Dual-purpose catheter

• US 4,595,005 A
• Filed: 02/08/1984
• Issued: 06/17/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ballard Medical Products (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Walter J. Jinotti
• Inventors: Jinotti, Walter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US06/577,986
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 128/205.24, 128/204.18, 128/207.16, 128/205.21, 128/204.25, 128/207.14, 128/207.15, 128/200.26, 604/32, 604/248, 604/118, 604/119, 604/DIG. 9, 604/33, 137/625.21, 137/625.24
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices

Abstract

A dual-purpose catheter for performing suction or oxygen feed on a patient including two cylindrical bodies rotatably coupled together and held together by a spring which is biased to hold the bodies in a first position with respect to each other but permits rotation to a second position. One body includes first and second tubes which can be coupled to a source of suction or a source of oxygen, and the other body includes means for receiving said tubes in a tight fit and tube means for coupling either suction or oxygen to the patient, depending on the rotation state of the two bodies with respect to each other.

Claims

1. A dual-purpose catheter comprising

a valve mechanism including a first end which is adapted to be coupled to a patient and a second end which is adapted to be coupled to a source of oxygen and a source of suction,

a suction tube and an oxygen tube extending from said second end of said valve mechanism and adapted to be connected to a source of suction and a source of oxygen, respectively,

a unitary two-part tube assembly including a first flexible tube and a second flexible tube coupled to the patient end of said valve mechanism, said first and second flexible tubes having patient ends remote from said valve mechanism,

said first and second tubes having flat wall portions along which said first and second tubes are secured together at the patient ends thereof, said wall portions of said first and second tubes facing each other and being parallel to each other,

said wall portions having first and second ends which are left and right ends, said left ends facing each other and said right ends facing each other,

means securing portions of said wall portions together but not securing together said wall portions at their facing left ends and right ends so that a space is present between the facing left ends and the facing right ends of said wall portions, the ends of said wall portions and the spaces between them forming generally U-shaped grooves,

said means comprising a thickening of said wall portions, said thickening being integral with said wall portions,

the ends of said wall portions and the spaces between the facing left and right ends thereof being able to engage and dislodge mucus which is present in the oral and tracheal passages of a patient when said unitary tube assembly is inserted into a patient, and

operating means in said valve mechanism for coupling together either said suction tube and one of said flexible tubes or said oxygen tube and the other flexible tube.

2. A dual purpose catheter comprising

a valve mechanism including a patient end and an inlet end for suction and oxygen and including

a first cylindrical body and a second cylindrical body coupled together so that they can rotate with respect to each other, said first body including a suction tube and an oxygen tube which extend from inside the body to outside the body for connection outisde the body, the suction tube being adapted to be connected to a source of suction and oxygen tube being adapted to be connected to a source of oxygen,

said second body including a rear wall having first and second holes which communicate with first and second tubes which extend away from the outer surface of said rear wall for coupling to a patient for either suction or oxygen feed, the portions of said oxygen and suction tubes inside said first body being adapted to form a tight fit with said first and second holes in said rear wall of said body and with said rear wall of said body, said oxygen and suction tubes extending up to and forming a tight fit with said rear wall,

the rear wall of said second body also including two auxiliary holes which go to air,

the parts of said valve mechanism being so arranged that, in operation thereof one or the other of said tubes forms a tight fit with said rear wall in alignment with its hole to couple either suction or oxygen to a patient through its hole, the tube which is not aligned with its hole being aligned with one of said auxiliary holes,

a spring coupled at its ends to each of said bodies to hold said two bodies together, and

finger operated means on said bodies for rotating said bodies to cause a selected alignment of either said suction tube with its hole or said oxygen tube with its hole.

3. The catheter defined in claim 2 and said spring biasis said first and second bodies so that said finger operating means are normally held apart.

4. The catheter defined in claim 3 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section.

5. The catheter defined in claim 3 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section and a flat wall portion, the flat wall portion of each tube comprising a diameter of the semi-circle defined by the tube, said first and second tubes being secured together along their flat wall portions.

6. The catheter defined in claim 3 wherein said tubes have different diameters.

7. The catheter defined in claim 3 wherein said tubes have different lengths and their outlet ends are offset from each other.

8. The appratus defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second tubes have different diameters.

9. A dual purpose catheter comprising

a valve mechanism including a patient end and an inlet end,

a suction tube connected to the inlet end of said valve mechanism,

an oxygen tube connected to the inlet end of said valve mechanism, and

a unitary, two-part including a first tube and a second tube connected to the patient end of said valve mechanism, said first and second tubes having free ends to be inserted into a patient, one for feeding oxygen and one for suction, each of said first and second tubes having a flat wall portion, the first and second tubes being secured together along their flat wall portions along portions of their lengths, beginning at their free ends,

said valve mechanism including first and second rotatable members, coupled together and rotatable with respect to each other,

said first member including a wall on the patient side of said valve mechanism, said wall having a suction hole, an oxygen hole and a pair of auxiliary holes with said suction tube being secured to the outer surface of said wall in alignment with said suction hole and said oxygen tube being secured to the outer surface of said wall in alignment with said oxygen hole,

said second member including an external suction tube for connection to a source of suction and an external oxygen tube for connection to a source of oxygen, an internal suction tube aligned with and communicating with said external suction tube and an internal oxygen tube aligned with and communicating with said internal oxygen tube, said internal suction tube and internal oxygen tube extending toward said wall of said first member and forming a tight fit with said wall, the parts being arranged so that, as said first and second members are rotated with respect to each other, either said internal oxygen tube is aligned with said oxygen hole and can feed oxygen to a patient or said internal suction tube is aligned with said suction hole and can feed suction to a patient, the internal tube which is not aligned with its hole being aligned with one of said auxiliary holes.

10. The catheter defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second tubes have different diameters to facilitate control of said two-part tube as it is inserted into a patient.

11. The catheter defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section.

12. The catheter defined in claim 9 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section, the flat wall portion of each tube comprising a diameter of the semi-circle defined by the tube.

13. The catheter defined in claim 9 wherein said tubes have different lengths and their outlet ends are offset from each other.

14. A dual-purpose catheter comprising

a valve mechanism including a patient end and an inlet end,

a suction tube connected to the inlet end of said valve mechanism,

an oxygen tube connected to the inlet end of said valve mechanism, and

a unitary two-part tube assembly including a first patient tube and a second patient tube connected to the patient end of said valve mechanism,

said first and second patient tubes each having a valve end coupled to said valve mechanism and a patient end remote from said valve mechanism,

said first and second tubes having different diameters,

said first and second tubes having, at their patient ends, flat wall portions along which they are secured together along a portion of their lengths at their patient ends, the different diameters of said first and second tubes permitting them to be controllable guided as they are inserted into a patient,

said valve mechanism including first and second rotatable members coupled together and rotatable with respect to each other,

said first member including a wall on the patient side of said valve mechanism, said wall having a suction hole, an oxygen hole and a pair auxiliary holes with said suction tube secured to the outer surface of said wall in alignment with said suction hole and said oxygen tube secured to the outer surface of said wall in alignment with said oxygen hole,

said second member including an external suction tube for connection to a source of suction and an external oxygen tube for connection to a source of oxygen, an internal suction tube aligned with and communicating with said external suction tube and an internal oxygen tube aligned with and communicating with said internal oxygen tube, said internal suction tube and internal oxygen tube extending toward said wall of said first member and forming a tight fit therewith and positioned so that, as said first and second members are rotated with respect to each other, either said internal oxygen tube is aligned with said oxygen hole and can feed oxygen to a patient or said internal suction tube is aligned with said suction hole and can feed suction to a patient, the internal suction or oxygen tube which is not aligned with its hole being aligned with one of said auxiliary holes.

15. The catheter defined in claim 14 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section.

16. The catheter defined in claim 14 wherein said first and second tubes have a semi-circular cross-section, the falt wall portion of each tube comprising a diameter of the semi-circle defined by the tube.

17. The catheter defined in claim 14 wherein said tubes have different diameters.

18. The catheter defined in claim 14 wherein said tubes have different lengths and their outlet ends are offset from each other.