System and method for controlling and monitoring flow in an endotracheal tube
Inventors
Deutsch, Israel • Efrati, Shai • Venkert, Yoav • Azizi, Moshe • Vakrat, Yizhaq • Gelberg, Vitali
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12409286-B2
Publication Date
2025-09-09
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system for controlling and monitoring flow in a cuffed endotracheal tube device is disclosed. The system comprises: a connector panel having at least three connectors adapted for establishing fluid communication with proximal ends of at least a first fluid line, a second fluid line and a cuff inflation line of the endotracheal tube device. The system can further comprise a processing unit and a control unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to instruct the control unit to execute various operations, including at least a rinsing procedure, a suctioning procedure, a cuff inflation procedure, a leak detection procedure and a venting procedure, and to select any of the first and the second fluid lines for any of the rinsing, suctioning, leak detection and venting procedures. In some embodiments, the system exploits the cuff as sensor to sense pulmonary data.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a cuffed endotracheal-tube control and monitoring approach in which a cuff inflatable via a cuff inflation line is subjected to inflation, followed by analyzing variations in cuff pressure. Based on the analysis, occlusion in the cuff inflation line is identified and the occlusion is opened by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at a series of time points, wherein a frequency characterizing the series of time points is at least 1 Hz.
The described processing uses the cuff and cuff-pressure variations as sensor information to infer airway-related conditions, including leak or sealing status and cuff rupture or puncture. Leak or sealing status is associated with monitoring and proxy measures, including CO2 monitoring, and cuff rupture or puncture is associated with detecting pressure-spike frequency characteristics, including statistically significant frequency of pressure spikes and power spectrum density.
The disclosure includes additional monitoring and event detection based on intra-cuff pressure variations, including detection of events such as coughing, and identification of cuff-line occlusion using features such as loss of respiratory correlation and frequency-domain analysis, including Fourier Transform and frequency-domain or power-spectrum analysis of pressure variations. It also documents apparatus operation phases and a closed-loop cuff pressure control concept, with clearing and occlusion-prevention using forcing air into the cuff inflation line according to selected profiles.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent claims, both focused on analyzing variations in cuff pressure to identify occlusion in the cuff inflation line and opening the occlusion by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at a series of time points characterized by a frequency of at least 1 Hz.
Cuff-pressure-variation-based occlusion identification and occlusion opening by forced air timing
A method of ventilating a subject by intubating the subject with a cuffed endotracheal tube device having at least a main tube and a cuff inflation line; connecting the main tube to a ventilation machine; inflating the cuff via the cuff inflation line; analyzing variations in cuff pressure; based on the analysis, identifying occlusion in the cuff inflation line; and opening the occlusion by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at a series of time points, wherein a frequency characterizing the series of time points is at least 1 Hz.
System for occlusion identification in the cuff inflation line using pump-driven cuff inflation and forced-air timing
A system for identify occlusion in a cuff inflation line of an endotracheal tube device having a cuff inflatable via the cuff inflation line, comprising a pump in fluid communication with the cuff inflation line; and a processing unit configured to instruct a controller to operate the pump to inflate the cuff, to analyze variations in cuff pressure, to identify occlusion in the cuff inflation line based on the analysis, and to operate the pump to open the occlusion at least by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at a series of time points, wherein a frequency characterizing the series of time points is at least 1 Hz.
Across the independent claims, occlusion is identified from analyzed variations in cuff pressure and then opened by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at a series of time points, with the series time-point frequency being at least 1 Hz. The disclosure further narrows the analysis basis in dependent claims and specifies analysis and forcing profiles in dependent claims.
Stated Advantages
Enables identification of occlusion in the cuff inflation line based on analyzed cuff pressure variations.
Opens the identified occlusion by forcing air into the cuff inflation line at series time points characterized by a frequency of at least 1 Hz.
Documented Applications
Ventilating a subject by intubating with a cuffed endotracheal tube device and managing cuff inflation line occlusion.
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