Self-cleaning endotracheal tube apparatus

An apparatus for intratracheal ventilation of human or animal lungs comprising:

• an endotracheal tube for insertion into a human or animal trachea to a point above a human's or animal's lungs;
• a catheter positioned within said endotracheal tube, having proximal and distal ends;
• a source of humidified air flow connected to the proximal end of said catheter to provide humidified air flow through said catheter;
• means to entrain liquid droplets to said humidified air flow so that the air flow in said catheter consists of humidified air with entrained liquid droplets, said means to entrain including:
• a reservoir of sterile water;
• a pump for pumping water from said reservoir;
• and,
• a connector piece operably connected to said pump and said catheter for pumping water droplets into the humidified air passing through said catheter;
• and,
• a flow-reversing catheter tip affixed to the distal end of said catheter having an exit port directed away from a human's or animal's lungs.

A method for self-cleaning intratracheal ventilation of a human or animal comprising the steps of:

• selecting an endotracheal tube, with proximal and distal ends, which can comfortably be inserted into a human's or animal's trachea;
• selecting a catheter, with proximal and distal ends, to fit within said endotracheal tube;
• affixing a flow-reversing tip onto the distal end of said catheter which is capable of reversing the direction of air flow as the air exits said catheter;
• inserting both said endotracheal tube and said catheter into a human or animal's trachea until their distal ends reach a selected point above a human's or animal's lungs;
• attaching the proximal end of said catheter to source of humidified air into which liquid droplets are entrained, said liquid droplets being entrained in an amount sufficient to detectably dissolve mucus deposits on said catheter and within said endotracheal tube while not producing a significant accumulation of water in a human's or animal's lungs;
• and,
• infusing a mixture of humidified air and oxygen into a human's or animal's lungs through said catheter.