This invention relates to aspirators that are manually operated (i.e., by hand and not mechanically driven or orally suctioned) to remove mucus from a newborn, infant, or toddler's nose.
The noses of newborns are suctioned shortly after birth to enhance their breathing. In addition, infant and toddler nasal cavities can become clogged and normal breathing can be inhibited by a variety of factors, including mucus secreted in response to viruses and bacteria. Thus, newborns, infants, and toddlers often need their noses cleared of mucus.
There are many aspiration devices which address the general problem of clearing fluids, debris, mucus, and secretions from the nasal passages. The most common are manually operated aspirators that include a bulb that is squeezed to create a partial vacuum that sucks nasal discharge from the child's nostril (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,667). These bulb aspirators normally include an oval shaped bulb with a tip and/or a stem. The bulb is generally made of a rubber or an elastomeric type of material that has an opening into an inner hollow cavity.
A bulb aspirator is used manually by squeezing (compressing) the bulb forcing air out of the inner hollow cavity through an opening in the tip. The tip is then placed in the nasal passage of the child to create a seal between the tip and the nasal passage. Once in place, the compressed bulb is released sucking nasal fluid (mucus, etc.) into the inner hollow cavity of the bulb.
Bulb aspirators suffer from the following disadvantages:
Other manually operated aspirators use a mouthpiece that the operator uses to suck fluid (mucus, etc.) from the child's nostril. These mouthpiece aspirators typically include of a collection cylinder with a tip for collecting nasal discharge, a tube with a mouthpiece at one end and a cap at the other end cap for attaching to the collection cylinder, and a filter made of a foam-type of material.
The mouthpiece aspirator is used manually by placing the filter in the collection cylinder and attaching the cap of the mouthpiece tube to the collection cylinder. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. D678,501. The tip of the collection cylinder is then placed in the nasal passage of the child to create a seal between the tip and the nasal passage. Once in place, the operator sucks into the tube using the mouthpiece which sucks (draws by vacuum) nasal fluid (mucus, etc.) into the collection cylinder.
Mouthpiece aspirators suffer from the following disadvantages:
Less commonly used are mechanical aspirators that are battery-operated or spring-loaded. These aspirators come in variety of designs. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,511. In these aspirators, a partial vacuum for suctioning the nose is created mechanically by a battery or spring-operated pump.
Battery and spring-loaded aspirators suffer from the following disadvantages:
There is significant need for an aspirator that achieves the following:
This invention is a manually operated device for the aspiration and removal of fluids from the body. Specifically, this invention is an aspirator for removing mucus, debris, and secretions from the nose. The invention is primarily designed for newborns, infants, and toddlers.
The present invention provides a manually operated nasal aspirator having an elongated cylinder body and a piston. The cylinder body has a sidewall, a nozzle at a forward end, and an elongated slot extending longitudinally in the sidewall to a rearward end. The piston is configured to slide within the cylinder body between first and second positions and has an actuator laterally extending therefrom through the elongated slot. The piston is manually movable between the first and second positions by a user and is not biased by any other means so that it will rest at all positions between the first and second positions when not being manually manipulated. The cylinder has a length sufficient to fully contain the piston therein in both the first and second positions.
This invention overcomes shortcomings and disadvantages of prior art and suctions nasal passages in a simple, cost-effective manner. The invention is easily operated with one hand while holding a newborn or infant. The invention allows the user to control the amount of suction and monitor the amount of mucus (discharge) removed. The invention creates suction (vacuum) manually and thus, is not subject to surprise, mechanical failure. The invention is not psychologically offensive to use.
Other aspects, features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to a person of skill in the art from the detailed description of various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, all of which comprise part of the disclosure.
Like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various drawing figures, wherein:
This invention is a multi-purpose newborn, infant, toddler nasal aspirator. As shown in
The three components can be made of, for example, polypropylene, which is compliant with Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards for biocompatibility. The thumb rest 12 can extend through a longitudinal slot 22 in the wall of the outer cylinder 20 to allow control of the piston 10. The outer cylinder 20 can have a conical nozzle 24 with a central opening 26 that is smaller in cross-section that the piston 10. This increases the flow thought the opening 26 as the piston 10 is withdrawn to create an internal vacuum. Changeable nozzles (not shown) may be used to adjust size, but the illustrated embodiment provides simplicity. Unlike a typical syringe whose plunger is operated from the end, the manner in which this device is gripped, with the thumb moving the thumb rest 12 protruding through the side wall of the cylinder 20, provides a more natural grip and controlled movement.
The invention is assembled by sliding the inner piston 10 into the outer cylinder 20. Referring now in particular to
With reference to
Because the slot 22 extends to the rear end of the cylinder 20, the device can be easily cleaned by removing the end cap 30 and sliding the inner piston 10 out of the outer cylinder 20. Once disassembled, all three components can be thoroughly cleaned and easily reassembled.
While one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be apparent that modifications and variations thereto are possible, all of which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing is intended only to be illustrative of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be included and considered to fall within the scope of the invention, defined by the claim or claims.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/924,224, filed Oct. 22, 2019, and incorporates the same herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62924224 | Oct 2019 | US |