Apparatus for ventilating and aspirating

A protective shield apparatus for allowing communication between a user located on a first side of a barrier and a catheter tube for use with said protective shield apparatus, said catheter tube located on a second side of said barrier across at least one channel dynamically locatable anywhere along a defined course of potential channel location through said barrier, comprising:

• a pliant barrier means defining a substantially discrete space;
• at least one releasably closed slit formed through said barrier means, said slit defining a course of travel along said barrier means;
• connector means for allowing communication across said at least one channel between a user and said catheter tube for use with said protective shield apparatus, said connector means including structure disposed through said at least one slit and being otherwise structured and arranged for slidable movement along said course, whereby to open a portion of said slit adjacent said connector means progressively in the direction of movement of said connector means while concurrently closing said slit following said connector means in the direction of movement;
• and
• closing means for releasably closing said slit along its entire length, said closing means comprising a backing member formed along each said edge of said slit, a bead formed along a first edge of said backing member and a groove formed along a second edge of said backing member to tightly receive said bead, thereby to prevent air flow through said slit.

A protective shield apparatus for allowing communication between a user located on a first side of a barrier an catheter tube for use with said protective shield apparatus, said catheter tube located on a second side of said barrier across at least one channel dynamically locatable anywhere along a defined course of potential channel location through said barrier, comprising:

• a pliant barrier means defining a substantially discrete space;
• at least one releasably closed slit formed through said barrier means, said slit defining a course of travel along said barrier means;
• closing means for releasably closing said slit along its entire length, said closing means comprising a bead formed along a first edge of said slit and a groove formed along a second edge of said slit to tightly receive said bead, thereby to prevent air flow through said slit;
• and
• connector means for allowing communication across said at least one channel between a user and said catheter tube for use with said protective shield apparatus, said connector means including structure disposed through said at least one slit and being otherwise structured and arranged for slidable movement along said course, whereby to open a portion of said slit adjacent said connector means progressively in the direction of movement of said connector means while concurrently closing said slit following said connector means in the direction of movement, the connector means including a slider member having legs straddling a portion of said closing means and a web interconnecting said legs, said legs converging at their respective opposite ends, whereby ,said ends function to hold the bead in the groove, and said legs diverging at a central portion of said slider member;
• a divider member between said legs at said central portion and shaped to separate the bead from the groove at said central portion;
• and a conduit means extending through said divider member and having a first end connected to the catheter tube inside the sheath and a second end projecting through the web of the slider member.