Devices and methods related to medical tubes
AssigneeClearflow, Inc.
InventorsEdward M. Boyle, JR., Paul Molloy, Wayne A. Noda, Kenneth J. Chesnin, Al Diaz, Daniel Hyman, Jon D. Jacobson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive system for cleaning debris within a medical tube. The drive system includes a housing defining an interior and an elongated guide wire residing at least partially within the interior. A roller is disposed in said interior in frictional engagement with the guide wire, said roller being configured to rotate about an axis. The drive system also includes a motor operable to drive the roller in order to both advance or withdraw said guide wire via said frictional engagement therewith through said inlet.
Claims20
A drive system for cleaning debris within a medical tube, comprising:
- a housing defining an interior and including an inlet adapted to establish fluid communication between the medical tube and said interior;
- an elongated guide wire residing at least partially within the interior;
- a roller disposed in said interior in frictional engagement with the guide wire, said roller being configured to rotate about an axis;
- and
- a motor operable to drive the roller in order to both advance or withdraw said guide wire via said frictional engagement therewith through said inlet.
A drive system for cleaning debris within a medical tube, said drive system comprising:
- a housing defining a sterile interior and an inlet adapted to establish fluid communication with the medical tube;
- a guide-wire tube disposed at least partially within the interior, said guide-wire tube having a cutout formed therein;
- an elongated guide wire disposed within the guide-wire tube and being translatable therein;
- a roller housed within the interior and having a circumferential surface partially received within the guide-wire tube through said cutout, said roller being rotatable;
- and
- a motor disposed within the interior and operable to drive the roller in order to translatably advance and withdraw said guide wire through said inlet via engagement between the guide wire and the circumferential surface of said roller,
- said guide-wire tube having first and second sections, said first section extending linearly from within the interior, through a wall of said housing, to an exterior of the housing, said inlet being formed by an end of the guide-wire tube outside of said wall of said housing, and said second section being coiled such that the elongated wire is stored therein in a coiled configuration when withdrawn within said interior.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.