Dual-purpose catheter

Claim 2

A dual purpose catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tube, a second flexible tube, one of said tubes being used to supply oxygen to a patient and the other of said tubes being used to apply suction to a patient, each of said tubes having a patient end and a second end, both said second ends being adapted to be connected to valve means for controlling the alternate providing of oxygen and suction to a patient, and a rigid unitary coupling member adapted to couple said first and second tubes to valve means for supplying oxygen and suction, said coupling member being secured to said second end of each of said first and second flexible tubes to form a unitary assembly of said coupling member and said first and second flexible tubes, said coupling member, carrying said first and second flexible tubes, being adapted to be coupled to valve means for providing oxygen and suction, said rigid coupling member and said first and second ends of said first and second tubes having such configuration that they can be coupled together in only one orientation which, when said rigid coupling member is coupled to valve means for supplying oxygen and suction, insures the correct coupling of oxygen and suction to a patient.

Claim 3

The catheter defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling member comprises a single rigid body having two through holes.

Claim 4

The catheter defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling member comprises a single rigid body having two through holes and means for connecting said first tube to one of said holes and said second tube to the other of said holes.

Claim 5

The catheter assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second ends of said first and second tubes have different diameters and said coupling member has through-holes of different diameters whereby each through-hole can be coupled only to one of said first and second tubes.

Claim 6

The catheter defined in claim 4 wherein said coupling member includes two projecting tubes, each aligned with one of said through holes, said two projecting tubes being adapted to be connected to said other ends of said first and second tubes.

Claim 7

The catheter defined in claim 5 wherein said other ends of said first and second tubes have different diameters and said two projecting tubes in said coupling member have different diameters whereby each projecting tube can be coupled only to one of said first and second tubes.

Claim 8

The catheter defined in claim 1 wherein said first tube is adapted to operate as a suction tube and has a patient end which is closed and rounded, and a plurality of holes in the wall of said first tube near the patient end thereof, said second tube being adapted to operate as an oxygen tube, the patient end of said second tube being spaced from the patient end of said first tube, said first and second tubes being secured together at their patient ends.

Claim 9

The catheter defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling member includes two projecting tubes which are aligned with through-holes therethrough and are dimensional to form a tight fit with said first and second tubes.

Claim 10

The catheter defined in claim 8 wherein said two projecting tubes are shaped so that each can fit only one of said first and second tubes.

Claim 11

The catheter defined in claim 9 wherein said two projecting tubes are secured to one end of said through hole and the other end of each through hole is coupled to a valve having means for providing oxygen to said oxygen tube and suction to said suction tube.

Claim 12

The catheter defined in claim 10 wherein said through holes are shaped so that they can be coupled only to the correct portion of said valve.

Claim 13

The catheter defined in claim 8 wherein said two projecting tubes are spaced apart a fixed distance.

Claim 14

A dual purpose catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tube, a second flexible tube, one of said tubes being used to supply oxygen to a patient and the other of said tubes being used to apply suction to a patient, a valve body including a first surface having first means for providing oxygen and suction to said first and second tubes and a second surface having second means for connection to a source of oxygen and a source of suction, each of said tubes having a patient end for insertion into a patient and a second end adapted to be coupled to said valve body, said valve body controlling the alternate provision of oxygen and suction to a patient, and a rigid, unitary coupling member secured to said second end of each of said first and second tubes to form a unitary assembly of said coupling member and said first and second tubes, said coupling member and said first and second tubes carried thereby being adapted to be coupled to said first surface of said valve body, said rigid coupling member having structural means for connection to said first means on said first surface, said structural means and said first means having such configuration that they can be coupled together in only one orientation which insures that the tube for feeding oxygen is correctly coupled to the source of oxygen and the tube for applying suction is correctly connected to the source of suction.

Claim 15

A dual purpose catheter assembly comprising a first flexible tube, a second flexible tube, one of said tubes being used to supply oxygen to a patient and the other of said tubes being used to apply suction to a patient, a valve body including a first surface having first means for providing oxygen and suction to said first and second tubes and a second surface having second means for connection to a source of oxygen and a source of suction, each of said tubes having a patient end for insertion into a patient and a second end adapted to be coupled to said valve body, said valve body controlling the alternate provision of oxygen and suction to a patient, and a rigid, unitary coupling member secured to said second end of each of said first and second tubes to form a unitary assembly of said coupling member and said first and second tubes, said coupling member and said first and second tubes carried thereby being adapted to be coupled to said first surface of said valve body, said rigid coupling member having structural means for connection to said first means on said first surface, said structural means and said first means having such configuration that they can be coupled together in only one orientation which insures that the tube for feeding oxygen is correctly coupled to the source of oxygen and the tube for applying suction is correctly connected to the source of suction.

Claim 16

The assembly defined in claim 13 wherein said structural means on said rigid coupling member and said first means on said valve body are so shaped that they can be connected to each other in only one orientation to insure correct treatment of the patient.

Claim 17

The assembly defined in claim 13 wherein said first means on said valve body are tubes of different diameters.

Claim 18

The assembly defined in claim 15 wherein said first means on said valve body have corresponding different diameters.

Claim 19

The assembly defined in claim 15 wherein said tubes are non-circular in structure and said first means on said coupling member are correspondingly non-circular.

Claim 20

The assembly defined in claim 15 wherein said structural means on said coupling member are through holes having different diameters generally the same as the diameters of said tubes so that correct coupling can occur automatically.

Claim 21

The assembly defined in claim 17 and said structural means on said coupling member are through holes having non-circular form to match the non-circular form of said tubes so that only correct coupling of said coupling member and said valve body can occur.

Claim 22

The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said tubes on said valve body are semi-circular in shape and said through-holes in said coupling member are correspondingly semi-circular in shape.