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General product and regulatory information only. This page is not medical advice and does not describe how to use suction on a patient.
Short answer: what is a Yankauer suction?
A Yankauer suction (also called a Yankauer suction tip, tube or handle) is a rigid, hand-held suction tip connected by flexible tubing to an external vacuum source, used to aspirate body fluids. In FDA’s device data it is most often filed under product code JOL, “Catheter And Tip, Suction”, a class 2 device under 21 CFR 880.6740 (openFDA, checked 2026-10-30).
Definition and scope
The FDA does not define “Yankauer” as a term. It classifies the device family. 21 CFR 880.6740 describes a vacuum-powered body fluid suction apparatus as a device “used to aspirate, remove, or sample body fluids” that “is powered by an external source of vacuum”, and lists “rigid suction tips” among the generic types included. A Yankauer is a rigid suction tip, so it sits inside that regulation (Cornell LII copy of the CFR, checked 2026-10-30).
The regulation also states that the device type is class II (special controls) and is exempt from premarket notification under subpart E of part 807, subject to 21 CFR 880.9. Exempt does not mean unregulated: the exemption is about the 510(k) submission route only.
Where it sits in a suction setup
The same regulation names the other parts of the apparatus: vacuum regulators, vacuum collection bottles, connecting flexible aspirating tubes, specimen traps and suction regulators with a gauge. For supply records this gives a simple map of separately stocked items: the tip, the tubing, a collection container and the vacuum control. CASRAI has separate pages on the suction canister and the vacuum regulator.
Types in the FDA data
The openFDA UDI database (AccessGUDID label data) returned 582 records whose description mentions “yankauer” on 2026-10-30. The table below shows labeled facts from named records, not a market survey or a recommendation.
| Record (brand, model) | Labeled description | Product code | Sterile at sale | Sterilization before use | Single-use flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surtex, TR-255-10 | Yankauer suction tube, 10 cm (4 in), stainless steel | JOL | No | No | No |
| V. Mueller (CareFusion), AS167 | Half-curved, large, light hollow handle with finger valve, length 10-3/4 in (27.3 cm) | JOL | No | Yes: moist heat or steam | No |
| V. Mueller (Steris), CH8051-2 | Suction instrument, 10 mm tube, Yankauer handle, overall length 17.75 in (45.5 cm) | GEA | No | Yes: moist heat or steam | No |
| Medichoice (Owens & Minor), YANK1001 | Bulb tip, non-vented, polyvinyl chloride, blue, labeled “Not Made With Natural Rubber Latex” | JOL | Yes | No | Yes |
Two things stand out in the data. Product codes differ for similar instruments (JOL and GEA both appear above), and the openFDA 510(k) database shows older Yankauer clearances filed under many codes, including GEA (K904881, 1991), GBX (K921095, 1992) and GCX (K896558, 1990). And the labeling fields that vary between records, such as sterile status, sterilization before use, single-use flag and natural rubber latex statements, are the ones a procurement record needs to capture.
Labeling fields to record
- Sterile at sale, as labeled (yes or no).
- Whether the label calls for sterilization before use, and by which method.
- Single-use flag.
- Natural rubber latex statement, if any.
- Overall length and tube dimensions as printed in the device description.
- Product code and the manufacturer’s model number.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply records
Because the tip is only one component of a suction apparatus under 21 CFR 880.6740, inventory systems that file “suction” as a single line item can hide separate stocking decisions for tips, tubing, canisters and regulators. Facility supply checklists on CASRAI list suction items, for example the palliative care unit supply checklist and the endoscopy center supply checklist. The related whistle-tip catheter is a different, flexible catheter type.
The FDA record history also shows the item is long established: openFDA lists 510(k) K844924 for Yankauer suction tips and sets (decision date 1985-03-18) and K933762 for a Yankauer sucker/nozzle under JOL (1994-07-19).
Common misunderstandings
It is not a tracheobronchial suction catheter
openFDA lists product code BSY, “Catheters, Suction, Tracheobronchial”, as a class 1 device under 21 CFR 868.6810. That is a different device category from the rigid tip described here.
It is not a chest drainage device
Product code DWM, “Apparatus, Suction, Patient Care”, is class 2 under 21 CFR 870.5050, which defines a device “used with an intrathoracic catheter to withdraw fluid from the chest during the recovery period following surgery”. It is not the Yankauer’s classification. For chest drainage see the chest tube guide.
“Reusable” and “single-use” are label facts, not properties of the name
The records above show the same Yankauer name on a reusable stainless instrument that is sterilized before use and on a pre-sterile single-use plastic one. The label, not the name, says which.
FAQ
What is a Yankauer suction?
A rigid hand-held suction tip that connects through flexible tubing to an external vacuum source to aspirate body fluids. FDA files it mainly under product code JOL (class 2, 21 CFR 880.6740), which covers “rigid suction tips”.
How do reusable and single-use versions differ in the FDA data?
In the records compared above, the stainless steel instruments are labeled not sterile at sale and not single-use, with sterilization before use stated for the V. Mueller records, while the Medichoice plastic tip is labeled sterile and carries a single-use flag.
Sources
- openFDA device classification API, product codes JOL, GEA, BSY and DWM, data updated 2026-10-19, checked 2026-10-30: https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=product_code:JOL.
- 21 CFR 880.6740, vacuum-powered body fluid suction apparatus, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.6740.
- 21 CFR 870.5050, patient care suction apparatus, checked 2026-10-30: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/870.5050.
- openFDA 510(k) database, search “yankauer”, checked 2026-10-30: https://api.fda.gov/device/510k.json?search=device_name:yankauer.
- openFDA UDI database (AccessGUDID label data), search “yankauer”, checked 2026-10-30: https://api.fda.gov/device/udi.json?search=device_description:yankauer. openFDA data is not for medical-care decisions.
