Chest tube insertion sheath

A chest tube insertion sheath apparatus for inserting a chest tube into a pleural space in a chest cavity of a patient, comprising:

• a chest tube insertion sheath oriented about a curvilinear axis, the chest tube insertion sheath including a rigid sheath body and having a distal end and a proximal end;
• a lumen defined axially along the curvilinear axis through the chest tube insertion sheath from the distal end to the proximal end, the lumen including a distal end opening at the distal end and a proximal end opening at the proximal end, wherein the lumen is open from the distal end opening to the proximal end opening;
• and a chest tube positioned through the chest tube insertion sheath between the proximal end opening and the distal end opening, wherein the chest tube comprises a distal tube end extending from the distal end of the chest tube insertion sheath, first and second handles disposed on the proximal end of the chest tube insertion sheath and a tapered tube clamp at the distal end of the sheath body, the tube clamp including a plurality of clamp tabs in spaced relation to each other, separated by a clamp tab gap and angled radially inward toward the distal end opening, wherein the distal end opening has a first diameter when the plurality of clamp tabs are in a non-flexed position and a second diameter when the plurality of clamp tabs are in a flexed position and wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

A method of inserting a chest tube into pleural space in a chest cavity of a patient, comprising:

• providing a chest tube having a distal tube end;
• making an incision in a chest of the patient;
• inserting a chest tube insertion sheath through the incision and through an intercostal space between ribs of the patient into the pleural space in the chest cavity of the patient, the chest tube insertion sheath comprising a rigid sheath body oriented along a curvilinear axis and having a curvilinear shape, the chest tube insertion sheath having a distal end, a proximal end and a lumen defined axially through the sheath body from the distal end to the proximal end of the sheath body along the curvilinear axis;
• and a tapered tube clamp at the distal end of the sheath body, the tube clamp including a plurality of clamp tabs in spaced relation to each other, separated by a clamp tab gap and angled radially inward toward the distal end opening, wherein the distal end opening has a first diameter when the plurality of clamp tabs are in a non-flexed position and a second diameter when the plurality of clamp tabs are in a flexed position and wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter;
• positioning the distal end of the chest tube insertion sheath in the pleural space in the chest cavity by rotating the rigid and curved sheath body relative to the patient such that the curvilinear shape of the sheath body forces the distal end of the sheath body to a desired location in the pleural space in the chest cavity;
• inserting the chest tube through the chest tube insertion sheath via the lumen in the sheath body such that the distal tube end of the chest tube extends from the distal end of the sheath body into the pleural space in the chest cavity at the desired location;
• and removing the chest tube insertion sheath from the chest of the patient by splitting the sheath body into separate pieces while the distal tube end of the chest tube remains at the desired location in the pleural space in the chest cavity of the patient.