AIRWAY CLEANING AND VISUALIZATION
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems, methods, and devices for facilitating insertion of an endotracheal tube and/or for verifying the position of the endotracheal tube within an airway of a patient with respect to an anatomical landmark of a patient are disclosed. Systems, methods, and devices for facilitating removal of debris from the distal airways of a patient under direct visualization are also disclosed.
106 Citations
77 Claims
-
1-53. -53. (canceled)
-
54. A method of confirming proper positioning or placement of an endotracheal tube within a patient without requiring the use of a laryngoscope or bronchoscope and without disconnecting a patient from a ventilator, the method comprising:
-
coupling a visualization device to an endotracheal tube inserted within a patient using a coupling assembly; wherein the visualization device comprises; a visualization tube having a sealed distal end and an open proximal end; wherein the distal end comprises a window; and a scope retention assembly coupled to the coupling assembly; wherein the scope retention assembly comprises a stretchable elastomeric sleeve and a scope retention member attached to a proximal end of the elastomeric sleeve; inserting a visualization scope within the visualization tube of the visualization device, the visualization scope comprising a locking member; advancing the visualization device within the visualization tube until the distal end of the visualization device contacts the window of the visualization tube; stretching the elastomeric sleeve to a position such that a receiving feature of the scope retention member aligns with the locking member of the visualization scope; releasing the elastomeric sleeve, thereby exerting a static force on the visualization scope in the direction of the window at the distal end of the visualization tube; and confirming a position of the distal end of the endotracheal tube within the airway of the patient from images captured by the visualization scope. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
-
-
69. A method of providing visualized cleaning of endotracheal tubes and/or distal airways of a ventilated patient without disconnecting the patient from oxygen supply and without using a laryngoscope or bronchoscope, the method comprising:
-
inserting an endotracheal tube within a patient; coupling an endotracheal tube adapter to the endotracheal tube, the endotracheal tube adapter having multiple inlet ports; coupling an oxygen supply line to a first one of the multiple inlet ports; inserting a visualization device through a second one of the multiple inlet ports; confirming a position of the endotracheal tube within the patient using the visualization device; inserting an endotracheal tube cleaning device through the second one of the multiple inlet ports; wherein the endotracheal tube cleaning device comprises an elongate body, an expandable scaffold, a removal member and an actuation assembly; wherein the scaffold is positioned at a distal end portion of the elongate body, and wherein the removal member is coupled to the scaffold; mechanically actuating the scaffold using said actuation assembly to expand said scaffold from the collapsed position to an expanded position, thereby expanding the removal member to contact the biofilm; withdrawing the endotracheal tube cleaning device from said endotracheal tube while maintaining contact between the removal member and the biofilm to dislodge said biofilm, thereby collecting said dislodged biofilm within a portion of said endotracheal tube cleaning device; and removing said endotracheal cleaning device from the patient. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
-
Specification