Chest drainage systems and methods

A method for monitoring an air leak in a pleural cavity of a patient, the method being performed in a pleural drainage system, the pleural drainage system comprising:

• a drainage catheter defining a drainage lumen and at least one drainage opening configured to draw fluid into the drainage lumen from a pleural cavity;
• a suction system configured to apply suction to the drainage lumen in order to draw fluid into the drainage lumen through the at least one drainage opening;
• a fluid collector configured to receive fluid from the drainage lumen of the drainage catheter;
• a pressure sensor coupled to the suction system and configured to be positioned for sensing a pressure in the pleural cavity;
• a processor configured to receive a signal from the pressure sensor based on the sensed pressure in the pleural cavity;
• and
• a plurality of indicators coupled to the processor and configured to visually indicate a status corresponding to the sensed pressure in the pleural cavity to an operator,
• the method comprising:
• determining, based on the sensed pressure in the pleural cavity over time, a rate of pressure decay in the pleural cavity of the patient;
• correlating, via the processor, the rate of pressure decay to an associated air leak of the pleural cavity of the patient;
• and
• selectively activating, via the processor, the plurality of indicators such that:
• a first indicator of the plurality of indicators is activated when the associated air leak is within a first predefined range,
• a second indicator of the plurality of indicators is activated when the associated air leak is within a second predefined range, and
• a third indicator of the plurality of indicators is activated when the associated air leak is within a third predefined range.