DEVICE FOR THE INTERNAL CLEANING AND CLEARING OF TUBULAR BODIES FOR MEDICAL USE WHICH ARE INSERTABLE IN HUMAN BODIES

Abstract: Device (20) for the internal cleaning and clearing of tubular bodies for medical use insertable in the human body, particularly endotracheal tubes, drainage tubes, urethral catheters and probes, or the like. The device is insertable in the tubular body (2) to be cleaned and is constituted by an inner rod (21) and an outer sheath (22) which are movable with respect to each other and can cause the radial expansion of a cleaning element (30) connected between the inner rod (21) and the outer sheath (22).

Description: DEVICE FOR THE INTERNAL CLEANING AND CLEARING OF TUBULAR BODIES FOR MEDICAL USE WHICH ARE INSERTABLE IN HUMAN BODIES Technical Field The present invention relates to a device for the internal cleaning and clearing of tubular bodies for medical use which are insertable in human bodies, particularly endotracheal tubes, drainage tubes, urethral probes and catheters, and the like. Background Art As is known, endotracheal tubes are substantially constituted by a tubular portion having, at its outward end, means for connection for example to the respirator and, proximate to its inward end, a membrane which can be inflated by means of a tube connected to the outside; this membrane in practice locates the inward end of the tube and creates, so to speak, the outward seal with regard to the inspired and expired air. It has been observed that in patients intubated even for a short time the endotracheal tubes tend to clog due to the more or less dense secretions which deposit inside the tubes. Deposition of the secretions within the endotracheal tube causes an immediate increase in inspiratory and expiratory resistances, due to the narrowing of the useful flow section. The solutions currently adopted to restore the useful flow section are in practice constituted by swab-like elements which are inserted in the endotracheal tube to remove the secretions present on the walls. However, this solution sends the secretions toward the patient, since during the insertion of the swab-like element most of the secretions are pushed toward the inside of the patient's trachea. Therefore, in many cases it is necessary to replace the endotracheal tube, performing extubation of the patient and subsequent re-intubation thereof with a fresh tube; this operation first of all requires the presence of a physician and is furthermore not pleasant for the patient. Disclosure of the Invention The aim of the present invention is indeed to solve the problem described above by providing a device for the internal cleaning and clearing of tubular bodies for medical use to be inserted in human bodies, particularly but not exclusively for endotracheal tubes, which allows to remove even the densest and hardest secretions present on the internal walls of the tubular body rapidly and simply without external contaminations and most of all avoiding extubation of the patient. Within the scope of the above aim, a particular object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device which is in practice constituted by a disposable kit which allows to operate inside the tube without sending secretions toward the patient during insertion. Another object of the present invention is to provide an endotracheal tube cleaning device wherein complete elimination of secretions can be performed very safely and hygienically without inward or outward contaminations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for internally cleaning endotracheal tubes which, by virtue of its particular constructive characteristics, is SUBSTITUTESHEET capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use. This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a device for the internal cleaning and clearing of tubular bodies for medical use which are insertable in the human body, particularly endotracheal tubes, drainage tubes, urethral catheters and probes, and the like, characterized in that it comprises an inner rod and an outer sheath which are insertable in the tubular body to be cleaned and are movable with respect to each other to cause the radial expansion of a cleaning element connected between said inner rod and said outer sheath. Brief description of the drawings Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a device for the internal cleaning of an endotracheal tube, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure l is a schematic sectional view of an endotracheal tube inserted in place, with the cleaning device according to the present invention applied thereto; figure 2 is a sectional view of the endotracheal tube and of the connectors which form an inlet for inserting the cleaning device and the branching for connection to the respirator; figure 3 is a view of the inner rod of the device according to the present invention; figure 4 is a view of the outer sheath of the device SUBSTITUTESHEET according to the present invention; figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of the protective bag of the device according to the present invention; figure 6 is a view of the cleaning element in contracted position, in partially expanded position and in fully expanded position; figure 7 is a sectional view of the endotracheal tube during the insertion of the device according to the present invention; figure 8 is a sectional view of the endotracheal tube after the expansion of the cleaning element; figure 9 is a sectional view of the endotracheal tube once the internal walls have been cleaned. Ways of carrying out the Invention With reference to the above figures, the device according to the present invention is particularly but not exclusively usable for cleaning an endotracheal tube, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, which comprises a tubular element 2, preferably made of a plastic material suitable for use in the medical field. The tubular element 2 has, at its inward end, an oblique cut 3 arranged in place inside the trachea. On the outside of the tubular element 2, proximate to the inward end 3, there is a membrane 4 which can be inflated to perform positioning and sealing; said membrane is connected, in a per se known manner, to a tube 6 protruding outwardly. At its outward upper end, the tubular element 2 is connected to a connector 10 provided with a branching 11 for SUBSTITUTESHEET connection to a respirator. The device according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 20, comprises a relatively flexible inner rod 21 slidingly accommodated within an outer sheath 22 which is also relatively flexible. The inner rod is provided with a grip eyelet 23, whereas the outer sheath is provided with a handgrip 24 which eases the movement of the the inner rod with respect to the outer sheath. A cleaning element, generally designated by the reference numeral 30, is provided at the inward end and is advantageously constituted by a cylindrical tubular braiding 31 made from interwoven wires and connected, at its axial ends, respectively to a tip 35 of the inner rod 21 and to the inward end 36 of the sheath 22. Relative sliding between the inner rod and the sheath causes, as schematically shown in figure 6, an axial compression on the interwoven-wire braiding, which can be made from wires made of metallic or plastic fibers and undergoes a radial expansion which can be controlled as required depending on the relative sliding between the inner rod and the sheath. In practice, the expansion of the cylindrical braiding 31 is proportional, i.e. allows use on tubes having different dimensions, since the braiding can expand radially, until it adheres to the walls, simply by increasing axial compression, i.e. the relative sliding between the inner rod and the sheath. The device according to the present invention is insertable in the inlet 12 of the connector 10, as shown, but can also be inserted directly on the outward end of an endotracheal tube which is not provided with said connector 10. Advantageously, for hygienic reasons, the device 5 according to the present invention furthermore comprises a tubular bag 40 which is applied at the end of the inlet 12 or directly to the outward end of the endotracheal tube and in practice surrounds the sheath, acting as element for collecting the secretions which accumulate in the extendable 10 bag without outward loss. The tubular bag is capable of collecting any secretions which separate from the inside of the endotracheal tube and allows to avoid direct contact with the secretions, reducing the possibility of cross-infections, and furthermore allows I5 to keep the cleaning element clean; said cleaning element is inserted in the endotracheal tube without environmental contaminations. In practical use, the first operation which is performed is the connection of the tubular bag to the inlet 20 12 of the connector 10 or directly to the outward end of an endotracheal tube not provided with said connector. Then the assembly constituted by the inner rod 21, by the outer sheath 22 and by the cleaning element 30 is inserted in the endotracheal tube with the cylindrical braiding 31 in 25 contracted position, and insertion is performed until the tip 35 reaches the lower end of the tubular element 2. Once the device has been positioned, relative sliding between the inner rod and the outer sheath is performed by sliding the outer sheath on the inner rod in order to 30 produce a radial expansion of the braiding 31 which SUBSTITUTESHEET constitutes the cleaning element. By virtue of this expansion, the internal braiding rests on the internal wall of the endotracheal tube. Once the cleaning element has been positioned, it is sufficient to extract the cleaning element from the endotracheal tube, sliding it upwards, so that any secretions are completely removed from the inside of the tubular element and are collected in the tubular bag 40. Once the extraction has ended, the tubular bag is disconnected and the entire unit is discarded; the internal walls are cleaned without introducing the secretions inside the patient, by virtue of the fact that a device, having a cleaning element which is inserted in a radially contracted position and can be expanded radially once it has been correctly positioned at the lower end of the endotracheal tube, is used. From the above description it can thus be seen that the present invention achieves the intended aim and objects. In particular, attention is drawn to the constructive simplicity of the device, which arises from the fact that the relative sliding of two structurally simple elements, such as the inner rod and the outer sheath, mutually connected by a cylindrical braiding obtained with interwoven wires which expand radially, is used to expand the cleaning element. Although the device according to the present invention has been conceived particularly for cleaning endotracheal tubes, it can be, in any case, used for cleaning and clearing other tubular bodies for medical use in general, which are insertable in the human body, such as for example SUBSTITUTESH drainage tubes, urethral catheters and probes, or the like. The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs. SUBSTITUTESHEET

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Device (20) for the internal cleaning of tubular bodies for medical use which are insertable in human bodies, particularly endotracheal tubes, drainage tubes, urethral catheters and probes, or the like, characterized in that it comprises an inner rod (21) and an outer sheath (22) which are insertable in the tubular body (2) to be cleaned and are movable with respect to each other to cause the radial expansion of a cleaning element (30) connected between said inner rod (21) and said outer sheath (22). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said inner rod (21) and said outer sheath (22) are made of relatively flexible materials, said inner rod (21) having a grip eyelet (23) and said sheath (22) being provided with a handgrip (24) to perform the relative translatory motion between said inner rod and said outer sheath. 3. Device according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said cleaning element (30) is constituted by a cylindrical tubular braiding (31) formed by interwoven wires which are respectively connected to said inner rod (21) and to said outer sheath (22) at the axial ends of said cylindrical tubular braiding (31). 4. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tubular braiding (31) is suitable to be expanded radially until it engages the internal walls of said tubular body (2) . 5. Device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a tubular bag (40) which can be applied at the inlet (12) of said tubular SUBSTITUTESHEET body (2) and associated with said outer sheath (22) to collect the secretions removed from said tubular body (2) . SUBSTITUTESHEET

Inventors: ZUCCHI GIUSEPPE, ZUCCHI, GIUSEPPE
Applicants: DAR SPA, ZUCCHI GIUSEPPE, DAR SOCIETA PER AZIONI
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61M16
IPC codes: A61B19, A61M16, A61M25, A61M27, A61M31, B08B9