MECHANICAL USER CONTROL OF FLUID INPUT MODULE

• US 20160193439A1
• Filed: 03/14/2016
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airway Medix S.A.
• Original Assignee: Airway Medix S.A.
• Inventors: ZACHAR, Oron, EINAV, Elad, YIGAL, Gil
• Granted Patent: US 10,328,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/76 Handpieces specially for suction-irrigation A61M1/774, aspiration tips A61M1/84
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/772 operating alternately
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/81 Piston pumps, e.g. syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0463 combined with suction tubes, catheters or the like; Outside connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0486 Multi-lumen tracheal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/10 Equipment for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/22 Valves or arrangement of valves A61M39/02, A61M39/0247, A61M39/16 take precedence; regulating valves in infusion systems A61M5/16881; in devices worn by the patient for the reception of urine, faeces, catamenial or other discharge, or in colostomy devices A61F5/4405

Abstract

A cleaning catheter includes an inflatable element expandable into contact with an inner surface of a ventilation tube. An input module includes a flow regulator, which is shaped so as to define a suction port coupleable in fluid communication with a suction source, and a fluid port coupled in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source. A mechanical user control element is configured to mechanically and non-electrically set at least base and inflation/suction activation states of the flow regulator. When in the inflation/suction activation state, the flow regulator effects fluid communication between the suction port and a distal suction orifice, and effects inflation of the inflatable element by fluid communication between the fluid port and the inflatable element via a fluid-delivery lumen. The mechanical user control element includes one or more user-interface elements, a single one of which is arranged to set the flow regulator in the inflation/suction activation state.

Claims

1-152. -152. (canceled)

153. Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a suction source, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a cleaning catheter, which is insertable into the ventilation tube, and which comprises;

(i) an elongate, flexible, tubular main body;

(ii) an inflatable element, which is mounted to the main body and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the ventilation tube;

(iii) a distal suction orifice at a distal portion of the cleaning catheter;

(iv) a suction lumen arranged along the main body in fluid communication with the distal suction orifice; and

(v) a fluid-delivery lumen arranged along the main body in fluid communication with an interior of the inflatable element;

(b) a pressurized fluid source; and

(c) an input module, which is coupled to the cleaning catheter, and which comprises;

(i) a flow regulator, which is (A) shaped so as to define a suction port coupleable in fluid communication with the suction source, and a fluid port coupled in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid source, and (B) configured to assume at least a base activation state and an inflation/suction activation state; and

(ii) a mechanical user control element, which is configured to mechanically and non-electrically set the activation states of the flow regulator,

wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the inflation/suction activation state, to (a) effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen, and (b) effect inflation of the inflatable element by fluid communication between the fluid port and the inflatable element via the fluid-delivery lumen, and

wherein the mechanical user control element comprises one or more user-interface elements, a single one of which is arranged to set the flow regulator in the inflation/suction activation state to activate both the suction and the inflation of the inflatable element.

154. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base activation state, not to effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen.

155. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base state, not to effect the inflation of the inflatable element.

156. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the flow regulator is configured:

when in the base activation state, not to effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen, and

when in the base state, not to effect the inflation of the inflatable element.

157. The apparatus according to claim 156, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base activation state, to effect fluid communication between the suction port and the interior of the inflatable element, thereby deflating the inflatable element.

158. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is a handle.

159. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is a button.

160. The apparatus according to claim 153,

wherein the one or more user-interface elements comprise first and second buttons,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is the first button, and

wherein the mechanical user control element further comprises a button joining element, which is fixed to the first button, and arranged such that depression of the first button causes simultaneous depression of the second button.

161. The apparatus according to claim 160, wherein the button joining element and the first button are arranged such that depression of the button joining element depresses the first button.

162. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the flow regulator is configured to additionally assume a suction activation state, in which the flow regulator (a) effects the fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen, and (b) does not effect the inflation of the inflatable element.

163. The apparatus according to claim 162,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is configured (a) to assume at least first, second, and third spatial positions, and (b) to transition between the first and the third spatial positions via the second spatial position, and

wherein the input module is configured such that:

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the first spatial position, the flow regulator is in the base activation state,

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the second spatial position, the flow regulator is in the suction activation state, and

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the third spatial position, the flow regulator is in the inflation/suction activation state.

164. The apparatus according to claim 163, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base activation state, not to effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen.

165. The apparatus according to claim 163,

wherein the one or more user-interface elements comprise first and second buttons,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is the first button, and

wherein the mechanical user control element further comprises a button joining element, which is fixed to the first button, and arranged such that (a) depression of the first button from the first spatial to the second spatial position does not also depress the second button, and (b) further depression of the first button from the second spatial position to the third spatial position causes simultaneous depression of the second button.

166. The apparatus according to claim 165, wherein the button joining element and the first button are arranged such that depression of the button joining element depresses the first button.

167. The apparatus according to claim 153,

wherein the input module comprises (a) a fluids switch that regulates fluid delivery, and (b) a suction switch that regulates suction, and

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is configured to simultaneously control both the fluids switch and the suction switch.

168. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the input module further comprises an elastic return force element, which sets a resting, default state of the flow regulator to be the base activation state.

169. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the pressurized fluid source comprises a syringe.

170. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the suction port comprises a male conical interface.

171. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the fluid port comprises a Luer-Lok interface.

172. The apparatus according to claim 153,

wherein the main body comprises a proximal-most input portion, which is inserted into and axially slidable with respect to the input module, and

wherein the input module is configured such that changes in a configuration of the mechanical user control element cause corresponding changes in axial position of the input portion of the main body with respect to the input module.

173. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the pressurized fluid source provides a fluid that comprises a liquid.

174. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the pressurized fluid source provides a fluid that comprise a gas.

175. The apparatus according to claim 153, wherein the flow regulator is configured such that only the single one of the user-interface elements sets the activation states of the flow regulator.

176. A method for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a suction source, the method comprising:

coupling, in fluid communication with the suction source, a suction port of a flow regulator of an input module, wherein the flow regulator is (a) shaped so as to define a fluid port coupled in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source, and (b) configured to assume at least a base activation state and an inflation/suction activation state;

inserting a cleaning catheter into the ventilation tube inserted in a trachea of a patient, wherein the cleaning catheter is coupled to the input module and includes (a) an elongate, flexible, tubular main body, (b) an inflatable element, which is mounted to the main body and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the ventilation tube, (c) distal suction orifice at a distal portion of the cleaning catheter, (d) a suction lumen arranged along the main body in fluid communication with the distal suction orifice, and (e) a fluid-delivery lumen arranged along the main body in fluid communication with an interior of the inflatable element, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the inflation/suction activation state, to (a) effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen, and (b) effect inflation of the inflatable element by fluid communication between the fluid port and the inflatable element via the fluid-delivery lumen; and

activating a single one of one or more mechanical user-interface elements of a mechanical user control element to set the flow regulator in the inflation/suction activation state to activate both the suction and the inflation of the inflatable element, wherein the mechanical user control element is configured to mechanically and non-electrically set the activation states of the flow regulator.

177. The method according to claim 176, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base activation state, not to effect fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen.

178. The method according to claim 176, wherein the flow regulator is configured, when in the base state, not to effect the inflation of the inflatable element.

179. The method according to claim 176, wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is a handle.

180. The method according to claim 176, wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is a button.

181. The method according to claim 176,

wherein the one or more user-interface elements comprise first and second buttons,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is the first button, and

wherein the mechanical user control element further comprises a button joining element, which is fixed to the first button, and arranged such that depression of the first button causes simultaneous depression of the second button.

182. The method according to claim 181, wherein the button joining element and the first button are arranged such that depression of the button joining element depresses the first button.

183. The method according to claim 176, wherein the flow regulator is configured to additionally assume a suction activation state, in which the flow regulator (a) effects the fluid communication between the suction port and the suction lumen, and (b) does not effect the inflation of the inflatable element.

184. The method according to claim 183,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is configured (a) to assume at least first, second, and third spatial positions, and (b) to transition between the first and the third spatial positions via the second spatial position, and

wherein the input module is configured such that:

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the first spatial position, the flow regulator is in the base activation state,

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the second spatial position, the flow regulator is in the suction activation state, and

when the single one of the user-interface elements is in the third spatial position, the flow regulator is in the inflation/suction activation state.

185. The method according to claim 184,

wherein the one or more user-interface elements comprise first and second buttons,

wherein the single one of the user-interface elements is the first button, and

wherein the mechanical user control element further comprises a button joining element, which is fixed to the first button, and arranged such that (a) depression of the first button from the first spatial to the second spatial position does not also depress the second button, and (b) further depression of the first button from the second spatial position to the third spatial position causes simultaneous depression of the second button.

186. The method according to claim 185, wherein the button joining element and the first button are arranged such that depression of the button joining element depresses the first button.

187. The method according to claim 176, wherein the pressurized fluid source includes a syringe.

188. The method according to claim 176, wherein the flow regulator is configured such that only the single one of the user-interface elements sets the activation states of the flow regulator.