Adjustment of endotracheal tube cuff filling

Inventors

Efrati, Shai • Deutsch, Israel

Assignees

Hospitech Respiration Ltd

Abstract

A method of intubating a subject is disclosed. The method comprises inserting an endotracheal tube into the tracheal airway of the subject; inflating a cuff associated with the endotracheal tube within the airway below the vocal cords; measuring a level of at least one measure being indicative of leakage of secretion past the cuff to the lungs; comparing the level of the measure with an optimal level of the measure; and adjusting inflation of the cuff based on the comparison so as to generally minimize leakage of secretion from above the cuff to the lungs, while minimizing pressure associated damages to the airway. The measure(s) can be carbon dioxide concentration, a proxy measure from which such concentration can be inferred, or the level of one or more additives delivered to a subject during intubation.

Core Innovation

An intubation method for a subject having an airway ending with lungs and vocal cords is provided. An endotracheal tube is inserted into the airway and a cuff associated with the endotracheal tube is inflated within the airway below the vocal cords. Breathing gas is delivered through the endotracheal tube into the lungs while an identifiable additive is delivered into the lungs or to a location outside the endotracheal tube and outside the cuff.

A level of the identifiable additive is monitored at a monitoring location in the body of the subject to identify leakage of secretions near the cuff outside the endotracheal tube. Cuff inflation is adjusted based on the monitoring so as to generally minimize leakage of secretions from above the cuff to the lungs while minimizing pressure associated damages to the airway.

A system for intubating a subject includes an endotracheal tube adapted to be inserted into the airway with a cuff capable of being inflated below the vocal cords. A measuring device measures at least one measure indicative of leakage of secretion from above the cuff to the lungs, where the at least one measure is other than carbon dioxide concentration between the cuff and the vocal cords. An inflating device adjusts cuff inflation based on signals received from the measuring device in a closed loop control to generally minimize leakage of secretion from above the cuff to the lungs while minimizing pressure associated damages to the airway.

Claims Coverage

The document provides three independent claims. Across these claims, the inventive coverage centers on cuff inflation control driven by monitoring leakage using an identifiable additive or a non-carbon dioxide leakage-indicating measure, with closed-loop adjustment to minimize leakage while minimizing pressure associated damage.

Across the independent claims, cuff inflation is controlled using a leakage-indicating measurement. One approach uses monitored levels of at least one identifiable additive to identify leakage of secretions near the cuff, while other embodiments use a measuring device providing at least one measure indicative of leakage where the measure is other than carbon dioxide concentration between the cuff and the vocal cords. In each case, an inflating device adjusts cuff inflation in communication with the measuring device to form a closed-loop control that generally minimizes secretion leakage from above the cuff to the lungs while minimizing pressure associated damages to the airway.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications