Patent ID: 7775206

Claim:
A suction catheter assembly for connection to an endotracheal tube for treating a patient, comprising: a suction control valve assembly; an elongated catheter tube connected at one end to said suction control valve assembly; a unitary manifold having a manifold body and opposed axially projecting boss parts and an elongated hollow bore extending through said manifold body; a connector member sleeved over one of said boss parts and retained on said one boss part for rotation relative to said manifold body; a seal housing connected to the other of said boss parts and rotatable relative to said manifold body; an elongated sheath interconnecting said suction control valve assembly and said seal housing and forming an enclosed space for extension of said elongated catheter tube therethrough, said elongated sheath being flexible and collapsible for extending said suction control valve assembly and said catheter tube toward said manifold body to insert said elongated catheter tube through said endotracheal tube; and plural port members formed on at least one of said manifold body and said seal housing for communicating fluids to and from said elongated hollow bore in said manifold body; wherein said suction control valve assembly includes a valve housing including a spigot for connection to a source of vacuum, a boss extending in a direction opposite said spigot, passage means in said boss and in said spigot forming a flow path for fluids passing into said valve housing from said elongated catheter tube, a tapered bore intersecting said passage means and a tapered plug closure member disposed in said tapered bore and engageable with a bore wall of said tapered bore.