Apparatus and method for acoustically guiding, positioning, and monitoring a tube within a body
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsGeorge R. Wodicka, Jeffrey P. Mansfield, William D. Voorhees
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is disclosed for acoustically guiding a distal end of a tube within a body. The apparatus and method generates an incident sound pulse in the tube which propagates into the body, detects sound pulses resulting from the incident sound pulse and from reflected sound pulses from within the body, and processes the detected sound pulses to guide insertion of the distal end of the tube within the body. The apparatus and method provides an indication of the position of the distal end of the tube within the body conduit, estimates dimensions of the body conduit adjacent the distal end of the tube, and determines if the tube is obstructed.
Claims25
An apparatus for acoustically guiding a distal end of a tube within a body, the apparatus comprising:
- a wave guide coupled to a proximal end of the tube;
- a mechanical ventilator;
- a valve movable from a first position to provide communication between the wave guide and the proximal end of the tube to a second position to provide communication between the mechanical ventilator and the proximal end of the tube;
- a speaker coupled to the wave guide for generating an incident sound pulse in the wave guide which propagates into the body;
- a microphone coupled to the wave guide between the speaker and the tube for detecting sound pulses moving past the microphone in the wave guide from the incident sound pulse and from reflected sound pulses from within the body;
- and
- means for processing the sound pulses detected by the microphone to guide insertion of the distal end of the tube within the body.
An apparatus for acoustically guiding a distal end of a tube within a body, the apparatus comprising:
- means coupled to a proximal end of the tube for generating an incident sound pulse in the tube which propagates into the body;
- a mechanical ventilator;
- a valve movable from a first position to provide communication between the generating means and the proximal end of the tube to a second position to provide communication between the mechanical ventilator and the proximal end of the tube;
- means for detecting sound pulses in the tube resulting from the incident sound pulse and from reflected sound pulses from within the body;
- and
- means for processing the detected sound pulses to guide insertion of the distal end of the tube within the body.
An apparatus for acoustically guiding placement of a distal end of an endotracheal tube within a respiratory system of a body including a trachea, a right primary bronchus, and a left primary bronchus, the apparatus comprising:
- a wave guide having a first end and a second end;
- a mechanical ventilator;
- a valve having a first inlet coupled to the first end of the wave guide and a second inlet coupled to the mechanical ventilator, the valve being movable from a first position to provide communication between the wave guide and the proximal end of the tube to a second position to provide communication between the mechanical ventilator and the proximal end of the tube;
- a speaker coupled to the wave guide for generating an incident sound pulse in the wave guide which propagates into the body when the valve is in its first position;
- a microphone coupled to the wave guide between the speaker and the first end of the wave guide for detecting sound pulses moving past the microphone in the wave guide from the incident sound pulse and reflected sound pulses from within the body;
- and
- means for processing the sound pulses detected by the microphone to guide proper positioning of the tube in the trachea.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.