Tracheal Catheter With Suction Lumen Port in Close Proximity to the Cuff

• US 20110146691A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avent Incorporated (Avanos Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Burnett, Steven Ray, Baratian, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/207.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0434 Cuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0459 one cuff behind another
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0479 above the cuff, e.g. giving access to the upper trachea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0486 Multi-lumen tracheal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes have an inflatable cuff for sealing the trachea so that a patient may be ventilated through a respiratory lumen of the tube. As a result of sealing the trachea outside of the tube, liquids accumulate above the cuff. If these liquids are allowed to move into the lungs, they may cause ventilator acquired pneumonia (VAP). The liquids may be removed by suction applied to a suction lumen terminating in a port above the cuff, but suctioning can cause damage to the trachea if the tube is sucked up against the tracheal wall. A tracheal catheter having a unique method of attaching the balloon cuff is provided. The cuff is to attached so that an upper part (collar) of the cuff is used to cover the distal end of a suction lumen port. This allows the port to be located closer to the cuff and so provides more thorough liquid removal and reduces the possibility that the tube may suck itself onto the tracheal wall.

Claims

1. A tracheal catheter comprising:

a cannula having a respiratory lumen and a suction lumen and an inflatable cuff, the suction lumen terminating in a suction lumen port for proximal to the inflatable cuff to allow suctioning of the subglottic space external to the cannula while simultaneously enabling ventilation through the respiratory lumen;

said inflatable cuff having a proximal part attached to the cannula, overlaying a portion of the suction lumen port.

2. The tracheal catheter of claim 1 wherein said suction lumen has a plug distal to said suction lumen port, wherein said plug blocks said suction lumen.

3. The tracheal catheter of claim 1 wherein said proximal part is located at least partially in said suction lumen port, without obstructing the suction lumen proximal to said suction lumen port.

4. The tracheal catheter of claim 3 wherein said proximal part blocks the suction lumen distal to said suction lumen port.

5. The tracheal catheter of claim 3 wherein said suction lumen has a plug distal to said suction lumen port, wherein said plug blocks said suction lumen.

6. The tracheal catheter of claim 1 wherein the cuff is attached to said cannula with an adhesive.

7. The tracheal catheter of claim 6 wherein said adhesive is curable with ultra-violet light.

8. A method of attaching a cuff to a cannula having a suction lumen port comprising:

providing a cannula having a distal end, a proximal end, an inflatable cuff proximate to the distal end for sealing the trachea from the lungs at the subglottic region, and a respiratory lumen;

providing a suction lumen terminating in a suction lumen port located proximal to the cuff for suctioning a subglottic space external to the cannula while simultaneously enabling ventilation through the respiratory lumen;

attaching a proximal collar of said cuff to said cannula in a manner that overlays a distal portion of said suction lumen port.