Patent ID: 8375952

Claim:
A system for unilateral lung ventilation comprising: an endotracheal tube having a primary wall defining as main channel for delivering a ventilation medium to the trachea of a patient and an inner channel disposed within the main channel and separated along its length from the main channel by a secondary wall connected to the primary wall, the inner channel having a first end opening into the main channel and an opposite second end aligned with a distal end of the main channel; and a blocking device including an inflatable member having inflated and deflated conditions and adapted for inflation within the mainstem bronchus of a non-ventilated one of a patient's lungs such that the ventilation medium from the endotracheal tune is prevented from entering the non-ventilated lung, the blocking device also including an elongated catheter supporting the inflatable member and having an inflation lumen adapted to deliver an inflation medium to the inflatable member; the catheter further including at least one lung treatment lumen adapted for delivery of a treatment agent into the non-ventilated lung when the inflatable member is inflated within the mainstem bronchus of the non-ventilated lung; wherein the inner channel of the endotracheal tube is adapted for receipt of the catheter and the inflatable member when the inflatable member is in the deflated condition to provide a guideway to facilitate passage of the catheter and the inflatable member to a distal end of the endotracheal tube, such that when the catheter is positioned within the inner channel the catheter does not disturb ventilation medium flowing in the main channel; and wherein the endotracheal time further comprises: a side branch connected to the primary wall of the endotracheal tube so as to be in communication with the inner channel, the side branch and the inner channel of the endotracheal tube joining at a junction positioned distal to the first end of the inner channel, the side branch being adapted for receipt of the catheter and the inflatable member of the blocking device to direct the catheter and the inflatable member into the inner channel of the endotracheal tube; and a valve configured to selectively close off at least one of the side branch and the inner channel at the junction depending on whether or not the blocking device is installed, wherein the valve is configured to substantially close off an end of the side branch at the junction when the blocking device is removed from the inner channel of the endotracheal tube, thereby providing for parallel flow of a ventilation medium through the endotracheal tube in both the main channel and the inner channel of the endotracheal tube.