Catheter for cleaning of tracheal ventilation tubes

Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

• a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube;
• and a manifold, which:
• is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so as to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and
• comprises an obstruction element, which is (a) moveable with respect to (i) the ventilator port and (ii) the expandable element, and (b) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the obstruction element, at least during proximal withdrawal of the expandable element past the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element;
• and
• wherein the manifold is configured such that the proximal withdrawal of the expandable element, while the expandable element is expanded, automatically transitions the obstruction element out of the obstruction state.

Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

• a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube;
• and a manifold, which:
• is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so as to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and
• comprises an obstruction element, which is (a) moveable with respect to (i) the ventilator port and (ii) the expandable element, and (b) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the obstruction element, at least during proximal withdrawal of the expandable element past the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element;
• and
• wherein the obstruction element comprises a flap, which is disposed within the tubular chamber and is attached to the lateral wall of the tubular chamber, and
• wherein the manifold is configured such that when the flap is in the obstruction state, the flap covers the ventilator port and inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and the at least a portion of the proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element.

Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

• a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube;
• and a manifold, which:
• is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and
• comprises a flap which is (a) disposed within the tubular chamber, (b) attached to the lateral wall of the tubular chamber, and (c) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the flap covers the ventilator port and inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element.