Method and apparatus for cleaning catheter lumens

A method for cleaning a lumen of a medical device adapted for introduction into a vas of the body of a patient, where said lumen has a diameter lying in the range of about 2.0 to about 3.2 millimeters, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a set of endoscope lumen cleaning devices, which set of lumen cleaning devices includes a plurality of members, each member of said set of said lumen cleaning devices including (a) an elongated, flexible shaft defining a brush end and a second end, and having a diameter which is less than about 1.8 millimeters and a length greater than about 110 centimeters, (b) a bristle brush affixed to said shaft at a location near said brush end of said lumen cleaning device, said bristles of said brush being radially disposed relative to said shaft, to provide a circumferential brushing surface, and (c) a swab surrounding said shaft at a location closer to said second end than said location of said brush is to said second end of said shaft, said swab being made from a material which is elastically deformable, (d) said bristles of said brush defining one of a plurality of discrete brush diameters in each of said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices, which plurality of discrete brush diameters range from about 2.0 to about 3.2 millimeters, (e) said swab of each of said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices having an outer diameter which is no less than said diameter of said one of said plurality of said discrete brush diameters;
• selecting from among said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices that one of said members in which said diameter of said brush is no less than the diameter of said lumen which is to be cleaned;
• brushing said lumen to be cleaned, by introducing into an end of said lumen to be cleaned the brush end of said one of said members, and passing said brush of said one of said members completely through said lumen at least once, so that said brush of said one of said members exits the remote end of said lumen, whereby large particles of matter tend to be removed from said lumen, but some film may remain at some locations within said lumen to be cleaned;
• swabbing said lumen to be cleaned, by introducing said swab of said lumen cleaning device into an end of said lumen to be cleaned, and passing said swab of said one of said members completely through said lumen to be cleaned at least once.

A method for cleaning a lumen of a medical device adapted for introduction into a vas of the body of a patient, where said lumen has a diameter lying in the range of about 2.0 to about 3.2 millimeters, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a set of endoscope lumen cleaning devices, which set of lumen cleaning devices includes a plurality of members, each member of said set of said lumen cleaning devices including (a) an elongated, flexible shaft defining a brush end and a swab end, and having a diameter which is less than about 1.8 millimeters and a length greater than about 110 centimeters, (b) a bristle brush affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said lumen cleaning device, said bristles of said brush being radially disposed relative to said shaft, to provide a circumferential brushing surface, and (c) a swab surrounding said shaft near said swab end of said lumen cleaning devices, said swab being made from a material which is elastically deformable, (d) said bristles of said brush defining one of a plurality of discrete brush diameters in each of said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices, which plurality of discrete brush diameters range from about 2.0 to about 3.2 millimeters, (e) said swab of each of said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices having an outer diameter which is equal to said one of said plurality of said discrete brush diameters;
• selecting from among said members of said set of lumen cleaning devices that one of said members in which said diameter of said brush is no less than the diameter of said lumen which is to be cleaned;
• brushing said lumen to be cleaned, by introducing into an end of said lumen to be cleaned the brush end of said one of said members, and passing said brush of said one of said members completely through said lumen at least once, so that said brush of said one of said members exits the remote end of said lumen;
• in conjunction with said step of brushing said lumen, introducing liquid cleansing material into said lumen, whereby said brushing step is performed in the presence of said cleansing material, whereby large particles of matter tend to be removed from said lumen, but some film may remain at some locations within said lumen to be cleaned;
• removing said brush end of said one of said members from said lumen to be cleaned;
• swabbing said lumen to be cleaned, by introducing into an end of said lumen to be cleaned said swab end of said lumen cleaning device, and passing said swab of said one of said members completely through said lumen to be cleaned at least once, so that said swab exits the remote end of said lumen;
• in conjunction with said step of swabbing said lumen, introducing liquid cleansing material into said lumen, whereby said swabbing step is performed in the presence of said cleansing material, whereby said film of matter tends to be removed from said lumen.

A cleaning device for a lumen of a catheter, said cleaning device comprising:

• a flexible shaft having a diameter no greater than about two millimeters, said shaft defining a brush end and a second end;
• a generally cylindrical brush affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said shaft, said cylindrical brush having a diameter lying between about 3 and 4 millimeters;
• and
• an elastomeric, generally cylindrical swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brush and said second end of said shaft, said swab having a diameter no smaller than said diameter of said brush.

A cleaning device for a lumen of a catheter, said cleaning device comprising:

• a flexible shaft having a diameter no greater than about two millimeters, said shaft defining a brush end and a second end;
• a plurality of generally cylindrical brushes affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said shaft, said cylindrical brushes having diameters lying between about 2 and 4.6 millimeters;
• and
• an elastomeric, generally cylindrical swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brushes and said second end of said shaft, which location may include said second end of said shaft, said swab having a maximum diameter no smaller than the diameter of that one of said brushes having the largest diameter.

A cleaning device for a lumen of a catheter, said cleaning device comprising:

• a flexible shaft having a diameter no greater than about two millimeters, said shaft defining a brush end, a second end, and an axis of elongation;
• a brush in the form of the frustum of a cone, said brush being affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said shaft, with the axis of said frustum substantially coincident with said axis of elongation, said brush having a smallest diameter of at least about 2 millimeters, and a largest diameter less than about 5 millimeters;
• and
• an elastomeric, generally cylindrical swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brush and said second end of said shaft, said swab having a diameter no smaller than said largest diameter of said brush.

A cleaning device for a lumen of a catheter, said cleaning device comprising:

• a flexible shaft having a diameter no greater than about two millimeters, said shaft defining a brush end, a second end, and an axis of elongation;
• a brush in the general form of a right circular cylinder, said brush being affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said shaft, with the axis of said cylinder substantially coincident with said axis of elongation, said brush having a diameter of about 4.1 millimeters;
• and
• an elastomeric, generally cylindrical swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brush and said second end of said shaft, said swab having a diameter no smaller than about 4.1 millimeters.

A cleaning device for a lumen of a catheter, said cleaning device comprising:

• a flexible shaft having a diameter no greater than about two millimeters, said shaft defining a brush end, a second end, and an axis of elongation;
• a brush in the general form of a right circular cylinder, said brush being affixed to said shaft near said brush end of said shaft, with the axis of said cylinder substantially coincident with said axis of elongation, said brush having a diameter of about 4.6 millimeters;
• and
• an elastomeric, generally cylindrical swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brush and said second end of said shaft, said swab having a diameter no smaller than about 4.6 millimeters.

A method for cleaning a lumen of a catheter, said method comprising the steps of:

• procuring a clean lumen cleaning device comprising a flexible shaft defining a brush end and a second end, said shaft being longer than said lumen, said brush end being fitted with a brush having at least a portion which has a diameter no less than the diameter of said lumen, and no greater than about 10% larger than said diameter of said lumen, said lumen cleaning device further including a swab affixed to said shaft at a location between said brush and said second end of said shaft, said swab having a diameter not less than said diameter of said portion of said brush;
• inserting said brush end of said lumen cleaning device into a first end of said lumen, and pushing said brush end of said lumen cleaning device through said lumen until it exits from the other side of said lumen;
• pulling on said brush end of said lumen cleaning device, to pull the entirety of said lumen cleaning device, including said swab, through said lumen;
• not reintroducing said brush into said lumen, to avoid reintroducing already-removed matter into said lumen;
• and
• if necessary, repeating said steps of procuring, inserting, pulling, and not reintroducing.