Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Aspiration collection container or trap
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-03
2001-12-04
Sykes, Angela D. (Department: 3762)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Aspiration collection container or trap
C604S317000, C206S514000, C220S781000, C128S202270, C128S912000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325785
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus used in the collection of sputum directly from a patient in a respiratory support system and more particularly to a sputum trap manifold that provides a convenient storage site for storing caps used to seal the connectors of the manifold. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sputum trap manifold that forms a nest adapted to conveniently store the caps prior to detachment of the sputum trap manifold from the respiratory support system.
2. Prior Art
Respiratory support systems used for the ventilation of critically ill patients are now commonly used in medical facilities. Typically, a prior art respiratory support system includes a tracheal tube positioned either directly, or through the nose or mouth, into the trachea of a patient, a manifold connected to the tracheal tube at one port positioned thereof, and a source of breathable gas connected at a second port thereof. The purpose of the respiratory support system is to assist the patient in maintaining adequate blood oxygenation levels without overtaxing the patients's heart and lungs.
While a patient is attached to the respiratory support system, it is periodically necessary to aspirate fluid from the patient's trachea or lungs. In the past, in order to accomplish aspiration, it has been necessary to disassemble part of the respiratory support system, either by removing the ventilator manifold therefrom or by opening a port of the manifold and inserting a small diameter suction tube down the tracheal tube and into the patient's trachea and lungs. However, there has been no solutions to the problem of sputum sample collection during aspiration, which also avoids the problem of respiratory support interruption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,195 to Kee is generally exemplary of the prior art sputum sample collection during the aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs without loss of respiratory support to the patient. The Kee device relates to an in-line sputum trap for a respiratory support system having a collection vial for receiving and storing a sputum specimen and a manifold that connects the sputum trap in fluid flow communication to a suction catheter used to aspirate a patient's trachea and lungs and a suction control valve which controls the flow of vacuum to the suction catheter. The sputum trap is designed for quick connect and disconnect with the suction catheter device and the suction control valve after having been used to collect a sputum sample from a patient. After collection of a sputum sample, the sputum trap is disconnected from the respiratory support system and the manifold is detached from the collection vial so that the collection vial can be sealed with a suitable cap for transportation. Unfortunately, a clinician removing the manifold from the collection vial may be inadvertently exposed to contaminates until the collection vial can be safely resealed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,860 to Nakao et al. is generally exemplary of a sputum trap device that includes a pair of tethered caps used for sealing the inlet and outlet of the sputum trap's manifold after disconnection from the respiratory support system, thereby removing the need to detach the manifold from the collection vial. However, the Nakao et al. device suffers from drawbacks. One drawback is that the sputum trap has no convenient storage site to store the tethered caps so that the caps do not interfere with the operation of the suction catheter during aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs. Another drawback is that there is no sanitary means provided in the Nakeo et al. device for preventing inadvertent contamination of the tethered caps by a clinician's hands during the aspiration procedure since the caps are permitted to freely dangle until used to seal the manifold's connectors.
As of yet, nothing in the prior art has addressed the problem of developing a nest or storage site on the body of the sputum trap manifold for conveniently storing in a sanitary environment a pair of tethered caps used to seal the inlet and outlet connectors of the sputum trap manifold. Moreover nothing in the prior art has addressed the need for developing a nest or storage site for nesting a pair of tethered caps so that the tethered caps do not interfere with the collection of a sputum specimen during aspiration of a patient's trachea and lungs.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principle object of the present invention is to provide a sputum trap manifold having a storage site for conveniently nesting end caps that are used to seal the connectors of the manifold after the collection of sputum from the patient.
Another object of the present invention is to provide sealing end caps that are specifically adapted for nesting one cap on top of the other in the storage site formed on the sputum trap manifold.
A further object of the present invention is to provide end caps that are adapted for nested storage as well as for sealing engagement to the connectors of the sputum trap manifold.
A further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved sputum trap manifold with sealing end caps which does not require the removal of the manifold in order to seal off the collection vial after use.
Another principle object of the present invention is to provide a safe and sanitary means of sealing off the sputum trap manifold after the collection of sputum from the patient.
Another further principle object of the present invention is to provide a method for nesting end caps on the body of the manifold.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method of capping the manifold connectors which minimizes the opportunity for contamination to the clinician by the manifold's connectors during the capping procedure.
These and other objects of the present invention are realized in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, described by way of example and not by way of limitation. The preferred embodiment provides for a sputum trap manifold having an integral nesting site for storing end caps used to seal the connectors of the manifold after the collection of sputum from the patient. The sputum trap manifold comprises a manifold body having two end connectors adapted for connection to a source of suction and a suction catheter, respectively, as well as an outlet for attachment to a collection vial. The manifold body serves to diverst and trap sputum being suctioned from the lungs of a patient and into the collection vial attached to the manifold. A nest is formed at the top portion of the manifold body for nesting two tethered end caps during sputum collection. Once aspiration of a patient's lungs is completed, the manifold is detached from the respiratory support system and the end caps are removed from the nest and sealably attached to the manifold's end connectors, thereby preventing the user from having to remove the manifold in order to reseal the collection vial and lessen exposure to contaminants from the collected sputum.
Finally, the present invention further includes a method for storing the end caps in the nest formed on the manifold and sealing the end connectors of a sputum trap manifold with the end caps without having to remove the manifold body from the collection vial. The method of nesting and sealing the end connectors of the sputum trap manifold comprises the steps of nesting one end cap over the other end cap in the nesting site after manufacturing, detaching the manifold's end connectors from the source of suction and suction catheter after the aspiration procedure has been completed, and removing the end caps from the manifold's nesting site. Once the end caps are removed, each end cap is sealingly attached to a respective end connector, thereby preventing the exposure of contaminants from collected sputum through the end connectors.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3987930 (1976-10-01), Fuson
patent: 5098410 (1992-03-01), Kerby et al.
Babkes Mitch
Ranford Alan B.
Yaeger Kurt E.
Bianco Patricia M.
Brown Rudnick Freed & Gesmer, PC
Leonardo, Esq. Mark S.
Sherwood Services AG
Sorell, Esq. Peter B.
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