A ventilating and aspirating assembly comprising an aspirating catheter tube internally disposed within and coextensive with a surrounding flexible collapsible sterility preserving film envelope, a connector by which ventilating air is involuntarily delivered to and exhausted from the lungs of a medical patient, said connector comprising structure which accommodates the manual insertion of the catheter tube into and manual removal from the trachea/bronchi patient through the connector. This facilitates aspiration of undesired respiratory fluids. The assembly further comprises a detachable connection site for one end of the envelope to the connector and a valve by which aspirating vacuum pressure is selectively communicated to the interior of the catheter tube for evacuation of said respiratory fluids, the valve comprising structure isolating the vacuum pressure from the atmosphere, structure by which the valve is placed in either of a locked and an unlocked condition and structure normally biasing and sealing the valve in a closed position, but accommodating manual displacement counter to the bias into an unsealed open position whereby, with the catheter tube indwelling in the lungs of the patient, the vacuum pressure causes evacuation of fluid from the patient's respiratory system through the catheter tube, and a detachable connection site for the other end of the envelope to the valve.

Apparatus for respiratory therapy, which is particularly useful in a neonatal context, and related methods, the apparatus comprising an adaptor for connection to the exposed fitting of an indwelling endotracheal tube of any one of several types to an aspirating apparatus which may include ventilating capacity. The adaptor includes an appendage by which a lavage solution can be selectively introduced into the lungs of a patient through the indwelling endotracheal tube to loosen secretions without necessarily interrupting the ventilation cycle or requiring that the ventilating circuit be broken. The apparatus also comprises a fitting at one end of an aspirating/ventilating apparatus which has low dead space, alleviating the incidence of inadvertent disconnection and trauma induced by unintended displacement of the end fitting and accommodating not only aspiration and ventilation but also monitoring of certain vital indicators to allow prompt medical response to contraindications. The apparatus further comprises a manual stationary insertion guide for introduction of the suction catheter tube into the respiratory system of the patient and control stop structure which accommodates insertion into the respiratory system of the patient of only a predetermined length of the suction catheter tube. The apparatus also comprises structure by which the flow of secretions through the suction catheter tube can be visually monitored.

Apparatus for respiratory therapy, which is particularly useful in a neonatal context, and related methods, the apparatus comprising an adaptor for connection to the exposed fitting of an indwelling endotracheal tube of any one of several types to an aspirating apparatus which may include ventilating capacity. The adaptor includes an appendage by which a lavage solution can be selectively introduced into the lungs of a patient through the indwelling endotracheal tube to loosen secretions without necessarily interrupting the ventilation cycle or requiring that the ventilating circuit be broken. The apparatus also comprises a fitting at one end of an aspirating/ventilating apparatus which has low dead space, alleviating the incidence of inadvertent disconnection and trauma induced by unintended displacement of the end fitting and accommodating not only aspiration and ventilation but also monitoring of certain vital indicators to allow prompt medical response to contraindications. The apparatus further comprises a manual stationary insertion guide for introduction of the suction catheter tube into the respiratory system of the patient and control stop structure which accommodates insertion into the respiratory system of the patient of only a predetermined length of the suction catheter tube. The apparatus also comprises structure by which the flow of secretions through the suction catheter tube can be visually monitored.

A novel aspirating catheter tube inserter, and related methods, which provides for incremental, facile, safe, and efficient unidirectional delivery of an aspirating catheter to the lung of a patient. The disclosed inserter comprises a movable housing which is non-compressibly reciprocally moved relative to a stationary housing to urge the catheter tube to move incrementally into the patient. The inserter comprises resiliently compressible, seizing and releasing washers which accommodate distal displacement of the catheter tube into the patient when the movable housing is linearly moved toward the patient, but seizes and holds the catheter tube from movement when the movable housing is retracted. The catheter seizing and releasing washers also release the catheter from further progress into the lung, when there is an impeding force of a predetermined magnitude which is caused by tissue engagement, to prevent injury. The seizing and releasing washers allow the catheter tube to be physically grasped and pulled proximally from the lungs of the patient.

A reliable contamination resistant single use disposable medical non-ventilating aspirating device and method. The device releasibly connects to and aligns with an indwelling endotracheal tube to accommodate advancing of an aspirating catheter tube of the device by manual manipulation through a sterile flexible envelope and selective evacuation of lung secretions through a closed and sterile two-position normally closed manually operable valve at the proximal end of the device, while simultaneously accommodating voluntarily respiration by the patient.