Catheter for cleaning of tracheal ventilation tubes

1. Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube; and a manifold, which:

is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so as to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and

comprises an obstruction element, which is (a) moveable with respect to (i) the ventilator port and (ii) the expandable element, and (b) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the obstruction element, at least during proximal withdrawal of the expandable element directly across the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the manifold is configured such that the obstruction element, when in the obstruction state, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and the tubular chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable element comprises an inflatable element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the inflatable element comprises an inflatable balloon.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable element is mounted to the elongate tube at a site along a distal-most portion of the elongate tube, which distal-most portion has a length equal to 30% of a total length of the elongate tube.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the expandable element is mounted to the elongate tube at a site within 20 mm of a distal end of the elongate tube.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , for use with a suction source, wherein a distal portion of the cleaning catheter comprises one or more distal suction orifices, which are disposed proximally to the expandable element, and which are in fluid connection with the suction source.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the obstruction element is shaped so as to define a lateral opening having a cross-sectional area of between 1 mm2 and 25 mm2.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the manifold is configured such that the plurality of states further includes an air-flow state, in which state the obstruction element, at least when the expandable element is disposed distally to the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, allows air flow between the ventilator port and the at least a portion of the proximal surface of the expandable element at a greater level than when the obstruction element is in the obstruction state.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the obstruction element, when in the air-flow state, is configured to allow the air flow between the ventilator port and the at least a portion of the proximal surface of the expandable element at at least twice the level occurring when the obstruction element is in the obstruction state.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the obstruction element, when in the air-flow, is configured to allow the air flow between the ventilator port and the at least a portion of the proximal surface of the expandable element at at least 5 times the level occurring when the obstruction element is in the obstruction state.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the manifold is configured such that the plurality of states further includes an open state, in which state the obstruction element allows air flow between the ventilator port and the tracheal ventilation tube via the tubular chamber, at least when the expandable element is disposed proximally to the ventilator port.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the manifold is configured such that the plurality of states further includes a partially-open state, in which state the obstruction element allows a lower level of the air flow between the ventilator port and the tracheal ventilation tube than when the obstruction element is in the open state.

14. Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube; and a manifold, which:

is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so as to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and

comprises an obstruction element, which is (a) moveable with respect to (i) the ventilator port and (ii) the expandable element, and (b) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the obstruction element, at least during proximal withdrawal of the expandable element past the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element; and

wherein the manifold is configured such that the proximal withdrawal of the expandable element, while the expandable element is expanded, automatically transitions the obstruction element out of the obstruction state.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the manifold is configured such that:

the plurality of states further includes an open state, in which state the obstruction element allows air flow between the ventilator port and the tracheal ventilation tube via the tubular chamber, at least when the expandable element is disposed proximally to the ventilator port, and

the proximal withdrawal of the expandable element, while the expandable element is expanded, automatically transitions the obstruction element out of the obstruction state into the open state.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the manifold is configured such that at least one site of the obstruction element is longitudinally fixed with respect to the tubular chamber.

17. Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube; and a manifold, which:

is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so as to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and

comprises an obstruction element, which is (a) moveable with respect to (i) the ventilator port and (ii) the expandable element, and (b) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the obstruction element, at least during proximal withdrawal of the expandable element past the ventilator port while the expandable element is expanded, inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element; and

wherein the obstruction element comprises a flap, which is disposed within the tubular chamber and is attached to the lateral wall of the tubular chamber, and

wherein the manifold is configured such that when the flap is in the obstruction state, the flap covers the ventilator port and inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and the at least a portion of the proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the flap is attached to the lateral wall at or proximal to a proximal end of the ventilator port.

19. Apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a ventilator, the apparatus comprising:

a cleaning catheter, which comprises an elongate tube and an expandable element, which is mounted to the elongate tube, and is expandable into contact with an inner surface of the tracheal ventilation tube; and a manifold, which:

is shaped so as to define (a) a tubular chamber, which is shaped so to allow passage therethrough of the cleaning catheter, and which has an inlet for the cleaning catheter at a proximal end of the tubular chamber, (b) a ventilator port in a lateral wall of the tubular chamber, which ventilator port is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with the ventilator, and (c) a tracheal ventilation tube port, which is configured to be coupled in fluid communication with a proximal end of the tracheal ventilation tube, and

comprises a flap which is (a) disposed within the tubular chamber, (b) attached to the lateral wall of the tubular chamber, and (c) configured to assume a plurality of states, including an obstruction state, in which state the flap covers the ventilator port and inhibits air flow between the ventilator port and at least a portion of a proximally-facing external surface of the expandable element.