Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Published
On this page
General product information only, not medical advice and not instructions for using any device.
Short answer
A Poole suction instrument is a hand-held suction cannula sold under the POOLE brand and generically catalogued as a rigid or semi-rigid tube for aspirating body cavities, wounds or surgical sites. In the U.S. its regulatory trail leads to FDA product code GCX, Class 2, under 21 CFR 880.6740. Product records differ on whether a given Poole is single-use or reusable.
Definition and scope
“Poole” is a name attached to a style of suction tube, so catalogues describe it in two ways: as a brand (the NLM AccessGUDID database lists several POOLE-branded Conmed records) and as a product family (the MSF supply catalogue lists “Tube, suction, Poole” among reusable suction and irrigation surgical cannulas and handpieces).
The Global Medical Device Nomenclature term used on the AccessGUDID records is GMDN 35917, “Surgical/emergency suction cannula, non-illuminating, single-use”. Its definition describes a hand-operated, single-lumen, rigid or semi-rigid tube that is not intended for dental, intrauterine, liposuction, ophthalmic or intravascular use and has no light source.
How the term appears in product records
The two AccessGUDID records read for this page (checked 2026-11-11) are both titled “POOLE Suction Instrument W/Removable Sheath”, with conductive tubing of 10 feet (3.0 m) and 6 feet (1.8 m) respectively. Both are recorded as single-use and supplied sterile by ethylene oxide. The title shows the sheath is removable and the tubing is conductive; the records do not describe clinical technique, and this page does not either. For how suction tips and catheters are used in other contexts, see the related guides on the Yankauer suction tip, the Frazier suction tip and the inline suction catheter.
Single-use versus reusable: a sourced comparison
| Source record | What it says | Single-use / reusable |
|---|---|---|
| AccessGUDID 10653405000426 (Conmed POOLE, 10 ft tubing) | GMDN 35917; product code GCX; supplied sterile (ethylene oxide); tubing length 3 m | Single-use |
| AccessGUDID 10653405000402 (Conmed POOLE, 6 ft tubing) | Same brand and GMDN family; tubing length 1.8 m; sterile (ethylene oxide) | Single-use |
| MSF catalogue product 09-87-30 | “Tube, suction, Poole”, 23 cm, 10 mm diameter, straight; family L030101 | Listed in a reusable-instruments family |
The practical point for anyone reading a catalogue: two products both called “Poole” can differ in whether they are discarded after one use and whether they arrive sterile. The name alone does not tell you; the record’s single-use flag and sterility field do.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
The regulatory trail is a good way to check what you are looking at. openFDA lists product code GCX as “Apparatus, Suction, Operating-Room, Wall Vacuum Powered”, device class 2, regulation number 880.6740, medical specialty General Hospital. 21 CFR 880.6740 is titled “Vacuum-powered body fluid suction apparatus”. A short record-reading checklist, using only fields the databases publish:
- Device name and GMDN term: confirms the product type (here GMDN 35917).
- Product code and regulation number: GCX and 880.6740 for the Conmed records.
- Single-use flag: separates disposable from reusable items.
- Sterile and sterilization method: the Conmed records state ethylene oxide.
- Latex labelling: the records say whether the labelling states natural rubber latex.
- Length and diameter: tubing length for the Conmed records; tube length and diameter in the MSF entry.
Common misunderstandings
- “Poole” is not a synonym for Yankauer. They are separate named suction instrument types, each with its own guide on this site.
- Poole does not always mean disposable. The Conmed records are single-use, while the MSF catalogue lists a Poole tube in a reusable family.
- The product code is not the product. GCX is the FDA grouping for wall-vacuum-powered operating-room suction apparatus; it covers more than one brand and design.
FAQ
What is a Poole suction?
A hand-operated suction cannula, commonly a tube with a removable outer sheath, catalogued under the GMDN family for surgical suction cannulas. The Conmed records are single-use and sterile.
Is a Poole suction an FDA Class 2 device?
The Conmed records carry product code GCX, which openFDA lists as Class 2 under 21 CFR 880.6740, checked 2026-11-11.
Is a Poole suction single-use?
The two Conmed AccessGUDID records say single-use; the MSF catalogue entry sits in a reusable family. Check each product’s own record.
Where can I read a product’s classification?
On openFDA’s device classification endpoint and on AccessGUDID, both free to read.
Sources
- AccessGUDID, POOLE 10653405000426, read 2026-11-11.
- AccessGUDID, POOLE 10653405000402, read 2026-11-11.
- openFDA device classification, product code GCX, read 2026-11-11.
- 21 CFR 880.6740, read 2026-11-11.
- MSF catalogue, Tube, suction, Poole.
