US 12,268,813 B2
Biofilm removal device for endotracheal tubes
Morgan Bohrer, Ridgefield, CT (US); Stephen Hahn, Johns Creek, GA (US); Michael L'Ecuyer, New Orleans, LA (US); and Alexandra Verne, Northbrook, IL (US)
Filed by Morgan Bohrer, Ridgefield, CT (US); Stephen Hahn, Johns Creek, GA (US); Michael L'Ecuyer, New Orleans, LA (US); and Alexandra Verne, Northbrook, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/508,955.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/104,521, filed on Oct. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0126043 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 90/70 (2016.01); A61M 16/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/0463 (2013.01) [A61M 16/0475 (2014.02); A61B 90/70 (2016.02); A61M 2205/02 (2013.01); A61M 2209/10 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for removing biofilm from an inner surface of an endotracheal tube, comprising:
a hollow catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis,
a tip having a longitudinal axis, said tip comprising:
a cylindrical central portion having a hollow longitudinal channel, and
a fin having a helical shape and a pitch; and
a housing having a proximal end and distal end at said proximal end of said hollow catheter, said housing comprising:
a cylindrical shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, a central longitudinal channel and a plurality of holes on a surface of said shaft, each of the plurality of said holes leading to said longitudinal channel, and
an opening;
wherein said tip is connected to said distal end of said hollow catheter such that said longitudinal axis of said tip aligns with said longitudinal axis of said hollow catheter;
wherein said fin is positioned about a circumference of said cylindrical central portion of said tip such that the pitch of said fin defines a channel along the circumference of said cylindrical central portion;
wherein said hollow catheter and said tip are configured to rotate about said longitudinal axes such that said fin has a rotational motion;
wherein the combination of said tip and said hollow catheter is configured to be inserted, tip-first, into an endotracheal tube having biofilm on the inner surface of said endotracheal tube;
wherein said fin is configured to contact the inner surface of said endotracheal tube such that said rotational motion of said fin dislodges said biofilm from the inner surface of said endotracheal tube;
wherein said fin is further configured to retain said dislodged biofilm within said channel along the circumference of said cylindrical central portion;
wherein said hollow catheter and said hollow longitudinal channel are configured such that airflow through said endotracheal tube is not interrupted while said device is inserted therein;
wherein the distal end of said housing is configured to receive said proximal end of said hollow catheter;
wherein the proximal end of said hollow catheter connects to the distal end of said cylindrical shaft such that a rotational force applied to said cylindrical shaft is also applied to said hollow catheter;
wherein the proximal end of said housing is configured to allow a portion of said cylindrical shaft to protrude from the proximal end of said housing;
wherein said portion of said cylindrical shaft protruding from the proximal end of said housing is configured such that a torque applied to said portion results in the rotation of said cylindrical shaft, said hollow catheter, and said tip; and
wherein said opening, said plurality of holes, said longitudinal channel of said cylindrical shaft, said hollow catheter, and said hollow longitudinal channel of said tip are configured such that airflow through said endotracheal tube is not interrupted while said tip and said hollow catheter are inserted therein.