Mucus slurping endotracheal tube

• US 20060207602A1
• Filed: 03/15/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Government of The United States As Represented By Office of Technology Transfer, The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: Gov'T of The US As Represented By The Secretary of HHS NIH OFC of Technology Transfer
• Inventors: Kolobow, Theodor, Bassi, Gianluigi Li, Curto, Francesco
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/207.140
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0463 combined with suction tubes, catheters or the like; Outside connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0484 at the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter

Abstract

An endotracheal tube assembly (10) is disclosed which suctions away bacteria multiplying mucus before such mucus can accumulate on the inside walls of the endotracheal tube (14). In the preferred embodiment, one or more suctioning tubes (20, 21) are formed into the walls of an endotracheal tube so that they extend along length of the endotracheal tube. A plurality of mucus slurping holes (34) are then formed at or near the distal end of the endotracheal tube and connected to the suctioning tubes. In operation, suctioning through the mucus slurping holes is preferably performed intermittently during patient expiration. By timing this intermittent suctioning with patient expiration, the suctioning flow will be in the same direction as patient breathing. While the mucus slurper of the present invention has been found to be effective at keeping the inner walls of the endotracheal tube free of mucus deposits, it can nonetheless be combined with other cleaning and disinfectant techniques for greater assurance of cleanliness.

Claims

1. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube comprising:

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tube being connectable to a vacuum source from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube; and

,

said suctioning tube terminating at one or more distally or inwardly facing holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube.

2. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 1 further comprising a cap with a proximal end and a distal end wherein said proximal cap end has an annular space into which the distal end of said endotracheal tube is received and wherein said distal cap end is perforated with a plurality of holes.

3. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 2 wherein said distal cap end holes number between 2 and 8 and is each less than 1 millimeter in diameter.

4. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 2 wherein said suction tube terminates with a hole at the distal end of said endotracheal tube and an annular space gap is left between the distal end of said endotracheal tube and the distal end of said cap.

5. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 1 further comprising a balloon cuff and a balloon cuff inflation tube.

6. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube apparatus comprising:

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tube being connectable to a vacuum source from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube, said suctioning tube terminating at one or more holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube; and

electronic sensors and activators to time mucus suctioning to correspond with expiration of air through said endotracheal tube.

7. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube apparatus comprising:

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tube being connectable to a vacuum source from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube, said suctioning tube terminating at one or more holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube; and

a vial in said suctioning tube between said vacuum source and the proximal end of said endotracheal tube to accumulate suctioned mucus.

8. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube apparatus comprising:

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tube being connectable to a vacuum source from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube, said suctioning tube terminating at one or more holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube; and

a bactericidal film on the inside tubular wall of said endotracheal tube.

9. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube comprising:

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a plurality of suctioning tubes within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tubes being connectable to one or more vacuum sources from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube; and

,

each of said suctioning tubes terminating at a distally or inwardly facing hole located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube.

10. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 9 further comprising a balloon cuff and a balloon cuff inflation tube.

11. The mucus cleaning endotracheal tube of claim 9 wherein said suctioning tubes number between 2 and 8 and each of said suctioning tube termination holes is less than 1 millimeter in diameter.

12. A mucus cleaning endotracheal tube apparatus comprising

an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

a plurality of suctioning tubes within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

said suctioning tubes being connectable to one or more vacuum sources from the proximal end of said endotracheal tube, each of said suctioning tubes terminating at a hole located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube through which mucus can be suctioned before said mucus migrates up the inside walls of said endotracheal tube; and

electronic sensors and activators to time mucus suctioning to correspond with expiration of air through said endotracheal tube.

13. A method for suctioning away mucus from an endotracheal tube placed in the trachea of a human or animal before such mucus can accumulate on the inside walls of said endotracheal tube comprising the steps of:

selecting an endotracheal tube having tubular walls, a proximal end and a distal end;

forming a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

terminating said suctioning tube at one or more distally or inwardly facing holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube;

inserting said endotracheal tube into the trachea of a human or animal to a point above a human or animal'"'"'s lungs;

applying suction through said suctioning tube hole(s) to remove mucus before said mucus can migrate up past said hole(s) and onto the inside wall of said endotracheal tube.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein suction is applied through said suctioning tube for less than 1 second at a time.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of collecting suctioned mucus in a vial connected to said suctioning tube.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein a plurality of suctioning tubes are formed within the tubular walls of said endotracheal tube and each of said suctioning tubes terminates in a single hole located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein each of said suctioning tube holes is at the distal end of said endotracheal tube and faces toward the lungs of said human or animal.

14. A method for suctioning away mucus from an endotracheal tube placed in the trachea of a human or animal before such mucus can accumulate on the inside walls of said endotracheal tube comprising the steps of:

selecting an endotracheal tube having tubular walls a proximal end and a distal end;

forming a suctioning tube within said endotracheal tube walls extending from approximately said proximal end to approximately said distal end of said endotracheal tube;

terminating said suctioning tube at one or more holes located at or near the distal end of said endotracheal tube;

inserting said endotracheal tube into the trachea of a human or animal to a point above a human or animal'"'"'s lungs;

applying suction through said suctioning tube hole(s) to remove mucus before said mucus can migrate up past said hole(s) and onto the inside wall of said endotracheal tube; and

,

timing said suctioning to correspond to the expiration of air by said human or animal.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said suctioning is timed to correspond to air expiration by detecting a drop in the pressure of air supplied to said endotracheal tube, using such detected air pressure drop to intermittently open a valve which allows vacuum to be applied through said suctioning tube.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said valve is opened approximately once every thirty times a drop in air pressure is detected.