Catheter Systems and Methods of Use

1 . A catheter comprising:

an elongated body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion,

wherein the elongated body defines a lumen extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion,

wherein the elongated body includes a key joint component that corresponds with a key joint component of a lumen of a delivery catheter, and

wherein the key joint component of the elongated body of the catheter is configured to be selectively coupled to the key joint component of the lumen of the delivery catheter such that a rotational orientation of the catheter is fixed relative to a rotation orientation of the delivery catheter.

2 . The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the distal end portion of the elongated body includes a pre-formed bend that is configured to extend at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of a body lumen when the catheter is disposed in the body lumen.

3 . The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the key joint component of the elongated body is a key that corresponds with a keyway in the delivery catheter.

4 . The catheter of claim 3 , wherein the key includes a first peripheral surface of the elongated body that is raised from a second peripheral surface of the elongated body.

5 . The catheter of claim 1 , wherein the catheter further comprises an acoustic device that creates a sound at the distal end portion of the elongated body for verifying the location of the distal end portion within a body lumen.

6 . A catheter system comprising:

a first catheter including a first elongated body having a first proximal end portion, a first distal end portion, and a lumen extending from the first proximal end portion to the first distal end portion, the lumen having a first key joint component; and

a second catheter slidably disposed within the lumen of the first catheter, the second catheter including a second elongated body having a second distal end portion and a second key joint component that corresponds with the first key joint component in the lumen of the first catheter,

wherein the first key joint component and the second key joint component are configured to be coupled together such that a rotational orientation of the second catheter is fixed relative to a rotational orientation of the first catheter.

7 . The catheter system of claim 6 , wherein the second distal end portion of the second catheter includes a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the first catheter when the second distal end portion is extended from the lumen of the first catheter.

8 . The catheter system of claim 6 ,

wherein the second key joint component of the second catheter is a key, and

wherein the first key joint component of the lumen of the first catheter is a keyway that corresponds with the key.

9 . The catheter system of claim 8 ,

wherein the key includes a first peripheral surface of the second elongated body that is raised from a second peripheral surface of the second elongated body of the second catheter,

wherein the keyway includes a first surface of the lumen of the first catheter that is recessed from a second surface of the lumen of the first catheter, and

wherein the first raised peripheral surface of the second catheter corresponds with the first recessed surface of the lumen of the first catheter.

10 . The catheter system of claim 6 ,

wherein the first elongated body further defines a second lumen extending from the first proximal end portion to the first distal end portion, the second lumen having a key joint component,

wherein the catheter system further comprises a third catheter slidably disposed in the second lumen of the first catheter, the third catheter comprising a third elongated body having a third distal end portion and a third key joint component that corresponds to the key joint component of the second lumen of the first catheter, and

wherein the key joint component of the third catheter is configured to be coupled with the key joint component of the second lumen of the first catheter such that a rotational orientation of the third catheter is fixed relative to the rotation orientation of the first catheter.

11 . The catheter system of claim 10 , wherein the third distal end portion of the third catheter includes a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the first catheter when the second distal end portion is extended from the lumen of the first catheter lumen.

12 . The catheter system of claim 11 , wherein the second distal end portion of the second catheter and the third distal end portion of the third catheter each extends in a direction away from the longitudinal axis of the body lumen and away from each other.

13 . The catheter system of claim 6 , wherein the first catheter further comprises an expandable member coupled to an outer surface of the first distal end portion of the first catheter for securing the first catheter within a body lumen, the expandable member extending around a radial perimeter of the first elongated body of the first catheter and being selectively radially expandable from the radial perimeter of the elongated body of the first catheter for making contact with a wall of the body lumen.

14 . The catheter system of claim 6 further comprising a third catheter including a third elongated body having a third proximal end portion and a third distal end portion, the third elongated body defining a lumen extending from the third proximal end portion to the third distal end portion, wherein the first catheter and the second catheter are slidably disposed in the lumen of the third catheter.

15 . The catheter system of claim 14 , wherein the third catheter is an endotracheal tube.

16 . The catheter system of claim 14 , wherein the third catheter further comprises an expandable member coupled to an outer surface of the third distal end portion of the third elongated body for securing the third catheter within the body lumen, the expandable member extending around a radial perimeter of the third elongated body and being selectively radially expandable from the radial perimeter of the third elongated body for contacting a wall of the body lumen.

17 . The catheter system of claim 6 , wherein the first catheter further comprises an expandable member coupled to an outer surface of the first distal end portion of the first elongated body for securing the first catheter within the body lumen, the expandable member extending around a radial perimeter of the first elongated body and being selectively radially expandable from the radial perimeter of the first elongated body for contacting a wall of the body lumen.

18 . A catheter system comprising:

a first catheter including a first elongated body having a first proximal end portion, a first distal end portion, and first and second lumens extending from the first proximal end portion to the first distal end portion;

a second catheter slidably disposed within the first lumen of the first catheter, the second catheter including a second elongated body having a second distal end portion and a second proximal end portion, the second distal end portion of the second catheter including a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the first catheter when the second distal end portion is extended from the first lumen of the first catheter; and

a third catheter slidably disposed within the second lumen of the first catheter, the third catheter including a third elongated body having a third distal end portion and a third proximal end portion, the third distal end portion of the third catheter including a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first catheter when the third distal end portion is extended from the second lumen of the first catheter.

19 . The catheter system of claim 18 ,

wherein the second proximal end portion comprises a first directional indicator that indicates a radial direction at which the second distal end portion extends from the longitudinal axis, and

wherein the third proximal end portion comprises a second directional indicator that indicates a radial direction at which the third distal end portion extends from the longitudinal axis.

20 . The catheter system of claim 18 further comprising a fourth catheter including a fourth elongated body having a fourth proximal end portion and a fourth distal end portion, the fourth elongated body defining a lumen extending from the fourth proximal end portion to the fourth distal end portion, wherein the first catheter, the second catheter, and the third catheter are slidably disposed in the lumen of the fourth catheter.

21 . The catheter system of claim 20 , wherein the fourth catheter is an endotracheal tube.

22 . The catheter system of claim 20 , wherein the fourth catheter further comprises an expandable member coupled to an outer surface of the fourth distal end portion of the fourth elongated body for securing the fourth catheter within the body lumen, the expandable member extending around a radial perimeter of the fourth elongated body and being selectively radially expandable from the radial perimeter of the fourth elongated body for contacting a wall of the body lumen.

23 . The catheter system of claim 18 ,

wherein the second catheter comprises at least one pull wire to articulate the second distal end portion of the second elongated body, and

wherein the third catheter comprises at least one pull wire to articulate the third distal end portion of the third elongated body.

24 . The catheter system of claim 18 , wherein the first catheter further comprises an expandable member coupled to an outer surface of the first distal end portion of the first elongated body for securing the first catheter within the body lumen, the expandable member extending around a radial perimeter of the first elongated body and being selectively radially expandable from the radial perimeter of the first elongated body for contacting a wall of the body lumen.

25 . The catheter system of claim 18 ,

wherein the first lumen of the first catheter further comprises a first key joint component,

wherein the second lumen of the first catheter further comprises a second key joint component,

wherein the second catheter further comprises a third key joint component that corresponds with the first key joint component of the first lumen of the first catheter, wherein the first key joint component and the third key joint component are configured to be coupled together such that a rotational orientation of the second catheter is fixed relative to a rotational orientation of the first catheter, and

wherein the third catheter further comprises a fourth key joint component that corresponds with the second key joint component of the second lumen of the first catheter, wherein the second key joint component and the fourth key joint component are configured to be coupled together such that a rotational orientation of the third catheter is fixed relative to a rotational orientation of the first catheter.

26 . The catheter system of claim 18 ,

wherein the second elongated body of the second catheter defines a lumen extending from the second proximal end portion to the second distal end portion,

wherein the third elongated body of the third catheter defines a lumen extending from the third proximal end portion to the third distal end portion, and

wherein the lumen of the second catheter and the lumen of the third catheter are configured to aspirate a substance from the body lumen.

27 . A method of using a catheter system, comprising:

inserting an outer catheter into a first body lumen;

coupling a key joint component on an inner catheter with a key joint component in a lumen of the outer catheter to fix a rotational orientation of the inner catheter relative to a rotational orientation of the outer catheter about the longitudinal axis of the body lumen; and

advancing a distal end portion of the inner catheter away from a distal end portion of the outer catheter and into a second body lumen, the second body lumen branching from the first body lumen.

28 . The method of claim 27 ,

wherein the distal end portion of the inner catheter includes a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body lumen, and

wherein coupling the key joint component on the inner catheter with the key joint component in the lumen of the outer catheter includes aligning with the second body lumen a direction at which the distal end portion extends from the longitudinal axis of the first body lumen.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the first body lumen is a trachea, and wherein the second body lumen is a main bronchus.

30 . The method of claim 27 further comprising

coupling a key joint component on a second inner catheter with a key joint component in a second lumen of the outer catheter to fix a rotational orientation of the second inner catheter relative to the rotational orientation of the outer catheter about the longitudinal axis of the body lumen; and

advancing a distal end portion of the second inner catheter away from the distal end portion of the outer catheter and into a third body lumen, the third body lumen branching from the first body lumen.

31 . The method of claim 30 ,

wherein the distal end portion of the second inner catheter includes a pre-formed bend that extends at a non-zero angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the first body lumen, and

wherein coupling the key joint component on the second inner catheter with the key joint component in the second lumen of the outer catheter includes aligning with the third body lumen a direction at which the distal end portion of the second inner catheter extends from the longitudinal axis of the first body lumen.

32 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the direction at which the distal end portion of the second inner catheter extends from the longitudinal axis of the first body lumen is away from the direction at which the distal end portion of the first inner catheter extends from the longitudinal axis of the first body lumen.

33 . The method of claim 30 ,

wherein the first body lumen is a trachea,

wherein the second body lumen is a right main bronchus, and

wherein the third body lumen is a left main bronchus.