Secretion clearing patient airway management system

Abstract

A pulmonary secretion clearing airway structure and related airway management system is disclosed that has a double lumen portion which each lumen of the double lumen portion operably secured to an airway management system so that inspiratory fluid (air/oxygen mixtures, with or without added water vapor) is delivered to the distal end of the ventilation catheter through one of the two lumens and expired inspiratory fluid, pulmonary secretions, and pulmonary fluids are removed from the patient through the other lumen. The expiratory fluid pathway preferably includes a secretion collection system for removing the pulmonary secretions and the like from the pathway, thereby improving operation and safety of the system. The airway structure can be a ventilation catheter or a supraglottic airway system such as laryngeal mask and the like.

1 . A airway structure for operably securing a patient to an airway management system that has a new inspiratory fluid path and an expiratory fluid path, said airway structure having:
 an opening toward a distal end for allowing new inspiratory fluid from the airway management system to flow into a patient and used inspiratory fluid from the patient to flow back to the airway management system;   a double lumen portion defining a first lumen and a second lumen, said double lumen portion sized to be received within a patient's mouth and extend into the patient's throat;   said first lumen pneumatically connected to the new inspiratory fluid path; and,   said second lumen pneumatically connected to said expiratory fluid path.   
   
   
       2 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , wherein said structure is a ventilation catheter. 
   
   
       3 . The ventilation catheter of  claim 2 , wherein said double lumen portion is formed from a single lumen with an elongate wall extending therethrough, thereby defining said first lumen and said second lumen therein. 
   
   
       4 . The ventilation catheter of  claim 2 , wherein said first lumen and said second lumen pneumatically join together to define a single lumen portion, said single lumen portion positioned toward the distal end of the ventilation catheter. 
   
   
       5 . The ventilation catheter of  claim 4 , wherein said double lumen portion is formed by securing said second lumen substantially perpendicular to said first lumen, thereby defining a substantially straight path from said first lumen through said single lumen portion. 
   
   
       6 . The ventilation catheter of  claim 1 , further including a bite protector slidably secured to the double lumen portion. 
   
   
       7 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , wherein said expiratory fluid path includes a secretion collector for collecting pulmonary secretions and pulmonary fluids collected from the patient through the expiratory fluid path. 
   
   
       8 . The airway structure of  claim 12 , wherein said secretion collector includes a secretion chamber for collecting secretions therein. 
   
   
       9 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , further including a check-valve operably secured to at least one said first lumen and said second lumen to prevent inadvertent pneumatic back flow. 
   
   
       10 . The airway structure of  claim 14 , further including a second check valve operably secured to the other of said at least one said first lumen and said second lumen. 
   
   
       11 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , further including a check valve in the second lumen thereby preventing inadvertent backflow from the expiratory fluid path toward the distal end of the airway structure. 
   
   
       12 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , wherein said airway structure is a laryngeal mask. 
   
   
       13 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , wherein said airway structure includes an inflatable bowl toward said distal end. 
   
   
       14 . The airway structure of  claim 12 , further including a regurgitation monitor operably secured thereto. 
   
   
       15 . The airway structure of  claim 14 , wherein said regurgitation monitor includes a sensor in communication with a computer system. 
   
   
       16 . The airway structure of  claim 14 , wherein said computer system is in communication with a ventilator pump and said computer system modulates said ventilator pump in response to a detected presence of regurgitation. 
   
   
       17 . The airway structure of  claim 13 , wherein the distal end of said first lumen extends further into said bowl than said second lumen, and said second lumen is positioned below said first lumen when said airway structure is in use on a patient. 
   
   
       18 . The airway structure of  claim 1 , wherein said airway structure includes a transpharyngeal-positioned inspiratory fluid delivery tube with pharyngeal and esophageal inflatable cuffs operably secured thereto, and said first and second lumens are operably received within said transpharyngeal-positioned inspiratory fluid delivery tube.