I claim:
1. A medical suction catheter comprising in combination: 2 (a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second lumens extending the entire length of said tube member, the first 4 lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent lumen; 6 (b) said tube member having first and second open proximal ends, the first open end for the suction lumen and the second open end for the 8 vent lumen;
(c) said tube member having an open distal end for the suction lumen ιo for receiving the contents to be withdrawn from the organ of a patient; i2 (d) said first open end of the suction lumen at the distal end of said long, flexible tube member being covered with a soft, resilient and ι4 fluid porous member;
(e) a plurality of vent apertures situated near the distal end of said tube i6 member, said plurality of vent apertures being spaced-apart longitudinally from each other and from the distal end of said tube is member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures extending from within said vent lumen out through the wall to the 20 outside surface of said tube member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures being adapted for the passage of air
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from within the vent lumen into the organ of the patient as the contents of the organ are being withdrawn from the organ into the open distal end of said suction lumen of said catheter.
2. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein the open end of the suction lumen at the distal end of said long, flexible tube member is covered with a soft, resilient and fluid porous member.
3. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein the vent lumen at the distal end of said long, flexible tube is sealed closed.
4. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures situated near the distal end of said long, flexible tube includes at least two spaced-apart vent apertures, and wherein at least one of said two spaced-apart vent apertures is located at a distance said open end of said suction lumen by an amount sufficient to assure that it is above the level of the contents in the organ of the patient as the contents in the organ are being withdrawn through the suction lumen.
5. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures situated near the distal end of said long, flexible tube includes at least three spaced-apart vent apertures, and wherein at least one of said three spaced- apart vent apertures is spaced from said open end of said suction lumen by a distance sufficient to assure that air within the vent lumen will pass through said one vent aperture into the organ of the patient above the level of the contents to be withdrawn from the
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organ.
6. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein the cross-sectional
2 area of each of aid plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures is approximately equal to the
cross-sectional area of said vent lumen.
7. A nasogastric suction catheter comprising in combination:
2 (a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second
lumens extending the length of said flexible tube member, the first
4 lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent
lumen;
β (b) said flexible tube member having first and second open proximal
ends, the first open end for the suction lumen and the second open
8 end for the vent lumen;
(c) said flexible tube member having an open distal end;
ιo (d) a short, soft, hollow distal end member having an open proximal
end bonded to the distal end of said flexible tube member, said
i2 hollow distal end member having cylindrical lumen with a diameter
approximately equal to the outer diameter of the distal end of said
i4 flexible tube member, said hollow distal end member having a
plurality of longitudinally extending spaced-apart ridges upon the
i6 outer surface thereof, said plurality of spaced-apart ridges being
parallel to each other, the space lying between said spaced-apart,
is parallel ridges and on the outer surface of said soft, hollow distal
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end member forming troughs between said ridges, said troughs
2 being open at each of their ends;
(e) a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart suction apertures located
4 between said parallel ridges and within the troughs of said soft,
hollow distal end member, said plurality of suction apertures
6 extending through the bottom of said troughs into the cylindrical
lumen of said soft, hollow distal end member; and
8 (f) a plurality of vent apertures situated in said flexible tube member,
said plurality of vent apertures being spaced apart longitudinally
ιo from each other and from the proximal end of said soft, hollow
distal end member bonded to the distal end of said flexible tube
i2 member, each of said spaced-apart vent apertures extending from
within said vent lumen out through the wall to the outside surface of
i4 said flexible tube member the distance between adjacent spaced-
apart vent apertures being approximately equal to the length of said
i6 soft, hollow distal end member.
8. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 7 wherein the distance
2 between the proximal end of said short, hollow distal end member, bonded to the distal
end of said flexible tube, and the nearest longitudinally spaced vent aperture is
4 approximately equal to the length of said short, soft, hollow distal end member.
9. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 7, wherein the vent
2 lumen at the distal end of said flexible tube is sealed closed.
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10. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 7, wherein said short,
2 soft, hollow distal end member has a hollow, rounded, flexible distal tip, said hollow,
rounded, flexible distal tip being resiliently collapsible upon its encounter with any
4 obstruction during intubation of the suction catheter through the naris, esophagus,
esophago-gastric sphincter, and into the stomach of a patient, said hollow, rounded,
6 flexible distal tip returning to its original shape after passing through any such
obstruction.
11. In a medical suction catheter comprising
2 (a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second
lumens extending the entire length of said tube member, the first
4 lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent
lumen of less diameter than said suction lumen;
6 (b) said tube member having first and second open proximal ends, the
first open end for the suction lumen and the second open end for the
8 vent lumen;
(c) said tube member having an open distal end for the suction lumen
ιo for receiving the contents to be withdrawn from the organ of a
patient; the improvement comprising a plurality of vent apertures
i2 situated near the distal end of said tube member, said plurality of
vent apertures being spaced-apart longitudinally from each other and
i4 from the distal end of said tube member, each of said plurality of
spaced-apart vent apertures extending from within said vent lumen
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out through the wall to the outside surface of said tube member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures being adapted for the passage of air from within the vent lumen into the organ of the patient as the contents of the organ are being withdrawn from the organ into the open distal end of said suction lumen of said catheter.
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AMENDED CLAIMS
[received by the International Bureau on 15 June 1999 (15.06.99); original claims 1-11 replaced by new claims 1-10 (5 pages)]
1. A medical suction catheter comprising in combination:
(a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second lumens extending the entire length of said tube member, the first lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent lumen, the cross-sectional area of said suction lumen being larger than the cross-sectional area of said vent lumen;
(b) said tube member having first and second open proximal ends, the first open end for said suction lumen and the second open end for said vent lumen;
(c) said tube member having an open distal end for said suction lumen for receiving the contents to be withdrawn from the organ of a patient;
(d) a plurality of vent apertures situated near the distal end of said tube member, said plurality of vent apertures being spaced-apart longitudinally from each other and from the distal end of said tube member, the cross-sectional area of each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures being approximately equal to the cross-sectional area of said vent lumen and each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures extending from within said vent lumen out through the wall to the outside surface of said tube member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures being adapted for the passage of air from within said vent lumen into the organ of the patient as the contents of the organ are being withdrawn from the organ into said open distal end of said suction lumen, the distance between said spaced-apart vent apertures being
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approximately equal to the distance between said open distal end of said suction lumen and the vent aperture nearest said open distal end of said suction lumen.
2. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein the open end of said suction lumen at said open distal end of said long, flexible tube member is covered with a soft, resilient and fluid porous member.
3. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein said vent lumen at said open distal end of said long, flexible tube is sealed closed.
4. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures situated near said open distal end of said long, flexible tube includes at least two spaced-apart vent apertures, and wherein at least one of said two spaced- apart vent apertures is located at a distance from said open end of said suction lumen by an amount sufficient to assure that it is above the level of the contents in the organ of the patient as the contents in the organ are being withdrawn through said suction lumen.
5. The medical suction catheter as defined by Claim 1 wherein said plurality of spaced- apart vent apertures situated near said open distal end of said long, flexible tube includes at least three spaced-apart vent apertures, and wherein at least one of said three spaced-apart vent apertures is spaced from said open end of said suction lumen by a distance sufficient to assure that air within the vent lumen will pass through said one vent aperture into the organ of the patient above the level of the contents to be withdrawn from the organ.
6. A nasogastric suction catheter comprising in combination:
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(a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second lumens extending the length of said flexible tube member, the first lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent lumen;
(b) said flexible tube member having first and second open proximal ends, the first open end for the suction lumen and the second open end for the vent lumen;
(c) said flexible tube member having an open distal end;
(d) a short, soft, hollow distal end member having an open proximal end bonded to the distal end of said flexible tube member, said hollow distal end member having cylindrical lumen with a diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the distal end of said flexible tube member, said hollow distal end member having a plurality of longitudinally extending spaced-apart ridges upon the outer surface thereof, said plurality of spaced-apart ridges being parallel to each other, the space lying between said spaced-apart, parallel ridges and on the outer surface of said soft, hollow distal end member forming troughs between said ridges, said troughs being open at each of their ends;
(e) a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart suction apertures located between said parallel ridges and within the troughs of said soft, hollow distal end member, said plurality of suction apertures extending through the bottom of said troughs into the cylindrical lumen of said soft, hollow distal end member; and
(f) a plurality of vent apertures situated in said flexible tube member, said plurality of vent apertures being spaced apart longitudinally from each other and from the proximal end of said soft, hollow distal end member bonded to the distal end of said flexible tube member, each of said spaced-apart vent apertures
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extending from within said vent lumen out through the wall to the outside surface of said flexible tube member the distance between adjacent spaced-apart vent apertures being approximately equal to the length of said soft, hollow distal end member.
7. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 6 wherein the distance between the proximal end of said short, hollow distal end member, bonded to the distal end of said flexible tube, and the nearest longitudinally spaced vent aperture is approximately equal to the length of said short, soft, hollow distal end member.
8. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 6, wherein the vent lumen at the distal end of said flexible tube is sealed closed.
9. The nasogastric suction catheter as defined by Claim 6, wherein said short, soft, hollow distal end member has a hollow, rounded, flexible distal tip, said hollow, rounded, flexible distal tip being resiliently collapsible upon its encounter with any obstruction during intubation of the suction catheter through the naris, esophagus, esophago-gastric sphincter, and into the stomach of a patient, said hollow, rounded, flexible distal tip returning to its original shape after passing through any such obstruction.
10. In a medical suction catheter comprising:
(a) a long, flexible tube member having independent first and second lumens extending the entire length of said tube member, the first lumen being a suction lumen and the second lumen being a vent lumen;
(b) said tube member having first and second open proximal ends, the first
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open end for the suction lumen and the second open end for the vent lumen;
(c) said tube member having an open distal end for the suction lumen for receiving the contents to be withdrawn from the organ of a patient; the improvement comprising said vent lumen being of lesser diameter than said suction lumen and a plurality of vent apertures situated near the distal end of said tube member, the cross-sectional area of each of said plurality of spaced- apart vent apertures being approximately equal to the cross-sectional area of said vent lumen and said plurality of vent apertures being spaced-apart longitudinally from each other and from the distal end of said tube member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures extending from within said vent lumen out through the wall to the outside surface of said tube member, each of said plurality of spaced-apart vent apertures being adapted for the passage of air from within the vent lumen into the organ of the patient as the contents of the organ are being withdrawn from the organ into the open distal end of said suction lumen of said catheter.
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STATEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 19
In response to the International Searching Authority's International Search Report mailed June 19, 1998, applicant submits the following as his comments allowed under
Article 19(1).
With respect to all of the references of record, none discloses a medical suction catheter having the combination of elements set forth in the claims and also in addition, not having a plurality of vent apertures the cross-sectional area of which is approximately equal to the cross- sectional area of the vent lumen. Additionally, the distance between the spaced-apart vent apertures is approximately equal to the distance between the open distal end of the suction lumen and the vent aperture nearest the open distal end of the suction lumen. Additionally, without objection. It is not believed that any additional fees are due. However, in the event any additional fees are due, the United States Patent and Trademark Office is authorized to charge Applicant's Attorney's Deposit Account No. 03-2030.
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