Bronchoscopic manifold

Abstract

An airway-blocking device is disclosed. The airway-blocking device includes a conduit having a branched proximal end, a branched distal end, and first and second lumens extending from the branched proximal end to the branched distal end. The branched proximal end includes a first air supply connection and a second air supply connection. The branched distal end includes a first sealing balloon and a second sealing balloon. The first air supply connection is in fluid communication with the first sealing balloon through the first lumen of the conduit, and the second air supply connection is in fluid communication with the second sealing balloon through the second lumen of the conduit. The first air supply connection is visually distinguishable from the second air supply connection. An assembly is also disclosed that includes a bronchoscopic manifold and the airway-blocking device. A method for performing a treatment on airways of a patient using the assembly is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An airway-blocking device, comprising:
 a conduit comprising a branched proximal end, a branched distal end, and first and second lumens extending from the branched proximal end to the branched distal end,   the branched proximal end comprising a first air supply connection and a second air supply connection,   the branched distal end comprising a first sealing balloon and a second sealing balloon,   the first air supply connection being in fluid communication with the first sealing balloon through the first lumen of the conduit,   the second air supply connection being in fluid communication with the second sealing balloon through the second lumen of the conduit, and   the first air supply connection being visually distinguishable from the second air supply connection.   
     
     
         2 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , wherein the first sealing balloon is visually distinguishable from the second sealing balloon. 
     
     
         3 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , wherein the first air supply connection is a different color from the second air supply connection. 
     
     
         4 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 3 , wherein the color of the first air supply connection corresponds to the color of the first sealing balloon, and the color of the second air supply connection corresponds to the color of the second sealing balloon. 
     
     
         5 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , wherein the first air supply connection comprises a visual pattern and the second air supply connection is unpatterned. 
     
     
         6 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , further comprising a continuous rotational marking extending at least partially along a longitudinal axis of the conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 6 , further comprising multiple discrete depth markings, transverse to the continuous rotational marking, at least partially along the longitudinal axis of the conduit. 
     
     
         8 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 7 , wherein the multiple discrete depth markings overlap only with the first lumen of the conduit to visually distinguish the first lumen from the second lumen. 
     
     
         9 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 7 , wherein the multiple discrete depth markings are circumferentially offset from the continuous rotational marking by 90 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second sealing balloons are configured to be inserted into different bronchi of a patient. 
     
     
         11 . The airway-blocking device of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second sealing balloons are configured to be inserted in air pipes near the carina of the patient. 
     
     
         12 . An assembly, comprising:
 a bronchoscopic manifold configured to be fitted to a respiration tube of a patient, the bronchoscopic manifold comprising:
 a gas exit port configured to effect fluid communication between the bronchoscope manifold and lungs of the patient via the respiration tube; 
 a gas entrance port configured to supply respiratory air to the bronchoscopic manifold; 
 an instrument port configured to receive an instrument, a longitudinal axis of the instrument port being substantially coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the gas exit port; and 
 a bronchoscope port configured to receive a bronchoscope, the bronchoscope port adjoining the instrument port; and 
   the airway-blocking device of  claim 1 , wherein the airway-blocking device is configured to be inserted in the instrument port of the bronchoscopic manifold.   
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein a longitudinal axis of said bronchoscope port extends at a second angle less than 15 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of said instrument port. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a longitudinal axis of the bronchoscope port and the longitudinal axis of the instrument port define a first plane, and a second plane is perpendicular to the first plane, and   a longitudinal axis of said gas entrance port extends at a first angle between +45 degrees and −45 degrees with respect to the second plane.   
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the longitudinal axis of said gas entrance port extends substantially perpendicular to the first plane. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the bronchoscopic manifold further comprises a cap configured to be releasably connected to the bronchoscope port, the cap comprising a plug and a sealing cap, the plug being configured to close a free end of the bronchoscope port and the sealing cap being configured to close a free end of the instrument port. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the cap defines an opening configured to receive the bronchoscope. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the bronchoscopic manifold further comprises a seal disposed within the bronchoscopic manifold and between the instrument port and the gas exit port, wherein the seal is configured to provide sliding sealing engagement with the conduit of the airway-blocking device when inserted in the instrument port. 
     
     
         19 . A method for performing a treatment on airways of a patient, the method comprising:
 providing the assembly of  claim 12 ;   connecting the respiration tube to the gas exit port;   fitting said respiration tube into the airways of the patient;   introducing the branched distal end of the airway-blocking device into the airways of the patient via the instrument port, the gas exit port, and the respiration tube;   locating at least one of the first sealing balloon and the second sealing balloon in a desired location within the airways of the patient; and   inflating the at least one of the first sealing balloon and the second sealing balloon via the corresponding first air supply connection or second air supply connection.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 locating the at least one of the first sealing balloon and the second sealing balloon in the desired location within the airways of the patient comprises locating the first sealing balloon and the second sealing balloon in air pipes near the carina of the patient; and   inflating the at least one of the first sealing balloon and the second sealing balloon via the corresponding first air supply connection or second air supply connection comprises inflating the first sealing balloon via the first air supply connection and the second sealing balloon via the second air supply connection.