Intercostal pump
OwnerMartin Mayse, Ryan Smith +1inventors
InventorsMartin Mayse, Ryan Smith, Chris Butts
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Abstract
An intercostal-pump based fluid management system, as described herein, comprises an intercostal pump that is, generally, a resiliently flexible bulb having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is attached to a first tube that extends from the intercostal pump to a first area of a patient's body, for example, the patient's pleural cavity. The outlet is connected to a second tube that extends from the intercostal pump to a second area of a patient's body, for example, the patient's peritoneal cavity. In use, the intercostal pump is placed between a first rib and a second rib in a patient. The intercostal pump operates by being successively compressed and decompressed between the first and second ribs as the patient breaths.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- implanting in an intercostal space of a person an intercostal pump such that the intercostal pump may be compressed between a first rib of the person and a second rib of the person, the intercostal pump comprising an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- establishing fluid communication (a) between a pleural cavity of the person's body and the inlet with a first tube and (b) between the outlet and a peritoneal cavity of the person's body with a second tube.
A method comprising:
- implanting in an intercostal space of a person an intercostal pump such that the intercostal pump may be compressed between a first rib of the person and a second rib of the person, the intercostal pump comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the intercostal pump comprises silicone, and wherein the first tube comprises at least one fluid-inlet perforation along its surface;
- and
- establishing fluid communication (a) between a pleural cavity of the person's body and the inlet with a first tube and (b) between the outlet and a peritoneal cavity of the person's body with a second tube.
A method comprising:
- implanting in an intercostal space of a person an intercostal pump such that the intercostal pump may be compressed between a first rib of the person and a second rib of the person, the intercostal pump comprising an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- establishing fluid communication between (a) a pleural cavity of the person's body and the inlet with a first tube and (b) between the outlet and a peritoneal cavity of the person's body with a second tube, wherein implanting in the intercostal space of the person the intercostal pump comprises implanting the intercostal pump such that (a) the inlet and the first tube are each at least partially disposed on the interior of a rib cage of the person's body and (b) the outlet and the second tube are at least partially disposed on the exterior of a rib cage of the person's body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.