Procedure for draining fluid from lungs

Claim 1

Apparatus for use in conducting a surgical procedure to remove fluid from a patient's lungs comprising in combination: a scalpel for making a small cut through the patient's throat into the trachea, said scalpel being provided with stop means to limit the extent of its penetration to thereby prevent damage to the posterior of the trachea, a stylet having a blunt, patient-end adapted for insertion into the trachea through the cut in a patient's throat; an outer, flexible guide tube adapted for insertion into the trachea on said stylet so that one end of the guide tube is located within the trachea and the other end is located outside the trachea, the external diameter of the guide tube being substantially less than the internal diameter of the human trachea such that airflow through said trachea around said guide tube is substantially unimpeded, and the internal diameter of the guide tube being substantially the same as the external diameter of the stylet; and a suction catheter adapted for insertion into the patient's lungs through said guide tube after removal of the stylet, the external diameter of said suction catheter being substantially the same as the internal diameter of the guide tube.

Claim 3

A method of removing fluid from the lungs of a patient comprising the steps of: using a scalpel provided with stop means to limit the extent of its trachea, making a small incision with a scalpel through the patient's throat into the trachea with the depth of the incision not exceeding that permitted by the stop means; introducing a blunt, patient-end of a stylet into the trachea through said incision; introducing a flexible outer guide tube extending around said stylet through the cut so that part of the outer guide tube extends into the trachea, the external diameter of said guide tube being substantially less than the internal diameter of said trachea such that air flow through said trachea around said guide tube is substantially unimpeded, the internal diameter of the guide tube being substantially the same as the external diameter of the stylet; removing said stylet so as to leave the outer guide tube in position; subsequently introducing a suction catheter to the patient's lungs through said guide tube, said suction catheter having an external diameter substantially the same as the internal diameter of the guide tube; and applying suction to the suction catheter to remove fluid from the lungs.

Claim 4

A method of removing fluid from the lungs of a patient comprising the steps of: using a scalpel provided with stop means to limit the extent of its trachea, making a small incision with a scalpel through the patient's throat into the trachea with the depth of the incision not exceeding that permitted by the stop means; introducing a blunt, patient-end of a stylet into the trachea through said incision; introducing a flexible outer guide tube extending around said stylet through the cut so that part of the outer guide tube extends into the trachea, the external diameter of said guide tube being substantially less than the internal diameter of said trachea such that air flow through said trachea around said guide tube is substantially unimpeded, the internal diameter of the guide tube being substantially the same as the external diameter of the stylet; removing said stylet so as to leave the outer guide tube in position; subsequently introducing a suction catheter to the patient's lungs through said guide tube, said suction catheter having an external diameter substantially the same as the internal diameter of the guide tube; and applying suction to the suction catheter to remove fluid from the lungs.