Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-01
2002-08-13
Nguyen, Anhtuan T. (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Treating material introduced into or removed from body...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06432083
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Elongated slender and generally flexible drainage tubes commonly are axially inserted into body cavities for removal of fluid therefrom (liquid gastric secretions, gases, etc.). Generally, a suction/fluid collection system is connected to the proximal end of the drainage tube to facilitate drainage. In medical or hospital settings, a drainage tube might be inserted via the nasal passage or mouth through the esophagus to extend into the stomach or intestines, operable to retrieve unwanted fluid contents therefrom; and such a fluid drainage device is commonly known as a nasogastric tube.
The importance of continuous operation of an inserted drainage (or a nasoquastic) tube cannot be over estimated, such as in a patient who is obtunded, with intestinal obstruction, or is post-operative; as inadequate removal of unwanted gastric fluids can result in pneumonia, intestinal distention, morbidity, gastric wall trauma and bleeding, or even death.
One conventional form of dual lumen drainage tube
10
is illustrated in
FIG. 1
herein, having a single exterior tube body
12
with wall structure that define dual lumens
14
,
16
(or separated axially extended side-by-side passages). The passage
14
may branch off of the main body
12
via tubing
18
to a proximal end fitting
20
having at least one opening serving as inlet opening to the lumen
14
. The passage
16
might extend to the proximal end of the main body, to a fitting
22
that presents outlet opening from lumen
16
. The lumens
14
,
16
are communicated together only via a small cross-over opening
24
in the tube wall structure at the distal tube end. The exterior tube wall adjacent its distal end has small holes
26
that open to the suction lumen
16
. The lumen passages
14
,
16
are of different cross-sectional areas: larger passage
16
serving as the suction or sump lumen and smaller passage
14
serving as the vent or makeup air lumen.
Suction/fluid collection system
28
(schematically illustrated only) can be connected via flexible transparent tubing
30
to the proximal end fitting
22
of the suction lumen. The opening in the makeup air lumen proximal end fitting
20
would be the atmospheric air, or could be contoured to accept a luer tip or the like for allowing easy connection via the inlet lumen
14
for syringe injection of fluids into the patient, or could provide for the connection of an antireflux valve (not shown).
After the distal end of the gastric tube
10
is axially inserted via the nose or mouth to position the side holes proximate the region within the patient to be drained, operation of the suction/fluid collection system
28
and reduced pressures in the suction lumen
16
would effectively withdraw proximate body fluids through the distal end tube side holes
26
and via the suction lumen
16
to the collection system; and the withdrawn fluids would also include atmospheric air inflowing via the makeup air vent lumen
14
and cross-over opening
24
. This continuous air and retrieved body fluid flow via the drainage or suction lumen
16
helps prevent blockage of the distal tube end side holes and trauma to the stomach wall from excessive suction, while removing the body fluids as needed.
However, blockage of either the distal tube end side holes
26
or the suction lumen
16
by the retrieved fluid contents will result in reduced or total stoppage of proper fluid removal. Thus, close regular monitoring of continued drainage system operation is required.
Current methods of monitoring gastric tube function are subjective and imprecise. One presently used monitoring technique is visual, observing through the typically transparent suction tubing
30
the movement therein of the retrieved fluids flowing away from the drainage tube
10
and toward the suction/fluid collection system
28
. This is not precise or reliable as: movement of a solidly filled tubing is difficult to perceive; the movement of fluid plugs might be slow or irregular; or a completely void tubing would be meaningless, as such could occur when there is no drainage flow (an acceptable situation) or when there is no air flow (not an acceptable situation). Also, detected fluid movement can be deceiving in that some minimal movement can occur in a poorly functioning tube. Another commonly used monitoring technique is audible, by having an attendant listen for whistling sounds of the makeup air flowing into the tubing opening of the makeup air lumen
14
. However, proximate noises can make this detection effort difficult and/or insensitive; while it further requires the special time consuming individual services of an attendant.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides for improved monitoring of the operation of a body fluid dual lumen drainage system.
Basic objects of this invention are to provide apparatus and method for accurately, economically, easily and reliably monitoring a dual lumen drainage system (such as with a nasogastric tube.
Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus and method for monitoring a dual lumen drainage system that is simple, inexpensive, effective continuously, easily observed, and further can be incorporated into most conventionally used existing dual lumen body cavity drainage systems.
Another object of the invention is to route atmospheric air needed for venting a dual lumen medical drainage tube through a sealed transparent vessel partially filled with a safe transparent liquid, such as water, whereby resulting air flow is as bubbles rising through the vessel liquid, easily visible for offering assurance of proper functioning of the drainage tube.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4648384 (1987-03-01), Schmukler
patent: 4650477 (1987-03-01), Johnson
patent: 4735606 (1988-04-01), Davison
Lam Ann Y
Lind Charles F.
MEDevices, Inc.
Nguyen Anhtuan T.
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