by a ridge formed on the floor of each bristle section.   
     
     
         6 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 5  wherein one or more of the tapered bristles has a cross section with three or more vertices. 
     
     
         7 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 5  wherein one or more of the tapered bristles has a cross section with three or more vertices defining a side between each pair of adjacent vertices, and the side between each vertex is fluted. 
     
     
         8 . The suction cleaning apparatus of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a fluid passage through the floor of one or more bristle sections, the fluid passage in fluid communication with the cleaning fluid volume.