Multilumen Tracheal Catheter with Rotatable Collar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tracheal tubes and suction catheters fail to effectively aspirate secretions pooling above the inflatable cuff without causing damage to the tracheal mucosa, and they lack adequate suction capabilities, especially when patients are turned or if the suction lumen becomes occluded.
Innovation Solution
A multilumen tracheal tube system with separate ingression and egression lumens, each with its own port and control mechanism, allowing for selective fluid flow and minimizing cross-contamination, along with a user-manipulable collar to direct suction to any lumen, ensuring effective aspiration without mucosal damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single lumen suction tube is used to evacuate secretions above the inflatable cuff, then suction capability is provided, but direct suction is exerted on the tracheal mucosa causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube is divided into multiple separate lumens (first suction lumen, second suction lumen, third suction lumen) instead of using a single lumen. Each lumen can be independently controlled and positioned, allowing suction to be applied at different locations and intensities, thereby reducing direct suction damage to the mucosa while maintaining effective secretion evacuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a controller that can dynamically adjust which lumens are active and their suction levels based on patient needs. The controller enables selective activation of different lumens, allowing the suction capability to be adapted in real-time, providing effective secretion removal while minimizing mucosal trauma through dynamic control of suction application.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple lumens are used to provide indirect gentle suction, then mucosal damage is reduced, but suction effectiveness is insufficient and lumens are easily occluded
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple independently controllable lumens (first, second, and third suction lumens) rather than relying on a single lumen or passive indirect suction. This segmentation allows each lumen to be optimized for specific functions and enables the controller to activate multiple lumens simultaneously or sequentially, maintaining effective suction capability while reducing mucosal damage through distributed suction application.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller monitors the status of each lumen and can detect occlusions or reduced effectiveness. Based on this feedback, the controller can switch between different lumens or adjust suction parameters to maintain effective secretion evacuation while preventing mucosal damage, thereby resolving the contradiction between gentle suction and suction effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If a single suction lumen is used, then device complexity is reduced, but the system lacks adaptability when patients are turned or if the lumen becomes occluded
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube incorporates multiple lumens (first, second, and third suction lumens) positioned at different locations along the tube. This segmentation provides spatial redundancy, allowing the controller to switch between lumens based on patient positioning or occlusion events, thereby enhancing adaptability without requiring complex external reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
Each lumen is designed to perform the same basic suction function but can be selectively activated based on different clinical situations. The controller manages multiple lumens that are universally capable of secretion evacuation, allowing the system to adapt to various patient positions and occlusion scenarios while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.
4Productivity
If direct suction is applied to evacuate secretions quickly, then productivity is improved, but harmful suction is exerted on the tracheal mucosa
Solution Approach 1:
The suction tube is segmented into multiple lumens that can be activated simultaneously or sequentially. This allows the total suction capability to be distributed across multiple pathways, increasing the overall evacuation rate (productivity) while each individual lumen exerts reduced suction pressure on the mucosa, thereby minimizing trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically manages the activation and suction levels of multiple lumens based on real-time conditions. When rapid evacuation is needed, multiple lumens can be activated simultaneously to increase productivity. When mucosal protection is prioritized, the controller can reduce suction intensity or activate fewer lumens, providing dynamic adjustment between productivity and mucosal protection.
Data Source
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AI summary
A multilumen tracheal tube (12) or catheter is disclosed. The tube (12) has a plurality of ingress (44) and egress (45) lumens, each having a suction (40) or discharge (41) port as appropriate. At least one rotatable collar (38) is provided. The collar (38) is capable of selecting various combinations of suction (40) and discharge (41) ports without increasing the likelihood of cross contaminating any others .