US 12,434,027 B2
Mechanical user control elements for fluid input module
Oron Zachar, Tel Aviv (IL); Yair Ramot, Kfar Maas (IL); and Eizik Amar, Ashdod (IL)
Assigned to AIRWAY MEDIX S.A., Warsaw (PL)
Filed by AIRWAY MEDIX S.A., Warsaw (PL)
Filed on Nov. 9, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/983,657.
Application 17/983,657 is a continuation of application No. 16/628,999, abandoned, previously published as PCT/IB2018/054929, filed on Jul. 3, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/528,673, filed on Jul. 5, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0321379 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/0463 (2013.01) [A61M 16/0003 (2014.02); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2209/10 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for use with a tracheal ventilation tube and a suction source, the apparatus comprising:
(A) a cleaning catheter, which is insertable into the ventilation tube and comprises:
(i) an elongate, flexible, tubular catheter main body, which is shaped so as to define
(a) one or more distal suction orifices, (b) a suction-orifice lumen, and (c) an inflatable element lumen: and
(ii) an inflatable element, which is mounted to the catheter main body, and which is shaped so as to define an interior that is in fluid communication with the inflatable-element lumen; and
(B) an input module, which is coupled to the cleaning catheter, and comprises:
(i) an inflation module, which comprises an inflation chamber separate from the suction source;
(ii) a flow regulator, which is shaped so as to define a suction port coupleable in fluid communication with the suction source; and
(iii) a plurality of mechanical user-control buttons, which comprise:
(1) a mechanical inflation-chamber-control button, which is configured to (a) assume at least a first spatial position when not depressed, and a second spatial position when fully depressed, and (b) mechanically and non-electrically cause an increase in pressure in an interior of the inflation chamber during a transition of the mechanical inflation-chamber-control button from its first spatial position toward its second spatial position; and
(2) one or more non-inflation-chamber-control buttons, which are not configured upon depression thereof to cause the increase in pressure in the interior of the inflation chamber,
wherein the input module is arranged such that, if suction having a strength of 25 cm H2O and a flow rate of 4 cc/second is applied to the suction port:
a pressure within the inflatable element is less than 25 cm H2O at two seconds after completing, and while maintaining, depression of the mechanical inflation-chamber-control button as far as possible toward its second spatial position and without depression of any of the other mechanical user-control buttons of the input module,
wherein the input module is arranged such that upon depression of the mechanical inflation-chamber-control button as far as possible toward its second spatial position and without depression of any of the other mechanical user-control buttons of the input module, the flow regulator does not connect the interior of the inflation chamber in fluid communication with the interior of the inflatable element.