Tracheal Catheter With a Flexible Lumen for Subglottic Suctioning

• US 20100147309A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Teixeira, Scott M., Robson, David, Cesa, Joseph A., Sleva, Michael, Cuevas, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US12/334,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20100147309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/207.140
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0431 with a cross-sectional shape other than circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0434 Cuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0463 combined with suction tubes, catheters or the like; Outside connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0465 Tracheostomy tubes; Devices for performing a tracheostomy; Accessories therefor, e.g. masks, filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0479 above the cuff, e.g. giving access to the upper trachea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0484 at the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0486 Multi-lumen tracheal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0497 Tube stabilizer

Abstract

There is provided a tracheal catheter designed so that a suction catheter may be used to suction out any secretions that accumulate in the zone above the balloon. There is further provided a tracheal catheter having a ventilation lumen with a flexible wall to provide a flexible lumen which takes up negligible volume when the catheter is not inserted. The suction catheter may be inserted into the flexible lumen, bending the flexible lumen wall that normally lies substantially flat against the ventilating lumen. As the suction catheter is inserted into the lumen, the lumen opens to accept it. When the catheter is removed, the wall of the flexible lumen moves back into position against the ventilating lumen wall, again taking up negligible volume. There is also provided a method of suctioning the subglottic space of an intubated patient. This involves providing a tube as described above, inserting a catheter into the flexible lumen from the proximal end, and providing suction to the proximal end of the catheter.

Claims

1. A tracheal catheter tube comprising:

a tube having ventilating lumen and having a proximal end and a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portion is adapted for insertion into a trachea;

an inflatable balloon surrounding the tube near the distal end of the tube, which balloon upon inflation blocks a remainder of the trachea;

means for inflating and deflating the balloon;

a flexible wall adjacent said ventilating lumen, said flexible wall defining a flexible lumen, said flexible lumen adapted to bend to allow insertion of a catheter into said flexible lumen;

said flexible lumen terminating near and proximal to said balloon and having an aperture on an outside surface of said tube;

wherein said flexible wall lies substantially flat against a wall of said ventilating lumen when said catheter is not present.

2. The tracheal catheter of claim 1, wherein said flexible lumen has a proximal termination near the proximal end of the tube and the catheter may be inserted into the flexible lumen at the proximal termination of said flexible lumen.

3. The tracheal catheter of claim 2 wherein said balloon is sized to be larger than a tracheal diameter when in a fully inflated state and being made of a sufficiently soft, flexible foil material that forms at least one draped fold in the cuffed balloon when fully inflated in the patient'"'"'s trachea, wherein the at least one draped fold formed has a capillary size which inhibits a free flow of secretions across the balloon by virtue of capillary forces formed within the fold

4. The tracheal catheter of claim 3 wherein the foil has a wall thickness below or equal to 25 microns.

5. The tracheal catheter of claim 1, wherein the tube is made in part from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and blends and mixtures thereof.

6. An endotracheal tube comprising:

a hollow ventilating tube having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end portion is adapted for insertion into the tracheal lumen through the oral cavity;

an inflatable sealing cuff surrounding the hollow tube towards the distal end of said tube, which cuff upon inflation expands to occlude the tracheal lumen outside the tube;

means for inflating and deflating the cuff;

a flexible wall within said hollow tube, said flexible wall defining a flexible lumen and adapted to bend to allow insertion of a suction catheter into said flexible lumen from the proximal end of said flexible lumen;

said flexible lumen terminating proximal to said balloon and having an aperture on an exterior surface of said hollow tube;

wherein said flexible wall lies substantially flat against an interior wall of said hollow tube when said suction catheter is not present.

7. The endotracheal tube of claim 6 wherein said suction catheter is enclosed within a plastic bag when not inserted into the flexible lumen.

8. The endotracheal tube of claim 6 wherein the tube is made in part from a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate and blends and mixtures thereof.

9. The endotracheal tube of claim 6 wherein said flexible wall has a thickness less than 1 mm.

10. The endotracheal tube of claim 6 further comprising a lubricious substance within said flexible lumen or on said suction catheter.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said catheter is inserted into said lumen intermittently.

11. A method of providing suction to the subglottic space of an intubated patient comprising the steps of;

providing a hollow tube having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end portion is arranged for insertion into the tracheal lumen, said tube having an inflatable sealing cuff with a thickness of 25 microns or less surrounding the hollow tube towards the distal end of said tube, which cuff upon inflation expands to occlude the tracheal lumen outside the tube, said tube further having a flexible wall adjacent said hollow tube, said flexible wall defining a flexible lumen and adapted to bend to allow insertion of a catheter into said lumen from the proximal end, said flexible lumen terminating proximal to said balloon and having an aperture on an exterior surface of said hollow tube so that secretions may be suctioned through said aperture, said flexible wall lying substantially flat against a wall of said hollow tube when said catheter is not present;

intubating a patient with said tube;

inserting a catheter into said flexible lumen from the proximal end;

applying suction to said catheter.