Safety device for vacuum-assisted venous drainage

摘要

Retrograde blood and/or air flow in the venous line of a vacuum-assisted venous drainage system is avoided by providing a duckbill valve 38 so connected and dimensioned as to limit positive pressure in the airtight venous reservoir 16 to the pressure head of the blood in the venous line, throughout the whole range of clinically expected air flow rates produced by the cardiotomy sucker pumps 24, without however interfering with the vacuum action of the vacuum source.