Nebulizing catheter system and methods of use and manufacture
First Claim
1. A method for delivering a medicine to a patient'"'"'s respiratory system, comprising:
- positioning an endotracheal tube in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system;
positioning a nebulization catheter in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system; and
operating the nebulization catheter to produce an aerosol of the medicine at a distal end of the nebulization catheter while the endotracheal tube is positioned in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for delivering a medicine to a patient via the patient'"'"'s respiratory system with control and efficiency. A nebulization catheter is positioned in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system so that a distal end of the nebulization catheter is in the respiratory system and a proximal end is outside the body. In a first aspect, the nebulization catheter may be used in conjunction with an endotracheal tube and preferably is removable from the endotracheal tube. The nebulization catheter conveys medicine in liquid form to the distal end at which location the medicine is nebulized by a pressurized gas or other nebulizing mechanism. The nebulized medicine is conveyed to the patient'"'"'s lungs by the patient'"'"'s respiration which may be assisted by a ventilator. By producing the aerosol of the liquid medicine at a location inside the patient'"'"'s respiratory system, the nebulizing catheter provides for increased efficiency and control of the dosage of medicine being delivered. In further aspects of the nebulizing catheter apparatus and method, alternative tip constructions, flow pulsation patterns, centering devices, sensing devices, and aspiration features afford greater efficiency and control of aerosolized medicine dosage delivery.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for delivering a medicine to a patient'"'"'s respiratory system, comprising:
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positioning an endotracheal tube in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system;
positioning a nebulization catheter in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system; and
operating the nebulization catheter to produce an aerosol of the medicine at a distal end of the nebulization catheter while the endotracheal tube is positioned in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for delivering a medicine to one or both lungs of a patient who is not intubated, comprising:
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positioning a nebulization catheter in the patient'"'"'s respiratory system; and
operating the nebulization catheter to produce an aerosol of the medicine at a distal end of the nebulization catheter.
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20. A method of delivering an aerosol of medication to a patient'"'"'s lungs, comprising:
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nebulizing the medication at a distal end of a catheter located in the patient'"'"'s respiratory tract, said distal end of said catheter directed in a first direction; and
directing a flow of gas at said nebulized medication in a direction opposite to said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of delivering a medicine selectively to a bifurcated region of a patient'"'"'s respiratory system, comprising:
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positioning a catheter into a branch of the patient'"'"'s respiratory system that leads to a region other than the region to which the medicine is to be delivered;
delivering an airflow through the catheter; and
nebulizing the medicine in the respiratory system proximal of where the airflow is delivered whereby a plume of the nebulized medicine is delivered to the region without the catheter.
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26. A catheter for delivering an aerosol of medicine to a patient'"'"'s lungs comprising:
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a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a lumen through the catheter shaft and communicating at the proximal end with a port for receiving a medicine in a liquid form and communicating at the distal end with a distal orifice from which the medicine can be discharged;
means for nebulizing the medicine discharged at the distal orifice into an aerosol plume of particles of the medicine; and
means for modifying the aerosol plume of particles of medicine. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A catheter system for delivering an aerosol of medicine to a patient'"'"'s lungs comprising:
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a catheter shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;
a lumen through the catheter shaft and communicating at the proximal end with a port for receiving a medicine in a liquid form and communicating at the distal end with a distal orifice from which the medicine can be discharged;
means for nebulizing the medicine discharged at the distal orifice;
a flow control apparatus connected to the port, said flow control apparatus comprising;
a flow line communicating with the port, said flow line occupied by the medicine; and
a valve associated with the flow line to cause pulsed delivery of medicine through the flow line. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A catheter for delivering an aerosol to a patient'"'"'s lungs comprising:
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a shaft comprised of;
an outer tubular member defining a first lumen and terminating at a distal end in a first distal orifice;
an inner tubular member defining a second lumen, said inner tubular member located in the first lumen and terminating at a distal end in a second distal orifice;
a manifold connected to a proximal portion of said shaft, said manifold having;
a first port communicating with the first lumen for conveyance of a pressurized gas in an annular region between the inner and outer tubular members; and
a second port communicating with the second lumen for conveyance of a medicine;
said second distal orifice aligned with said first distal orifice to nebulize the medicine from a distal tip of the catheter. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A catheter for delivering an aerosol of medicine to a patient'"'"'s lungs comprising:
a catheter shaft having;
a first lumen centrally located in said shaft and adapted for conveying a medicine in liquid form;
a plurality of lumens peripherally located around said first lumen and adapted for conveying a gas;
a distal liquid orifice communicating with said first lumen; and
a plurality of distal gas orifices communicating with said plurality of lumens, said plurality of distal gas orifices aligned with respect to said distal liquid orifice so as to nebulize a liquid medicine discharged from the liquid orifice.
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35. A catheter system for delivering an aerosol therapy to a patient'"'"'s lungs comprising:
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a stand-alone nebulization catheter having a distal end for insertion into the respiratory system of a patient and a proximal end, said nebulization catheter having;
a catheter shaft;
a gas pressurization lumen extending through said catheter shaft;
a distal gas exit orifice communicating with said gas pressurization lumen, said distal gas exit orifice located at the distal end of said nebulization catheter;
a drug delivery lumen extending along at least a portion of said catheter shaft; and
a distal drug delivery orifice communicating with said drug delivery channel, said distal drug delivery orifice located in proximity to the distal gas exit orifice so that gas exiting from said distal gas exit orifice nebulizes a drug delivered from said distal drug delivery orifice. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A suction catheter for use with an endotracheal tube, said suction catheter sized to be received in a ventilation lumen of the endotracheal tube, said suction catheter having an aspiration lumen for removing mucous from the respiratory tract of an intubated patient, said suction catheter further including:
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a gas pressurization lumen extending through a wall of said suction catheter adjacent to said aspiration lumen;
a distal gas exit orifice communicating with said gas pressurization lumen, said distal gas exit orifice located at the distal end of said suction catheter;
a drug delivery lumen extending through the wall of said suction catheter adjacent to said aspiration lumen;
a distal drug delivery orifice communicating with said drug delivery channel, said distal drug delivery orifice located in proximity to the distal gas exit orifice so that gas exiting from said distal gas exit orifice nebulizes a drug delivered from said distal drug delivery orifice. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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63. A method of forming a catheter for nebulizing a liquid with a gas, the catheter having closely spaced distal orifices sized and spaced apart with low tolerances, comprising the steps of:
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providing a relatively large size multilumen extruded polymer tubing;
heating a portion of the tubing to a transition temperature of said tubing;
drawing down said portion of tubing to form a tapered section with a draw down ratio in the range between 2 to 1 and 20 to 1 such that the lumens are increasingly closely spaced in said tapered region; and
forming a plurality of orifices at a distal end of said tapered section, said plurality of orifices being sized to nebulize a liquid delivered through one of said lumens to form an aerosol with a gas delivered through another of said lumens. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification