Device with passive valve to block emesis and/or reflux and associated system and method
AssigneePneumoflex Systems, LLC
InventorsW. Robert Addington, Stuart P. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device to block emesis and/or reflux includes a tube insertable into the esophagus. A valve is carried by the tube and includes a flexible sheath having an upper edge secured onto the tube and an unsecured lower circumferential edge and configured such that upon contact with emesis and/or reflux from the stomach, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve.
Claims13
A system for diagnosing a physiological abnormality in a patient, comprising:
- a tube insertable into the esophagus;
- a valve carried by the tube and comprising a flexible sheath having an upper circumferential edge secured onto the tube and an unsecured lower circumferential edge and configured such that upon contact with emesis and/or reflux from the stomach, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve to protect a patient's airway during an involuntary reflex cough event;
- a port through which medication is delivered for administering the involuntary reflex cough event;
- a pressure sensor carried by the tube and configured to measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during the involuntary reflex cough event;
- an electromyogram (EMG) pad configured to obtain an EMG from involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles;
- and
- a processing device connected to the pressure sensor and the EMG pad and configured to receive the IAP and EMG and correlate the IAP and EMG with the involuntary reflex cough event to determine a physiological abnormality.
A method for diagnosing a physiological abnormality in a patient, comprising:
- inserting a tube into the esophagus and having a valve carried by the tube comprising a flexible sheath having an upper circumferential edge secured onto the tube and an unsecured lower circumferential edge and configured such that upon contact with emesis and/or reflux from the stomach, the flexible sheath opens in a concave configuration towards the stomach and the unsecured lower circumferential edge engages the esophageal wall and blocks emesis and/or reflux from the stomach passing into the esophagus past the valve to protect a patient's airway during an involuntary reflex cough event;
- administering a nebulized medication to the patient to activate the involuntary reflex cough event;
- obtaining an electromyogram (EMG) from involuntary cough activated paraspinal muscles;
- sensing intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during the involuntary reflex cough event from a sensor carried by the tube;
- and
- correlating, by a processing device, the EMG and IAP with the involuntary reflex cough event to determine a physiological abnormality.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.