Claims
- 1. An improved method of drug delivery to patient's respiratory system comprising:
A medication dispenser with adapter (MDA) having a main tube with an inner coaxial tube; a said MDA with a main tube that can be introduced into the main lumen of the endotracheal tube (ETT) via ventilator connector with adapter (VCA); a said ETT has an adapter which connects it to VCA; the said VCA may T or L shaped; the said VCA may be connected to a ventilator, ambu bag, T-piece or any breathing apparatus or gas source (gas cylinder or wall source); the said VCA has a port or an adapter through which may remain plugged when not in use; the said VCA has a port or an adapter through which MDA can be introduced into the ETT or tracheobronchial tree. An MDA with two coaxial tubes which may be fused to each other at one or more points; the points of fusion may be anterior, posterior, right and/or left lateral or combination of the same; the said points of fusion may extend through the entire length of MDA or at intervals An MDA with an inner coaxial tube in the center of the outer coaxial tube; the inner coaxial tube terminating as a narrow orifice at the distal end and terminating as an MDI adapter at its proximal end; the MDI adapter designed to fit the nozzle of MDI canister; An MDA with an outer tube with secondary cannulation/cannulations (1 to 6 or more) in its' wall; the said cannulation(s) terminating with an orifice at the distal tip of MDA; the said cannulations distal orifice preferably not in communication with the main lumen of the MDA; the said orifice of the cannulation not extending beyond the main tip of the MDA; the said cannulation may have a proximal exit port on the outer wall of the MDA; the said exit port makes a connection with a semi-flexible tube outside the main structure of the MDA; the said secondary cannulations or the flexible tube terminating at it's proximal end as MDI adapter; the said MDA adapter with a provision for fitting the nozzle of MDI canister; an MDA with secondary cannulations in it's wall which may emerge as flexible tubules in the proximal half; the said flexible tube may be outside the main tubular structure of MDA; the flexible tubule(s) (preferably 1 to 6 but could be more); the said tubules with variable length, flexibility, ID, OD, thickness, durometer, and shape and material; the said tubes terminating as MDI adapters or mating with MDI adapters at the proximal end; the nozzle of MDI fitting into the said MDI adapters one at a time in different positions by manually moving the MDI canister. A pressurized canister that contains a suspension of pulverized medication in a liquid propellant (for example CFC) or a solution of medication in a liquid propellant (for example HFA); the said canister with a nozzle; the aerosol particles of medication and liquid propellant exiting from the said nozzle on actuation of the canister; the propellant evaporating and the said medication particles delivered to the respiratory system; the said pressurized canister, the time of actuation of which can be varied with inspiratory and/or expiratory phase of the respiratory cycle of a patient who is breathing spontaneously or mechanically through a ventilator; the said ‘medication or drug’ should be considered to include any substance or agent that can be delivered to the tracheobronchial tree/respiratory system for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes in the form of solid, liquid or gas; An MDA with secondary cannulations with one or more orifices at the distal tip along the circular edge of MDA which may or may not be equidistant from each other; An MDA, the wall of which may be variable with respect to thickness, durometer, flexibility, lumen ID, lumen OD, terminal end (curved or straight), curvature (convexity/concavity), and lumen shape (round or oval); An MDA with numerous secondary orifices preferably in the proximal and distal ⅓ segments of the device; the said orifices may alternatively be present throughout the entire length of MDA; the said orifices may be located on any surface of MDA; the said secondary orifices are in communication with the main lumen of the ETT, the tracheobronchial tree, the ventilator connector with adapter (VCA) and hence the ventilator; An MDA with elastic strings (preferably in 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions) for maneuvering the device into the right and left mainstem bronchi; An MDA such that 1 (or more) aerosol plumes can be generated at its distal tip to deliver aerosol medication to each lung individually or both simultaneously via a single or multiple ports; An MDA with multiple cannulations at the terminal orifices which may be identical or different from each other in shapes, ID's, trajectories and orientations to generate multiple aerosol plumes with similar or different characteristics such as velocity, geometry and orientation in order to maximize uniform drug delivery to tracheobronchial tree of both lungs; the said plumes may have a combination of features; narrow and/or wide; slow and/or fast; central and/or eccentric; The said MDA may be disposable or retained in a sheath connected to the proximal end of the VCA or ETT so that it could be reinserted.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
The inner coaxial tube and the cannulations in the wall of the outer coaxial tube of MDA (both referred to secondary cannulations); the said cannulation may remain in the same plane throughout its course in the wall of the outer coaxial tube or may change the plane of its course; the said cannulation with course (trajectory) near the inner wall throughout; or near the outer wall throughout; or partly near the outer wall and partly near the inner wall in a variable ratio; the said cannulation may be on the outer surface of the wall of the MDA; the said cannulation may be on the inner surface of the wall of the MDA within the main lumen of the MDA; the said cannulation with tracts which may be straight, curvilinear or spiral or have any other trajectory or combinations of the same; the said cannulation with its distal tip that may split into greater than one tubules or micrometric orifices; the said multiple micrometric openings may be located within the wall of the outer coaxial tube or within the wall of fusion between the inner and outer coaxial tubes; The secondary cannulation with variations in the ID; the said cannulation may be uniform throughout the entire length or tapered throughout the entire length or partly uniform and partly tapered in a variable ratio in the proximal and/or distal parts of MDA; the secondary cannulation may be uniform throughout but with a terminal orifice, the ID of which may be smaller or bigger than the ID of secondary cannulation The secondary cannulations with variable shapes; the said cannulation preferably cylindrical but may be of alternative shapes; the said cannulation which may be cylindrical throughout the entire length but may become splayed, horn-shaped or flared at the distal end to generate plumes with different characteristics; The secondary cannulations that may be manufactured of the same material as the main MDA or co extruded with a material different from the one used to manufacture the main MDA; the said co extrusion done to change the physical properties of the lumen of the secondary cannulations; the said coextrusion facilitating maximum aerosol drug delivery to the tracheobronchial tree;
- 3. The methods of claim 1 further comprising:
Terminal orifice(s) of secondary cannulations at the tip of the MDA; the said orifices maybe of different ID's (same, smaller or larger than secondary cannulations); of different geometrical shapes (circular, semi-circular, lunar etc.); different locations (near the outer wall, inner wall, center, on the outer surface of the MDA, or on the inner surface of the MDA.
- 4. The method of claims 1-4 with an improved system of delivery of aerosol medication to both lungs comprising:
A suction catheter incorporating all the principles of our device to serve a dual purpose; a suction catheter that can be inserted through the VCA lumen into ETT; the said catheter can aspirate respiratory secretions and then deliver single or multiple aerosol plumes (1 to 6 or more) via multiple secondary cannulations and distal orifices in the wall of the catheter; the said catheter may be disposable or retained, in a sterile sheath connected to the proximal end of the ETT/VCA so that it could be reinserted.
- 5. The method of claims 1-4 with an improved system of delivery of aerosol medication to both lungs comprising:
An endotracheal tube (ETT) that may incorporate all the principles of our device to serve a dual purpose; an ETT that serves all the functions of the traditional ETT; the said ETT can deliver one or more aerosol plumes to the tracheobronchial tree via one or more secondary cannulations in the wall of the ETT; the said secondary cannulations that may terminate at the tip of ETT as narrow orifices; the said cannulations may terminate at the proximal end as MDI adapters.
REFERENCE TO THE RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application incorporates by reference the co pending application entitled “AEROSOL DELIVERY APPARATUS-VCA & MDA” found by the same inventor of the present application and on the even date here with and assigned Ser. No. 10/099,210.
Patent Application
20040011364
