81 results about "Chest drains" patented technology

Devices and methods are disclosed for achieving chest drainage in humans or other animals. Chest drainage is often required following traumatic injury or surgery. The devices and methods disclosed herein are especially useful in the emergency, trauma surgery or military setting. The devices utilize a chest tube with a cutting distal end and a central blunt trocar. The blunt trocar or obturator shields the sharp cutting distal end of the chest tube until controllably retracted. Once the blunt trocar or obturator is retracted, the chest tube is advanced out through its sterile, protective package and into the patient. The blunt trocar is advanced back into its position to shield the sharp tip of the chest tube during patient insertion. The chest tube also includes a hold-down mechanism that is created by an adhesive seal to the patient's chest and ribbons or straps that are wrapped around the chest tube once it is correctly positioned. The straps include adhesive ends to grip the chest tube once the straps are in place.

A device for clearing obstructions from a medical tube, such as a chest tube, is disclosed in various embodiments. In embodiments, the device features a guide wire that extends from a drainage canister and can be advanced and withdrawn through a medical tube, such as a chest tube, via an actuator. The guide wire is actuated so as to maintain the sterile field within the chest tube and the associated suction pathway. Methods of clearing a medical tube of obstructions using such a device are also disclosed.

A system for draining the chest cavity of a patient subjected to a traumatic chest injury and / or to surgery within the chest. The system includes a small, portable suction device and a chest tube with an improved terminal structure. A number of embodiments of the suction device are disclosed; the first (with two variations) a small, completely disposable, bottle-shaped assembly comprising a motor / pump section, a power section, and a desiccant filled chamber, the second (also with two variations) a small box shaped assembly with a disposable desiccant pouch and a power supply that mounts to a battery charger positioned on an IV pole. A number of chest tube terminus structures are disclosed, including multi-lumen structures having high-airflow and low-airflow lumens as well as “dead” and “live” lumens. Fenestrations are variously positioned between and through the lumens in order to collect coagulated components of the extracted fluids and prevent them from clogging the primary flow tube and restricting or preventing continuous airflow.

A sheath device comprises a substantially rigid elongated body adapted to receive a chest tube. The body includes a first end and a second end, flexible seal at the first end, and an air-impermeable flexible joint at the second end. A base having a first side and a second side is provided at the joint, wherein the first side is connected with the flexible joint and the second side includes an adhesive for securing the base to a patient's chest. A method of preventing pneumothorax in a patient having a chest tube removed comprises attaching the sheath device to the patient's chest at the time of the chest tube placement, later withdrawing the chest tube into the airtight chamber of the sheath, and sealing the sheath device. Removing the base and flexible joint of the sheath device from the body of the sheath device leaves an air-impermeable dressing on the patient's chest.

A device for clearing obstructions from a medical tube, such as a chest tube, is disclosed in various embodiments. The device features a shuttle member that is magnetically coupled to a guide wire within a guide tube, through the guide-tube wall, so that translation of the shuttle member induces a corresponding translation of the guide wire within the guide tube, without penetrating or compromising the guide-tube wall. In this manner, when the guide tube is coupled to a medical tube where obstructions have formed, the guide wire and clearance member may be inserted into and withdrawn from the medical tube, via actuation of the shuttle member, to engage and help clear such obstructions from the medical tube without compromising the sterile field. Methods of clearing a medical tube of obstructions are also disclosed.

Devices and methods are disclosed for achieving chest drainage in humans or other animals. Chest drainage is often required following traumatic injury or surgery. The devices and methods disclosed herein are especially useful in the emergency, trauma surgery or military setting. The devices utilize a chest tube with a cutting distal end and a central blunt trocar. The blunt trocar or obturator shields the sharp cutting distal end of the chest tube until controllably retracted. Once the blunt trocar or obturator is retracted, the chest tube is advanced out through its sterile, protective package and into the patient. The blunt trocar is advanced back into its position to shield the sharp tip of the chest tube during patient insertion. The chest tube also includes a hold-down mechanism that is created by an adhesive seal to the patient's chest and ribbons or straps that are wrapped around the chest tube once it is correctly positioned. The straps include adhesive ends to grip the chest tube once the straps are in place.

A device for clearing obstructions from a medical tube, such as a chest tube, is disclosed in various embodiments. In embodiments, the device features a guide wire that extends from a drainage canister and can be advanced and withdrawn through a medical tube, such as a chest tube, via an actuator. The guide wire is actuated so as to maintain the sterile field within the chest tube and the associated suction pathway. Methods of clearing a medical tube of obstructions using such a device are also disclosed.

A device for the drainage of a pleural effusion through an operatively engaged chest tube in the chest wall. The device employs a check valve situated between a vacuum source communicating with the chest tube to prevent reversal of the fluid flow out of the patient's body and possible contamination. A valve mounted on a vacuum bottle provides user control of communication of negative pressure from the vacuum bottle to the chest tube. Opening the valve on the bottle communicates negative pressure to the chest tube relative to the pressure in the tube thereby initiating a fluid flow out of the tube and the patient. Once the valve on the bottle is closed, fluid flow ceases and the check valve prevents reversal of the flow.

A system for draining the chest cavity of a patient subjected to a traumatic chest injury and / or to surgery within the chest. The system includes a small, portable suction device and a chest tube with an improved terminal structure. A number of embodiments of the suction device are disclosed; the first (with two variations) a small, completely disposable, bottle-shaped assembly comprising a motor / pump section, a power section, and a desiccant filled chamber, the second (also with two variations) a small box shaped assembly with a disposable desiccant pouch and a power supply that mounts to a battery charger positioned on an IV pole. A number of chest tube terminus structures are disclosed, including multi-lumen structures having high-airflow and low-airflow lumens as well as “dead” and “live” lumens. Fenestrations are variously positioned between and through the lumens in order to collect coagulated components of the extracted fluids and prevent them from clogging the primary flow tube and restricting or preventing continuous airflow.

Wound closure systems and methods are provided, containing a porous layer comprising a collagen material; a substantially non-porous synthetic layer contacting the porous layer, the porous layer and substantially non-porous layer capable of providing wound closure; and a transcutaneous component contacting the porous layer and the substantially non-porous synthetic layer. In various embodiments, the transcutaneous component is capable of receiving a cannula, glucose sensor, electrode, prosthesis, chest tube, medical instrument or bone, muscle, blood vessels, nerve, organ or combination thereof.

A collateral ventilation bypass system with chest tube evacuation device may be utilized in combination to removed trapped air from the lungs. With the chest tube evacuation device, any air trapped in the pleural space may be evacuated through the bypass system to prevent a pneumothorax.

An apparatus for placement of a chest tube includes a chest tube assembly and an advancing mechanism configured to move the chest tube assembly. The chest tube assembly includes an outer structure and a chest tube disposed in the outer structure. The chest tube assembly may further include a trocar. The advancing mechanism may include a depth control. A method for using an apparatus for placement of a chest tube includes placing the apparatus against the chest, and advancing the chest tube assembly to a desired depth, wherein the apparatus includes a chest tube assembly and an advancing mechanism configured to move the chest tube assembly, wherein the chest tube assembly includes an outer structure and a chest tube disposed in the outer structure.

A device for clearing obstructions from a medical tube, such as a chest tube, is disclosed in various embodiments. In embodiments, the device features a clearance member that is formed to match a cross-section of a medical tube. Still further, the clearance member can have a plurality of branches, each branch configured to clear a respective lumen in a partitioned region of a medical tube. In this manner, the clearance member may clear obstructions from individual lumens of the partitioned region of the medical tube. Device for actuating a clearance member to clear obstructions within a medical tube are also disclosed. Methods of clearing a medical tube of obstructions are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a chest drainage system which reduces or eliminates pooling of blood / liquid and / or clogging / clotting in the drainage tube and / or chest tube, and provides objective and accurate measures of drained fluid volume and chest air leak. The chest drainage system continuously monitors chest tube and drainage tube status and clears pooled liquid in the drainage tube, and / or a clogged chest tube when necessary to restore negative pressure to the chest.

A heartwire comprises a wire having a proximal end and a distal end, at least part of the distal end being conductive so as to be usable in heart stimulation; and attached to said distal end, an end structure adapted for non-invasively maintaining the distal end in position adjacent the heart. The end structure may comprise an irregular or three-dimensional, atraumatic structure adapted for engaging a surgical material secured to the heart, for maintaining said heartwire in position relative to said surgical material. The surgical material may be a pledget, and the end structure may comprise at least one of a pigtail, a hook, a tine and a suture sized and shaped for engaging the pledget so as to maintain the heartwire in position. The heartwire may comprise a second wire having a corresponding distal end structure and may be a bipolar heartwire. An arrangement for stimulating a heart may comprise the foregoing heartwire, in combination with a surgical material for being secured to the heart. The heartwire may be combined with and / or secured to a chest tube, and may be removable from the chest tube while still in position relative to the heart. A chest tube may also be combined with an anesthesia delivery tube and / or a wire for carrying cardiac output monitoring signals.

The invention provides a method and a system which are used for arranging a tube in a body cavity quickly. The invention comprises the following steps: arrange a flexible cannula (140) at the probe tip (130) of a cutting device till the probe tip extendedly exceeds the cannula; cut the tissue covering the body cavity so as to form an opening in the body cavity; insert the probe tip of the cutting device till the cannula arranged the probe tip is input into the cut; remove the probe tip, and at the same time keep the cannula inserted in the cut; the far end or tip of the tube (145) is led into the preset distance in the cannula; remove the cannula on the tube, and simultaneously keep the tube at the position in the body cavity.

A chest drainage system includes a collection device and a fluid pathway configured to extend from the collection device to a patient. A pressure source is configured to selectively provide sub-atmospheric pressure to the fluid pathway. The system is configured to introduce sub-atmospheric pressure from the pressure source at a substantially constant target pressure and at a dynamic pressure that varies from the target pressure. A method is also disclosed for draining a pleural cavity of a patient. The method involves applying dynamic pressure to the pleural cavity of a patient by changing sub-atmospheric pressure applied to the patient such that the patient's pleura moves without any or limited patient activity, thus facilitating removal of loculated fluid from the pleural cavity. The method may involve the use of the chest drain system.

A valve for use in a chest drainage device is disclosed, the chest drainage device is adapted to receive liquid and air from a patient's chest cavity via an inlet and to permit air to escape through an outlet for air to leave the chest drain, the inlet and outlet define a flow path and the valve is disposed along the flow path. The valve has a valve element that separates an upstream chamber from a downstream chamber and has a first and second sealing surface that are opposed so that when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air pressure below a predetermined value will be prevented from moving from the downstream location to the upstream location. The valve element allows air to move from the upstream chamber to the downstream chamber at a low pressure differential. A pressure relief actuating element is disposed in the valve and located adjacent the valve element such that when the predetermined sub-atmospheric pressure limit between the upstream side and the downstream side is reached or exceeded, the valve element deforms and contacts the pressure relief actuating element such that the post causes the first and second sealing surfaces to partially separate and reduce the pressure differential.

A device for clearing obstructions from a medical tube, such as a chest tube, is disclosed in various embodiments. The device features a clearance member in the form of a loop. The loop desirably has a diameter that substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the medical tube. Also desirably, the loop presents a substantially unobstructed pathway therethrough for the flow of material from a location in the medical tube distal to the loop to a location in the medical tube proximal to the loop regardless whether the clearance member is being translated or is at rest in the medical tube. Methods of utilizing such a device are also disclosed.

A kit for draining fluids from the body of a patient is provided. The kit eliminates the problem of having to obtain a distinct liquid source and a means for delivering the liquid into a chamber of a chest drain. The kit includes an apparatus configured to receive fluids from the body of the patient. The apparatus defines a chamber to contain a predetermined volume of liquid. The apparatus includes an inlet through which liquid is deliverable to the chamber of the apparatus from an exterior of the apparatus. The kit also includes a container packaged with or attached to the apparatus. The container is prefilled and sealed to contain at least the predetermined volume of liquid. The container includes an outlet configured to deliver at least the predetermined volume of liquid to the chamber of the apparatus through the inlet of the apparatus.

The present invention is directed to a method and a device for accurately guiding a chest tube to an intended position within a pleural cavity of an animal or human being. There is also provided a kit-of-parts comprising a catheter and a catheter guiding device according to the present invention.

A chest tube placement apparatus is provided that has an elongate body with a rigid tip that is disposed within the interior of a flexible chest tube and an inflatable member mounted to the body is inflated and the apparatus is then inserted in a prepared location in the chest wall of a patient. The body of the apparatus has at least one axial material transfer channel with a tip port that permits the injection of anesthetic or the aspiration of gases or liquids at the tip. The body also has a light and video camera and display to allow the visualization of the internal structures of the patient during chest tube placement. Once placed and the fluids and gases aspirated, the inflatable member is deflated and the apparatus is removed from the interior of the placed chest tube.

A chest drainage system includes a collection device and a fluid pathway configured to extend from the collection device to a patient. A pressure source is configured to selectively provide sub-atmospheric pressure to the fluid pathway. The system is configured to introduce sub-atmospheric pressure from the pressure source at a substantially constant target pressure and at a dynamic pressure that varies from the target pressure. A method is also disclosed for draining a pleural cavity of a patient. The method involves applying dynamic pressure to the pleural cavity of a patient by changing sub-atmospheric pressure applied to the patient such that the patient's pleura moves without any or limited patient activity, thus facilitating removal of loculated fluid from the pleural cavity. The method may involve the use of the chest drain system.

Disclosed is a chest drainage system which reduces or eliminates pooling of blood / liquid and / or clogging / clotting in the drainage tube and / or chest tube, and provides objective and accurate measures of drained fluid volume and chest air leak. The chest drainage system continuously monitors chest tube and drainage tube status and clears pooled liquid in the drainage tube, and / or a clogged chest tube when necessary to restore negative pressure to the chest.

A valve for use in a chest drainage device is disclosed, the chest drainage device is adapted to receive liquid and air from a patient's chest cavity via an inlet and to permit air to escape through an outlet for air to leave the chest drain, the inlet and outlet define a flow path and the valve is disposed along the flow path. The valve has a valve element that separates an upstream chamber from a downstream chamber and has a first and second sealing surface that are opposed so that when the first and second sealing surfaces are in contact, air pressure below a predetermined value will be prevented from moving from the downstream location to the upstream location. The valve element allows air to move from the upstream chamber to the downstream chamber at a low pressure differential. A pressure relief actuating element is disposed in the valve and located adjacent the valve element such that when the predetermined sub-atmospheric pressure limit between the upstream side and the downstream side is reached or exceeded, the valve element deforms and contacts the pressure relief actuating element such that the post causes the first and second sealing surfaces to partially separate and reduce the pressure differential.

Devices and methods for managing chest drainage include a drainage system with a chest tube having a chest tube drainage lumen and a drainage reservoir in fluid communication with the chest tube drainage lumen. A pump may be in fluid communication with the chest tube drainage lumen and a pressure sensor may be positioned proximal to the chest tube and in communication with the chest tube drainage lumen. A controller may be in communication with the pressure sensor and the pump, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the pump at a first suction level sufficient to drain a fluid from the chest tube drainage lumen. The controller is further configured to actuate the pump at a second suction level which is different from the first suction level such that an absence of attenuation in the second suction level over time is indicative of an obstruction in the chest tube.

This document provides systems and methods that can improve the efficacy of tube and needle thoracostomy. For example, this document provides devices and methods for confirming the proper placement of a chest tube or needle within the pleural space to relieve a pneumothorax or tension pneumothoax.

The invention discloses a chest cavity drainage tube. The chest cavity drainage tube is in a Y shape, and comprises an upper chest tube and a lower chest tube; the upper chest tube and the lower chest tube of the chest cavity drainage tube are positioned in the same tube sleeve in front of the crotch of the Y shape; the cross section of the tube sleeve is elliptical; a separating supporting wall is formed at the position, between the upper chest tube and the lower chest tube, of the tube sleeve; a thin flushing tube used for flushing the chest cavity is arranged in the upper chest tube. According to the chest cavity drainage tube, two incisions which are required to be formed in the chest of a patient when a traditional chest cavity drainage tube is used can be reduced to one incision, so that the pain of the patient and the wound infection rate can be effectively reduced.