Concealed, sealed combination system of bronchoscope and artificial airway breathing circuit

Abstract

This invention discloses a concealed, sealed combination system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit. The combination system includes an artificial airway breathing tube and a bronchoscope, the artificial airway breathing tube including an inspiratory circuit and an expiratory circuit connected by a connecting tube. The bronchoscope includes a handle portion and an insertion portion connected to the handle portion. The handle portion of the bronchoscope surrounds a portion of the expiratory circuit. This invention modifies the structure of conventional breathing circuits and disposable bronchoscopes, concealing the bronchoscope insertion portion within a portion of the retractable breathing circuit, allowing the bronchoscope insertion portion to advance or retract in a sealed state by extension, and cleverly positioning the functional components of the bronchoscope handle to surround the surface of the breathing circuit, organically combining the functions of the bronchoscope handle and the breathing circuit, and simultaneously cleaning the tube connection port to maintain the cleanliness and openness of the bronchoscope, thereby extending the service life of the bronchoscope from a single use to about 1-2 cycles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a concealed and sealed combined system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit, belonging to the technical field of medical devices.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, patients who establish an artificial airway are divided into two types: patients with respiratory diseases and patients without respiratory diseases. For the former, airway secretions may increase, and for the latter, due to factors such as cough restriction, secretions on the airbag, reflux, and aspiration, secretions in the airway also increase. In both cases, suction and removal are necessary to prevent the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia. These patients need to perform airway suction 10 to 20 times a day and regular bronchoscopic examinations and suction to effectively purify the airway, reduce the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, and assist in treatment. In conventional airway suction, two types of suction catheters, namely ordinary type and sealed type, are used, and both aspirate sputum by blind suction. The sealed suction catheter adopts a sealed operation to reduce the possibility of infection, but has a short service life and complex components. These two blind suction methods for sputum cannot directly visualize the airway, and the suction range is limited to the trachea and artificial airway, and does not reach the left and right main bronchi and branches. Therefore, both are inefficient, easily damage the airway mucosa, induce a series of adverse physiological reactions, and may worsen the condition in severe cases.

[0003] Airway management is crucial for patients with artificial airways, and the most effective method is one based on visualization and manipulation. Regular bronchoscopic examinations, alveolar infusion lavage, sputum suction, and interventional therapies are the most effective and reliable methods. Bronchoscopes are divided into two types: reusable and disposable. Reusable bronchoscopes offer strong performance, require no consumables, can be disinfected repeatedly, and have a low single-use cost. However, they carry the risk of contamination from disinfection and have high host costs, leading to a decline in their use in the ICU. On the other hand, disposable bronchoscopes are becoming more widely used, overcoming the contamination risk and high host costs of reusable bronchoscopes. However, their high single-use cost severely limits their widespread use. In some patients with excessive airway secretions, multiple bronchoscopies are required within a 24-hour period, significantly increasing the daily usage cost. This also limits the use of bronchoscopes, impacting airway management and increasing the incidence of respiratory-associated pneumonia. Therefore, the main contradiction in airway management in the ICU today is that the cost and convenience of disposable bronchoscopes limit their dynamic monitoring and on-demand use. As a result, many hospitals worldwide may reuse disposable bronchoscopes after disinfection, which not only violates standard medical practices but also carries a high risk of infection.

[0004] Therefore, the cost and convenience of single-use bronchoscopy procedures are key factors limiting the rational, dynamic, and demand-driven use of disposable bronchoscopes, and are also central to the visualization and management of the airway. Since clinicians are currently struggling with related issues, there is a need to develop products and solutions to address these problems. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the technical challenge of improving the prognosis of critically ill patients by transforming the management of artificial airways from a low-efficiency method mainly based on blind suctioning to a high-efficiency method that is continuous, convenient, visualized, and low-cost, thereby comprehensively disseminating and improving the level of airway management. To this end, it provides a concealed, sealed combination system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the objective of solving the above technical problems, the concealed, sealed combination system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit according to the present invention includes an artificial airway breathing tube and a bronchoscope, wherein the artificial airway breathing tube includes an inspiratory circuit and an expiratory circuit connected by a connecting tube. The exhalation circuit includes, sequentially connected in series, an extendable front bellows, a standard breathing circuit tube equipped with a bronchoscope handle, and an extendable rear bellows, wherein the extendable front bellows is connected to the connecting tube, and the extendable front bellows is provided with an upward water injection passage and a downward drainage passage, respectively. The bronchoscope includes a handle portion and an insertion portion connected to the handle portion, one end of the insertion portion being connected to the handle portion and the other end being a curved portion, with a camera lens, an LED light source, and a work passage provided at the tip of the curved portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the expandable front bellows, passes through the connecting pipe, and is configured such that the curved portion extends from the connecting pipe after the insertion portion advances due to the contraction of the expandable front bellows. The handle portion includes a housing with a diameter larger than that of a standard breathing circuit tube that surrounds the standard breathing circuit tube externally, a bronchoscope bending direction control member provided inside the housing, a bronchoscope bending direction control handle connected to the housing by a handle cover and having its operating end exposed, and handle portion functional components.

[0007] Preferably, the retractable front bellows and the connecting tube, the retractable front bellows and the standard breathing circuit tube, and the standard breathing circuit tube and the retractable rear bellows are all detachably connected.

[0008] More preferably, the removable connection is a connection by a rotatable coupling joint.

[0009] Preferably, both the water injection passage and the drainage passage are provided with a control valve and a sealing cap to close the passage opening.

[0010] Preferably, the housing includes an openable upper handle housing and a lower handle housing, and the bronchoscope curvature direction control handle is connected to the upper handle housing by a handle cover, with its operating end exposed.

[0011] Preferably, a tip conduit partition connecting member is provided between the expandable front end bellows and the standard breathing circuit tube, the tip conduit partition connecting member is provided with a position limiting hole, and the insertion portion is inserted through the position limiting hole.

[0012] Preferably, an electronic control module including electrically connected power / video signal lines and a power conversion / video processing chip is further provided inside the housing of the handle portion and outside the standard breathing circuit tube. The handle portion is further provided with a negative pressure suction line, a negative pressure control button connected to the negative pressure suction line and electrically connected to the electronic control module, and a power / video signal connector with integrated electrical connection wires (the connector is used for connection to the host). The negative pressure suction conduit has one end connected to the insertion portion and a negative pressure suction joint provided at the other end, the negative pressure suction conduit passes through the inside of the handle portion, and the negative pressure suction joint is exposed from the housing of the handle portion.

[0013] Preferably, at the connection point between the insertion portion and the negative pressure suction line, a work passage is further provided, which is connected to the insertion portion and the negative pressure suction line, respectively, by the connecting pipe.

[0014] Preferably, a rear end conduit partition connecting member is provided between the standard breathing circuit tube and the expandable rear end bellows, each having position-restricting holes for inserting the negative pressure suction conduit and the power / video signal connector, respectively, and the negative pressure suction conduit and the power / video signal connector are inserted into the position-restricting holes of the rear end conduit partition connecting member, respectively, so that the connectors are exposed.

[0015] Preferably, the negative pressure control button is connected to the lower handle housing by a button cover, with its operating end exposed, and the work passage is connected to the lower handle housing by a bushing, the bushing being provided with a cap to close the opening of the work passage.

[0016] Preferably, the standard breathing circuit tube is a non-stretchable tube. and / or the expandable front end bellows includes at least one portion of expandable bellows.

[0017] Preferably, the expandable front end bellows includes two expandable bellows that are fixedly connected or detachably connected.

[0018] More preferably, the expandable front end bellows includes two expandable bellows sections connected by a rotatable coupling joint. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] Compared to the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0020] (1) The concealed and sealed combined system of the bronchoscope and the breathing circuit according to the present invention changes the structure based on the conventional breathing circuit and the disposable bronchoscope. A part of the telescopic breathing circuit hides the bronchoscope insertion part therein, and the telescopic movement advances or retreats the bronchoscope insertion part in the sealed case. Also, the assembly of the handle of the bronchoscope is skillfully wound around the surface of the pipeline of the breathing circuit, organically combining the functions of the handle of the bronchoscope and the breathing circuit. At the same time, the pipeline connection port can be cleaned to maintain the cleanliness and patency of the bronchoscope. In this way, the service life of the bronchoscope can be extended from single use to about 1-2 weeks.

[0021] (2) The present invention organically integrates the breathing circuit and the bronchoscope into one, making the operation of the bronchoscope very convenient. The operation method is of the sealed type, which can realize the dynamic visualization management of the whole process of the artificial airway. A connection port is provided in the system pipeline, and the bronchoscope insertion part can be cleaned. At the same time, by performing negative pressure suction, the cleanliness and patency of the bronchoscope can be maintained, the normal function of the bronchoscope can be maintained, the service life of the bronchoscope can be extended, and the usage cost of a single operation of the bronchoscope can be significantly reduced.

[0022] (3) According to the system of the present invention, the management of the artificial airway is converted from a low-efficiency method mainly based on blind suction to a continuous, convenient, high-efficiency, visual and low-cost method. By comprehensively improving the airway management level, cross-infection can be avoided, the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia can be reduced, and finally the prognosis of critically ill patients can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is an overall schematic configuration diagram of the concealed and sealed combined system of the bronchoscope and the artificial airway breathing circuit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the combined system of the present invention in the normal unused state (A) and the used state (B). [Figure 3] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the connection between the bronchoscope and the joint. [Figure 4] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the bronchoscope. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the connecting pipe configuration. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a rotatable coupling joint. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the handle and the exhalation circuit. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the handle assembly. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram of the handle section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] To make the present invention easier to understand, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0025] (Examples) The concealed, sealed combination system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit according to this embodiment includes an artificial airway tube 1 and a bronchoscope 2, as shown in Figures 1 to 9. The artificial airway tube 1 includes an inspiratory circuit 4 and an expiratory circuit 5 connected by a connecting tube 3. The bronchoscope includes a handle portion 2-1 and an insertion portion 2-2 connected to the handle portion. One end of the insertion portion 2-2 is connected to the handle portion 2-1, and the other end is a curved portion 2-3. The direction of the curved portion is adjustable, and specifically it is a multi-joint curved member, which is inserted into the human trachea to perform tracheal examination and visualized sputum suction. A camera lens, LED light source, and work passage are provided at the tip of the curved section 2-3 (the present invention does not modify the structure and configuration of the curved section, and refers to the structure and configuration of the curved section of a conventional bronchoscope), and the exhalation circuit 5 includes, sequentially connected in series, an extendable front end bellows 5-1, a standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 located in the middle section with the bronchoscope handle (the standard breathing circuit tube is a non-extendable conduit and is designed according to a conventional standard breathing circuit), and an extendable rear end bellows 5-3, the first extendable bellows 5-1 is connected to the connecting tube 3, and the connection method is detachable The connection is such that the handle portion 2-1 of the bronchoscope includes a housing, a bronchoscope bending direction control member (including a bronchoscope bending direction control string fixing member 2-14, a bronchoscope bending direction control string 2-15, and a bronchoscope bending direction control wheel 2-16), a bronchoscope bending direction control handle 2-4, and handle portion functional components, the housing is fitted outside the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 (i.e., the diameter of the housing is larger than the standard breathing circuit tube and surrounds the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 externally), the bronchoscope bending direction control member is provided inside the housing, and the bronchoscope The bronchoscope curvature direction control handle 2-4 is connected to the housing by a handle cover 2-18, that is, the bronchoscope curvature direction control handle 2-4 is drilled into the housing by the handle cover 2-18, its operating end is exposed, and the direction of the curvature section 2-3 of the bronchoscope can be easily adjusted (curvature angle adjustment) by sliding operation. The housing specifically includes an openable and closable upper handle housing 2-5 and a lower handle housing 2-6, and the bronchoscope curvature direction control handle 2-4 is drilled into the upper handle housing 2-5 for easy operation.The insertion section 2-2 of the bronchoscope is inserted into the retractable front end bellows 5-1, extends into the connecting tube 3, and advances toward the trachea as the retractable front end bellows 5-1 contracts, and is inserted into the trachea to operate. The handle section functional components include functional components specific to the handle section of the bronchoscope, such as an electronic control module, power / video signal lines 2-7, power conversion / video processing chip 2-8, negative pressure suction line 2-9, negative pressure control button 2-10, and working passage 2-11.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the retractable front bellows 5-1, the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2, and the retractable rear bellows 5-3 are detachably connected. Specifically, in this embodiment, the retractable front bellows 5-1 and the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 are connected by a first rotatable coupling joint 5-4, and the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 and the retractable rear bellows 5-3 are connected by a second rotatable coupling joint 5-5. The direction of the handle can be adjusted by rotating the rotatable coupling joint, thereby adjusting the direction of the bronchoscope curvature 2-3. Furthermore, by using the curvature direction control handle 2-4 in combination, not only can the angle be adjusted by the curvature direction control handle 2-4, but the circumferential direction can also be adjusted by rotating the handle, enabling adjustment of the curvature in various directions and angles, and facilitating sputum suction operations with the tip of the curvature.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, in order to facilitate the fixation of the bronchoscope insertion section 2-2, the standard breathing circuit tube is further provided with a bronchoscope insertion section fixing member 2-17, the bronchoscope insertion section fixing member 2-17 may be a fixing ring, and the bronchoscope insertion section 2-2 is inserted into the fixing ring to restrict the position of the bronchoscope insertion section.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, a tip conduit partition connecting member 5-6 is provided between the retractable front end bellows 5-1 and the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2. The tip conduit partition connecting member 5-6 has a position restriction hole, and the insertion portion 2-2 is inserted through the position restriction hole, further restricting the position of the bronchoscope insertion portion.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the retractable front end bellows 5-1 is provided with an upward water injection passage 5-7 and a downward drainage passage 5-8, respectively. Both the water injection passage and the drainage passage are equipped with adjustment valves, and both the openings of the water injection passage and the drainage passage are equipped with sealing caps. Water can be injected through the water injection passage 5-7 to clean the outside of the bronchoscope insertion section, and then drained through the drainage passage 5-8. The drainage passage can also be connected to a negative pressure suction source to easily suction out small amounts of sputum adhering to the tip of the insertion section.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, in order to further ensure the airtightness of the breathing circuit, sealing materials (which may also be sealing rings) are provided at the joints of adjacent tubing, for example, sealing material 5-10 provided at the joint between the expandable front bellows 5-1 and the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3 to 4, in this embodiment, an electronic control module is further provided inside the housing of the handle portion 2-1 and outside the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2, and the electronic control module includes electrically connected power / video signal lines 2-7 and a power conversion / video processing chip 2-8, and the functional components provided in the handle portion further include a negative pressure suction line 2-9, a negative pressure control button 2-10 connected to the negative pressure suction line 2-9 and electrically connected to the electronic control module, and a work passage 2-11 provided in the negative pressure suction line 2-9 and forming a branch of the negative pressure suction line 2-9, and the electrical connection wires of the power / video signal line 2-7 and other components (including the negative pressure control button and the bronchoscope curvature direction control handle) are bundled together in the power / video signal connector 2 -12 is integrated, and between the standard breathing circuit tube 5-2 and the retractable rear end bellows 3 (connection point), a rear end conduit partition connecting member 5-9 is further provided, the negative pressure control button 2-10 is fitted into the lower handle housing 2-6, one end of the negative pressure suction conduit 2-9 is connected to the insertion part 2-2, and the other end is provided with a negative pressure suction joint 2-13, the negative pressure suction conduit 2-9 passes laterally through the inside of the handle part, passes through the rear end conduit partition connecting member 5-9, and extends from the rear end conduit partition connecting member 5-9 so that the negative pressure suction joint 2-13 is exposed and can be conveniently connected to a negative pressure suction device, similarly the power / video signal connector 2-12 passes through the rear end conduit partition connecting member 5-9 and is exposed so that it can be conveniently connected to a host.

[0032] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the negative pressure control button 2-10 is further connected to the lower handle housing 2-6 by a button cover 2-19, with its operating end exposed from the lower handle housing. Similarly, the work passage 2-11 is connected to the lower handle housing 2-6 by a bush 2-20, and a cap 2-21 for closing the work passage 2-11 is connected to the bush 2-20.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the specific configuration of the connecting pipe includes a screw pipe 3-1, a curved pipe 3-2, a straight-insertion Y-shaped pipe 3-3, an artificial airway connection port 3-4, a rotatable coupling joint A 3-5, a rotatable coupling joint B 3-6, a rotatable coupling joint C 3-7, and a socket 3-8.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the rotatable coupling joint is configured such that, in order to ensure consistency in the direction of rotation, the rotatable coupling joints connected to both ends of the same conduit are oriented in opposite directions; that is, they form a pair consisting of a coupling joint that rotates in the forward direction and a coupling joint that rotates in the reverse direction.

[0035] The operating principle and process are as follows:

[0036] By adjusting the length of the retractable breathing circuit catheter (retractable anterior bellows 5-1), the bronchoscope insertion section hidden within the circuit can be advanced or retracted, and the bronchoscope is manipulated using the bronchoscope handle integrated into the breathing circuit. Four rotatable coupling joints are provided to adjust the rotation of the handle and breathing circuit, allowing for convenient and rapid completion of a single bronchoscopy examination. Cleanliness and openness of the bronchoscope are maintained by water irrigation and negative pressure suction of the water injection passage, ensuring the normal function of the bronchoscope.

[0037] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not formally or substantially limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art can make some improvements and additions without departing from the present invention, and these improvements and additions should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1. Artificial airway conduit 2. Bronchoscopy 3 connecting pipes 4. Intake Circuit 5. Exhalation Circuit 2-1 Handle section 2-2 Insertion section 2-3 Curved section 2-4 Bronchoscope Curvature Direction Control Handle 2-5 Upper handle housing 2-6 Lower handle housing 2-7 Power / Video Signal Cables 2-8 Power Conversion / Video Processing Chips 2-9 Negative pressure suction pipeline 2-10 Negative pressure control button 2-11 Work passage 2-12 Power / Video Signal Connectors 2-13 Negative pressure suction fitting 2-14 Bronchoscope Curvature Direction Control String Fixing Member 2-15 Bronchoscope bending section direction control cord 2-16 Bronchoscope Curvature Direction Control Wheel 2-17 Bronchoscope insertion section fixing member 2-18 Steering Wheel Cover 2-19 Button Cover 2-20 Bush 2-21 Cap 3-1 Screw-cap tube 3-2 Bent pipe 3-3 Direct entry type Y-shaped pipe 3-4 Artificial airway connection port 3-5 Rotatable coupling fitting A 3-6 Rotatable Coupling Fitting B 3-7 Rotatable coupling fitting C 3-8 Socket 5-1 Extendable front bellows 5-2 Standard breathing circuit tube 5-3 Extendable rear bellows 5-4 First Rotatable Coupling Fitting 5-5 Second Rotatable Coupling Fitting 5-6 End pipe partition connecting member 5-7 Water injection passage 5-8 Drain passage 5-9 Rear end conduit partition connecting member 5-10 Sealant A Coupling joint that can rotate in the forward direction B Reverse-rotatable coupling joint C Outer Jacket D Inner Jacket

Claims

1. Including an artificial airway breathing tube and a bronchoscope, The artificial airway breathing tube includes an inspiratory circuit and an expiratory circuit connected by a connecting tube. The exhalation circuit includes, sequentially connected in series, an extendable front bellows, a standard breathing circuit tube equipped with a bronchoscope handle, and an extendable rear bellows, wherein the extendable front bellows is connected to the connecting tube, and the extendable front bellows is provided with an upward water injection passage and a downward drainage passage, respectively. The bronchoscope includes a handle portion and an insertion portion connected to the handle portion, one end of the insertion portion being connected to the handle portion and the other end being a curved portion, with a camera lens, an LED light source, and a work passage provided at the tip of the curved portion. The insertion portion is inserted into the expandable front bellows, passes through the connecting pipe, and is configured such that the curved portion extends from the connecting pipe after the insertion portion advances due to the contraction of the expandable front bellows. The handle portion includes a housing with a diameter larger than that of a standard breathing circuit tube that surrounds the standard breathing circuit tube externally, a bronchoscope bending direction control member provided inside the housing, and a bronchoscope bending direction control handle connected to the housing by a handle cover, with its operating end exposed. A concealed, sealed combination system of a bronchoscope and an artificial airway breathing circuit, characterized by its features.

2. The retractable front bellows and the connecting tube, the retractable front bellows and the standard breathing circuit tube, and the standard breathing circuit tube and the retractable rear bellows are all detachably connected. The combination system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned detachable connection is a connection by a rotatable coupling joint. The combination system according to claim 2, characterized in that way.

4. The housing includes an openable upper handle housing and a lower handle housing, and the bronchoscope bending direction control handle is connected to the upper handle housing by a handle cover, with its operating end exposed. The combination system according to claim 1.

5. A tip conduit partition connecting member is provided between the retractable front end bellows and the standard breathing circuit tube, the tip conduit partition connecting member is provided with a position limiting hole, and the insertion portion is inserted through the position limiting hole. The combination system according to claim 1.

6. Further inside the housing of the handle and outside the standard breathing circuit tube, an electronic control module is provided, which includes electrically connected power / video signal lines and a power conversion / video processing chip. The handle portion is further provided with a negative pressure suction line, a negative pressure control button connected to the negative pressure suction line and electrically connected to an electronic control module, and a power / video signal connector with integrated electrical connection wires. The negative pressure suction conduit has one end connected to the insertion portion and a negative pressure suction joint provided at the other end, the negative pressure suction conduit penetrates the inside of the handle portion, and the negative pressure suction joint is exposed from the housing of the handle portion. The combination system according to claim 1.

7. At the connection point between the insertion portion and the negative pressure suction pipeline, a work passage is further provided, which is connected to the insertion portion and the negative pressure suction pipeline, respectively, via the connecting pipe. The combination system described in claim 6.

8. Between the standard breathing circuit tube and the expandable rear end bellows, a rear end conduit partition connecting member is provided, each having position-restricting holes for inserting the negative pressure suction conduit and the power / video signal connector, respectively. The negative pressure suction conduit and the power / video signal connector are inserted into the position-restricting holes of the rear end conduit partition connecting member, and the connectors are exposed. The combination system described in claim 6.

9. The negative pressure control button is connected to the lower handle housing by a button cover, with its operating end exposed. The work passage is connected to the lower handle housing by a bushing, and the bushing is provided with a cap to close the opening of the work passage. The combination system described in claim 6.

10. The standard breathing circuit tube is a non-expandable tubing. and / or the expandable front end bellows includes two connected expandable bellows portions, The combination system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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