TW201735955A - Nasal flushing catheter - Google Patents

Abstract

A nasal flushing catheter, made of silicone or other soft and elastic material, can be operated by the user himself or herself. The catheter comprises a closed end and an open end on the opposite side. There are multiple side-holes near the closed end. This catheter, when adapted to a connector and further connected to a syringe, can eject multiple strong thin spouts within the nasal cavity and nasopharynx for cleansing mucus and crust. The catheter may contain at least one stylet to improve its controllability. By a given injection rate of 10cc/sec using a syringe, the average vertical height of spouts can be predicted by the total area of side-holes, the catheter is therefore classified as following: 1. a low pressure catheter, having 3.367 mm2~4.123 mm2 of total areas of side-holes to eject 30 to 45 cm spouts; 2. a medium pressure catheter, having 2.381 mm2~3.367 mm2 of total area of side-holes to eject 45 to 90 cm spouts and 3. a high pressure catheter, having less than 2.381 mm2 of total area of side-holes to eject longer than 90 cm spouts.

Description

Nasal irrigation catheter

The invention relates to a nasal irrigation catheter, in particular to an innovative design which can penetrate the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx to clean the viscous secretions to improve the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

Chronic sinusitis, which is diagnosed with symptoms for more than 12 weeks, is not directly fatal, but it is a troublesome disease. At present, there is no cure for chronic sinusitis. The symptoms include nasal congestion, foreign body sensation of the throat and cough. These subjective feelings of sadness continue to plague the patient, even for a lifetime. Antibiotics are only treatments for acute infections, and surgery is a means of removing obstructions or expanding intranasal access to improve mucus discharge to avoid an acute onset of sinusitis. Regardless of the treatment, the mechanism of the disease has not changed, and the symptoms still exist. Therefore, otolaryngologists recommend long-term home treatment with moist nasal cavity. It is generally recommended to moisturize the nasal cavity at least twice a day because it cannot be cured and needs lifelong home treatment. . (chronic sinusitis, Medscape, Treatment, Long-term monitoring)

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the sagittal section and the coronal section of the human nasal cavity are similar to the appearance of the nose. The front of the nasal cavity presents a narrow, wide triangle, and the nasal cavity is divided into two left and right spaces by the nasal septum. In each space, the nasal body between the wide front nasal vestibule 90 and the posterior nasopharynx 91 is divided into three slightly curved slit-like passages by three curved plate-to-circular structures, and a Lieutenant space. The three plate-like structures that are gradually enlarged from the top to the bottom are called the upper turbinate A, the middle turbinate B, and the inferior turbinate C, and the three channels that are enlarged from the top to the bottom are the upper nasal passage A1 and the middle nasal passage B1. And the lower nasal passage C1. The lower edges of the middle, lower, middle and lower turbinate A, B, and C are divided into upper, middle, and lower median spaces D1, D2, and D3. Three The turbinate, the nasal sinus and the side wall of the nasal cavity are skeletons composed of bones, and the surface is covered with mucous membranes, so as to increase the surface area, the space of the nasal cavity becomes a slit-like passage and has two functions: 1. Increasing the humidity and temperature of the inhaled air. 2. Filter the particulate matter in the air to prevent it from falling into the trachea and lungs (see nasal cavity, wikipedia). The three nasal passages are independent of each other except for the inward and medial space, forward and nasal vestibule 90 and rearward communicating with the nasopharynx. All mucus is secreted by four pairs of sinuses next to the nasal cavity and is expelled from several openings located in the upper nasal passage A1, the middle nasal passage B1 and the nasopharynx. Patients with chronic sinusitis often have symptoms of severe nasal congestion and are unable to return to normal conditions, so it is difficult to recall the process of their occurrence, but their pathophysiology can be explained by the process of cold.

The discharge of the nasal cavity can be understood by the process of catching a cold. The nose will have a runny nose at the beginning of the cold. The nasal water will be completely evaporated without the mucus. The next step is to easily discharge the slightly sticky nose; it is not easy to discharge and thick. The mucus is followed by a semi-nasal gelatinous semi-nasal sinus; the last is a solid snot that can be excavated from the nasal vestibule 90, which is the four types of mucus. Chronic sinusitis is a symptom caused by mucus and nasal discharge in the nasal body. The symptoms of colds will not exceed 4 weeks. Chronic sinusitis is a disease that secretes mucus without knowing the cause. Only chronic sinusitis will last for more than 12 weeks. If the symptoms are more than 12 weeks and no other tumor causes nasal congestion, the diagnosis can be confirmed. . In addition, allergic rhinitis, although there are severe nasal congestion symptoms, but must be accompanied by a large amount of nasal water, there will be no foreign body sensation of the throat, as long as the allergens disappear, it will return to normal, is a disease of intermittent seizures, and the symptoms of chronic sinusitis are The nose is too little mucus to be too sticky, and the symptoms are that the patient is always entangled over the years.

Referring to Figure 3, the secretions of patients with chronic sinusitis are too viscous, and it is difficult to completely remove them, either by forceful blowing of the nose or by forceful aspiration. The mucus that has not been removed and stays in the nasal cavity does not evaporate like the nasal water, but is dried by the compressed air to reduce the volume, adheres layer by layer to the nasal cavity and from the sinus opening in the middle nasal passage B1 and the upper nasal passage A1. Outrage Delay, finally causing persistent and severe nasal congestion. Unlike other fluids, mucus tends to adhere to a narrow space. Because the adhesion is not easy to sink with gravity, and it is discharged from the opening of the upper nasal passage and the middle nasal passage, it spreads from the top to the bottom and forms a state of hanging above the nasal cavity. The foremost part of the mucus, which is the lowermost part of the mucus, is still in contact with the air, and instead becomes the hardest nasal state. Although this mucus is difficult to remove, it will slide with gravity before it is completely dried. If the mucus slides forward into the nasal vestibule 90, it becomes a known snot or further drys into a snot; it also slides back into the nasopharynx 91, which is a known mucus reflux, and it is difficult to use suction or swallowing. To clear. The fat flow into the nasopharynx is also the same as in the nasal cavity, which will repeat the process of dryness and accumulation, and the nasopharynx 91 is a wide and deep breathing passage, and the mucus flowing into it is more quickly dried, regardless of the liquid state. The mucus or solid nasal sputum will fall down again, and there is a possibility of falling into the trachea, which may cause symptoms such as foreign body sensation and cough in the throat. It is no more than a nasal congestion, and the continuous cough can even limit the socialization of the patient. activity. Nasal congestion, throat foreign body sensation and coughing can also affect sleep, resulting in poor sleep and lack of energy. Finally, if these symptoms are left unchecked, mucus and snot will eventually block the sinus outlet, causing mucus to accumulate in the sinus and cause acute sinusitis. Severe medical and/or surgical treatment is required, but after the acute attack control, the mucus is still not secreted. Change, the symptoms still exist.

In vitro experiments can be observed that the four types of mucus change each other, the snot can be mucus when exposed to the air, and the mucus can become a semi-nasal sputum when exposed to the air, and the semi-nasal sputum can become a hard snot. From the snot to the hard snot, the volume can vary by a factor of ten, depending on the air humidity and circulation. Conversely, a hard nasal sputum can become a semi-snoring after about one hour in the water, and a half-snot can become a mucus, which can become a snot after a longer time. Therefore, moist nasal cavity as an auxiliary treatment for chronic sinusitis, sounds quite reasonable, but as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the nasal cavity is a complex structure of three narrow passages and a narrow gap formed by a temporary space. It is not a hollow space that is empty. The nasal cavity can be from the nasal vestibule 90 to the outside of the body, too It can be from the nasopharynx to the mouth and then to the outside of the body. It is also the open space that is unique to the body before and after the body (the mouth is also an open space, but there are muscle groups that can move autonomously, which is a hollow space that can be opened and closed). Perfusion of the rinsing fluid from the outside must first leak out from the front and back, and because of the blockage of the turbinate, the entire nasal cavity body cannot be filled regardless of the posture, and the nasal cavity is a means to wash out the mucus and nasal discharge and improve the symptoms. Wetting the nose is easy to say, and how to achieve it is the difficulty.

Looking at all the products of commercially available moist nasal cavity and the invention patents that have not been listed, it can be found that except for the difference of the water supply mechanism, the huge nozzle of the single outlet has not changed, and can only be placed in the nasal vestibule 90 to flush the nasal cavity. Referring to FIG. 4, taking the patent of the "Natural Nasal Washer" of the Republic of China No. M418689, the nasal washer includes a pressing portion 10 and a nozzle 20. The pressing portion 10 has an internal space 11 having a discharge port 21 and an extension pipe portion 22 extending toward the internal space 11 of the pressing portion 10. When the inner space 11 is filled with water and is pressed from the outside to the inside to contract the pressing portion 10, the pressure pushes the water located in the inner space 11 into the extension pipe portion 22, and further, the discharge port 21 ejection.

Thus, all the nasal devices can only be placed in the nasal vestibule 90 to eject a single direction water column from front to back. Referring to Figure 3, according to the principle that the fluid is discharged to the lower pressure, the water column can only be sprayed to the lower nasal channel C1 with more mucus accumulation. Due to the blockage of the turbinate, the water column in one direction cannot be directly sprayed onto the narrower one. The mucus and nasal discharge of the middle nasal passage B1 and the upper nasal passage A1 can only hope for the upward weak scattering caused by the water column colliding with the turbinate. In addition, the flushing fluid cannot stay in the lower nasal passage due to the breathing relationship. For example, in order to enhance the scattering, the water pressure can not achieve the purpose, but will cause a large amount of water to rush to the nasopharynx, which is easy to flush the air inlet tube, causing side effects of drowning or damage to the mucous membrane.

The following experiment simulates the mechanism of flushing the nasal cavity as follows: the horizontal water column sprays the mucus, the semi-nasal sputum and the nasal sputum adhered to the upright plastic plate, and the water column strength is further divided into the vertical length: 45 cm or less. Pressurized water column, medium pressure water column of 45cm to 90cm and high pressure water column of 90cm or more. It can be observed that the low-pressure water column can make the mucus into a thin nasal sputum, and can also make the surface of the semi-nasal sin become mucus, but can not shake the hard snot; the medium-pressure water column can make the mucus and the semi-nasal sputum become easy-flowing snot, also The surface of the hard nose can be turned into a thick mucus; the high-pressure water column can make the hard nose directly peel off, and the semi-nasal mucus and the nose are more easily washed away.

Therefore, the machine for flushing or moisturizing the nasal cavity is as follows. One is that the water column directly penetrates the bottom layer of the mucus, the semi-nasal or the nasal sin, so that it immediately falls off from the attachment, which is an immediate, direct and complete scavenging effect; the second is The injected water column partially penetrates the mucus, the semi-nasal snot or the snot, making the surface layer easy to flow, or the moisturizing effect of the rinsing liquid which is softened by contact with mucus, semi-nasal sputum and nasal sputum for a long time. Delayed, indirect, partial wetting effects. The moist effect has only a partial removal effect, and it must be added with the patient's force to discharge it. Otherwise, the nasal cavity is regained a vicious cycle, so the stronger the water column, the better the flushing effect.

This treatment machine is used to view the existing commercially available rattles. Although it can spray a strong water column parallel to the front and back of the nasal cavity, it can only be sprayed to the spacious lower nasal passage and the lower middle space due to the blockage of the turbinate and mucus. However, the middle nasal passage and the upper nasal passage, which are mainly accumulated by the thick secretions, cannot be reached, and the scattered water column is too weak, and the flushing effect is very limited.

Referring to Fig. 5, this experiment is used to examine the invention patent application of the "Nose Channel Flushing Catheter Device" of the Republic of China No. 101125880, which discloses a catheter 31 having a closed end and a plurality of side holes 32. The catheter 31 can penetrate the nasopharynx 91 via the relatively wide middle nasal passage B1 and the lower nasal passage C1. Since the catheter 31 can be placed into the narrow nasal passage and sprayed out of the water column perpendicular to the conduit 31, the catheter can be removed. Mucus at the site, however, this catheter 31 can only spray 30 cm water column, for the nasal and semi-nasal sputum, according to the above experiment only indirect moist effect. On the other hand, the catheter 31 disclosed in the present case has a steel needle inserted into the water inlet end of the body of the catheter 31, and the inner diameter of the steel needle limits the water flow, and further limits the water flow. The pressure of the water jet.

Looking back at Figure 3, in patients with severe chronic sinusitis, the middle nasal passage B1 and the lower medial space above D3 are often filled with mucus and hard nasal discharge. High pressure water column is required to penetrate the nasal sinus, and some patients are not completely obstructed, but The upper nasal channel A1, the middle nasal channel B1 and the lower nasal channel C1 are both narrow. Because the nasal irrigation catheter must be made of a soft material to avoid injury to the patient, the small catheter must be too soft to operate. Traditionally, probes have increased the straightness of the steel tube for easy handling. However, the conventional probes have a handle that protrudes from the proximal end of the catheter and is easy to remove. It needs to be pulled out before the perfusion operation, and the nasal catheter is cleaned at least three times in and out, so that the nasal probes on both sides need to be repeated at least 6 times. ,very inconvenient. What's more important is that the outer diameter and inner diameter of the catheter need to be small, the catheter is made of soft material, and the probe is not allowed to be placed in the catheter. Therefore, the traditional probe application is not feasible in the catheter treatment.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to design a better catheter for rinsing a narrow curved nasal passageway and a broad nasopharynx, characterized in that the irrigation catheter comprises a catheter body and a set of adapters attached to the exterior of the catheter body. The catheter body is made of one of silicone and latex or other soft and elastic material, and can be manually placed into the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx by the user. The catheter body has a closed end and a opposite end to the closed end. The open end is formed with a plurality of side holes near the closed end.

Another technical means of the present invention is to provide a probe with a tapered end in the above-mentioned irrigation catheter.

Another technical means of the present invention is to provide a plurality of probes of decreasing length in the irrigating catheter.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is between 3.367 mm ² and 4.123 mm ² .

Another technical means of the present invention is that the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is between 2.381 mm ² and 3.367 mm ² .

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is less than 2.381 mm ² .

A further technical means of the present invention is that the closer the plurality of side holes on the catheter body are to the closed end, the denser the distribution.

Another technical means of the present invention is that the outer diameter of the catheter body is not more than 1.0 mm , and the probe having an outer diameter of not more than 0.1 mm is disposed therein.

Another technical means of the present invention is that an end hole is further formed on the closed end of the catheter body.

The beneficial effect of the invention is that the built-in probe can improve the handling of the catheter, and the target area can be deeply washed, and the design of the adapter and the total area of the side holes can be used to spray multiple strong and slender water columns for better flushing purposes. .

E‧‧‧ nasal vestibule

F‧‧‧Upper turbinate

F1‧‧‧Upper nasal passage

G‧‧‧中鼻甲

G1‧‧‧ Middle nose channel

H‧‧‧Lower Turbines

H1‧‧‧ lower nasal passage

I‧‧‧Linzhong Space

I1‧‧‧Proposed to the Lieutenant Space

I2‧‧‧中中中膈空间

I3‧‧‧Proposed to the Lieutenant Space

J‧‧‧ Nasopharyngeal

6‧‧‧ nasal irrigation catheter

61‧‧‧ catheter body

611‧‧‧closed end

612‧‧‧Open end

613‧‧‧ side hole

614‧‧‧End hole

62‧‧‧Connector

7‧‧‧Syringe

8‧‧‧ probe

MC‧‧‧mucus or nasal discharge

Figure 1 is a sagittal cross-sectional view of the human nasal cavity; Figure 2 is a coronal cross-sectional view of the posterior half of the nasal cavity of the line aa of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a coronal cross-sectional view of the posterior half of the nasal cavity, illustrating mucus and nasal discharge of patients with chronic sinusitis From the upper middle space, the upper nasal passage and the middle nasal passage to the next to the middle space; Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section showing the new Chinese version of M418689 "Portable Nasal Washer"; Figure 5 is a three-dimensional FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view showing a first preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter of the present invention; FIG. 7 is a schematic top view showing the catheter; a side hole having a dense distribution as the complex number is closer to the closed end; Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a second preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter of the present invention; Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a third preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fifth preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter of the present invention; FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fourth preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter of the present invention; FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the interface between the adapter and the catheter body of the present invention, and the safety design of the probe; FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the connector; The coronal section view of the posterior half of the nasal cavity illustrates the curved and stenotic path of the nasal passage in the upper nasal passage; Figure 15 is a sagittal section view of the nasal cavity of the human body, indicating the catheter is placed in the middle nasal passage for washing; Figure 16 It is a sagittal section view of the human nasal cavity, indicating that the catheter is placed in the upper nasal passage for washing; Figure 17 is a coronal cross-sectional view of the human nasal cavity, indicating that the catheter is placed underneath Diaphragmatic aspect flushing space; and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional sagittal view of a human body within the nasal cavity, nasopharynx indicating that the catheter is placed and aspects flushing.

The details of the related patents and the technical contents of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the accompanying drawings.

Before the detailed description, it is worth mentioning that similar components are denoted by the same component numbers, and only the components and connection relationships of the components are first described in the following embodiments. As for the detailed process parameters, The operating procedures and efficacy instructions are described below.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, a first preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention is shown. In the first preferred embodiment, the nasal irrigation catheter 6 can be filled with a syringe 7 to flush the nasal cavity and nasopharynx of the human body.

The first preferred embodiment is characterized in that the nasal irrigation catheter 6 comprises a catheter body 61 and a set of adapters 62 connected to the outside of the catheter body 61. The catheter body 61 is one of silicone and latex or the like. The soft and elastic material is made for self-operating operation into the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx. The catheter body 61 has a closed end 611 and an open end 612 opposite to the closed end 611, and the catheter A plurality of side holes 613 are formed in the body 61 near the closed end 611, and the closer the plurality of side holes 613 on the duct body 61 are to the closed end 611, the denser the distribution (shown in FIG. 7).

Referring to FIG. 8, a second preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, and the same is not described herein again, except that The nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention also incorporates a probe 8 with a tapered end.

Referring to Figure 9, a third preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment, except that the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention is further A plurality of probes 8 having a decreasing length are built in. In this embodiment, the number of the plurality of probes 8 is three, and in actual implementation, other numbers may be used, unless otherwise limited.

Referring to FIG. 10, a fourth preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention is substantially the same as the third preferred embodiment, and the same is not described herein again, except that The outer diameter of the catheter body 61 is no more than 1.0 mm and is defined as a microcatheter. The nasal irrigation catheter 6 has a plurality of probes 8 having an outer diameter of not more than 0.1 mm and a decreasing length.

FIG. 11 is a fifth preferred embodiment of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention. The fifth preferred embodiment is substantially the same as the fourth preferred embodiment, and the details are not described herein again, except that The closed end 611 of the catheter body 61 is further provided with an end hole 614. The nasal irrigation catheter 6 has a probe 8 having an outer diameter of not more than 0.1 mm and a tapered end.

The following is the manufacture of the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention, the relationship between the side hole and the vertical water column height , the manufacture and quantity configuration of the side hole, the relationship between the catheter and the side hole , the design of the probe , the selection of the adapter, and the syringe. Detailed descriptions of each aspect, such as actual use operations and enhancements .

Catheter manufacturing

The catheter body 61 is made of silicone rubber, latex or other soft and elastic material, and the catheter body 61 has an open end 612 and a closed end 611, and a plurality of side holes 613 are disposed near the closed end 611. The largest lower nasal passage H1 in the nasal cavity and the lower medial space I3, the average person is below 4mm, the patient may be below 2.5mm or even 1.5mm; the smallest upper nasal passage, the average person is below 1.5mm, the patient may be below 1mm, so the patient may be below 1mm, so the patient may be below 1mm In this case, the outer diameter of the catheter is 4 mm or less, preferably 0.5 to 2.5 mm. The outer diameter of the catheter is less than 1.0 mm. The microcatheter may have an inner diameter of only 0.6 mm or even 0.3 mm . It is easy to burst during the perfusion operation, and the closed end can reduce the risk if it is provided with an opening. The wall of the tube is below 1 mm, preferably between 0.1 and 0.6 mm. The side holes are 1 mm or less, preferably 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

Relationship between edge hole and vertical water column height

Since the initial velocity ( V ₀ ) of the water hole 613 can determine its vertical height h, its equation is as follows: V ₀ = gt or t = V ₀ / g , where g is the gravity constant 9.8 m / sec ² , t is vertical The time of the vertex, and the highest vertical vertex is h , then h = 1/2 ( gt ² ), substituted with t = V ₀ / g , then h = 1/2 ( g ) ( V ₀ / g ) ² = V ₀ ² /2g or V ₀ ² =2 gh , and the average initial velocity ( V ₀ ) of the water column 613 depends on the velocity perfusion (IR) and the total area of the side holes (TA, Total Area). The equation is as follows: V ₀ = IR / TA , which can be obtained by substituting the equation V ₀ ² = 2 gh ( IR / TA ) ² = 2 gh , or TA ² = IR ² /2 gh , or . Although the 10 cc , 20 cc , 50 cc , 60 cc, and 100 cc syringes 7 are easy to obtain, it is not advisable to use a large-capacity syringe 7 and 10 cc injections, considering the operability and avoiding large flow of water. The cartridge can be said to be moderately sized, easy to handle, and free from drowning. Therefore, the present invention uses a 10 cc syringe 7 as a standard syringe. Usually bare hands can reach 10 cc syringe 5 cc / sec to 15 cc / sec of the perfusion rate (IR, Injection Rate), so choose 5 cc / sec to 15 cc / sec intermediate value of 10 cc / sec as a standard perfusion rate At this standard perfusion rate, a water column of 30 cm is required, and the total area of the side holes 613 is required. To produce a 45cm water column, the total area of the side holes is required. Similarly, to produce a water column of 90 cm at a perfusion rate of 10 cc / sec, the total area of the side holes 613 is required. . In summary, the total area of the side hole 613 is 3.367 mm ² ~ 4.123 mm ^{2 , and} the tube which can produce 30~45 cm low pressure water column is called low pressure pipe; the total area of the side hole is between 2.381 mm ² and 3.367 mm ² can produce 45~90 cm The medium-pressure water column is called a medium-pressure pipe; the total area of the side holes is less than 2.381 mm ² , and the pipe that can produce a high-pressure water column of more than 90 cm is called a high-pressure pipe. Because the previous case can spray 30cm water column, the low pressure water column in this case is defined as 30~45cm.

Edge hole manufacturing and quantity configuration

The side hole 613 can be made by a conventional method of removing a part of the wall of the tube, or can be manufactured by a solid steel needle puncture method. The total area of 4.123 mm ² side holes can be made into circular holes of 0.5 mm . The number is 4.223 mm ² ÷0.5 mm ÷0.5 mm ÷0.785=21, and 58 0.3 mm circular side holes or 131 can also be manufactured. 0.2 mm round side hole; 3.367 mm ² side hole total area can be made 0.5 mm round side hole, the number is equal to 3.367 mm ² ÷0.5 mm ÷0.5 mm ÷0.785=17, can also make 47 0.3 mm Round side holes or 107 round holes of 0.2 mm ; the same 2.381 mm ² side hole total area can be made of 12 0.5 mm round side holes, 33 0.3 mm round side holes or 75 0.2 mm round Side hole. In the perfusion operation, the closer to the closed end, the greater the lumen pressure, so the design of the near closed end 611 has a denser side hole 613 distribution (shown in Figure 8), to avoid local expansion of the end, so that it can withstand the maximum The lumen pressure is used to eject the strongest water column. The greater the pressure, the more the holes need to be densely distributed toward the closed end 611. When the total area of the side holes 613 is constant, the smaller the side holes 613, the larger the number of side holes 613, the wider the distribution, and the larger the range can be washed; the smaller the number of side holes 613 is, the smaller the side holes 613 are. The smaller the total area, the stronger the water column produced.

Correlation between conduit and side hole

When the outer diameter of the catheter body 61 is the same, the thicker the wall, The smaller the inner diameter, the higher the resistance to high pressure and the less elastic fatigue. Elastic fatigue As a result, the side hole is enlarged, the total area of the side hole 613 is increased, and the water column is weakened. However, the thicker the wall, the greater the perfusion resistance, which is not conducive to the perfusion operation. It is necessary to balance the elastic fatigue and the convenience of operation. According to the above experiment, the stronger the water column is, the better the rinsing effect is, but the stronger the tingling in the rinsing operation, and the milder the disease, the less sticky the mucus, the less the snot is, the medium or low pressure water column is enough to improve the symptoms. Moreover, the total area of the side holes of the medium or low pressure conduit is large, and the side holes 613 are widely distributed, and can wash a large range. Therefore, all three catheters have their own adaptation, and they all have their existence.

Probe design

The larger the outer diameter, the thicker the wall of the catheter, the harder the catheter body 61 is, the easier it is to operate, but limited by the narrow space of the nasal cavity, the outer diameter must be smaller than the narrow point, so that the catheter body 61 may be too soft and not easy to handle, except To enhance its hardness, it also needs to have a gradual softness at the end. Therefore, a probe 8 is added in the lumen, and the probe 8 can be made of rust-proof metal material, carbon fiber or other material having similar steel straightness. . Taking carbon fiber as an example, carbon fiber does not need anti-rust treatment, steel straightness is greater than stainless steel, and its diameter is up to 10 microns, which is a recommended material.

The probe 8 can be a single probe 8 with a tapered end or a complex probe 8 of decreasing length (shown in Figures 8, 9). In addition, the narrowest path of the patient's access to the upper nasal passage and the middle nasal passage may be less than 1.0 mm , or even a width of 0.5 mm , which must be overcome by a smaller catheter. The inner diameter of the microcatheter less than 1.0 mm may be only 0.6 mm. Even only 0.3 mm , the probe 8 must be smaller and the hardness must be larger. For metal materials, it is recommended to use a tungsten alloy probe with rust-proof treatment of not more than 0.1 mm (shown in Figures 10 and 11) because tungsten is The hardest metal. The length of the probe 8 above cannot be greater than the conduit 6 containing the adapter 62 so that the protruding catheter 6 is not completely retained in the lumen, and the proximal end thereof is fixed to the inner wall of the adapter 62. Since the probe 8 cannot be removed, the thinner the probe 8 is, the smaller the space occupied by the lumen, and the better the perfusion rate.

Adapter

Referring back to Figure 5, the Chinese Patent No. 101125880 "Nose Channel Flushing Catheter Device" has a water outlet that fits into the water inlet of the catheter body. If the adapter does not restrict the water flow, the catheter body is connected. The area is stretched and the wall is thinner than the pressure of perfusion. Therefore, in the present case, the water outlet of the adapter 62 is covered with a larger inner diameter outside the inlet of the conduit to eliminate the problem of water flow and perfusion pressure. At the joint, a frictional force between the two and a strong adhesive are used to form a firm joint state. In addition, the microcatheter requires a built-in probe 8 because of its small inner diameter, and a jacketed adapter 62 (shown in Figure 12) is required. The probe 8 can be secured within the adapter 62 at the interface or other safety design to prevent the irrigation fluid from moving forward during the perfusion operation (shown in Figure 13).

Selection of syringe

Although the 20cc, 30cc, and 50cc syringes 7 are easy to obtain, the 10cc syringe is the easiest choice for general patients because it is too large to handle and the flow rate is too large to cause drowning. However, the use of the syringe 7 must also be adjusted in accordance with the diameter of the catheter body 61. The catheter body 61 having an outer diameter of 2 mm or more can use a syringe 10 of 10 cc; the catheter body 61 of 1.5 to 2 mm can use a syringe 7 of 5 to 10 cc; the catheter body 61 of 1 to 1.5 mm can use a syringe of 1 to 5 cc 7 A microcatheter of 1 mm or less can be used with a syringe 1 of 1 to 2 cc in order to avoid catheter bursting.

Actual operation

Because the hand-made catheter was hand-made before the patent application I have tried it for more than two years, and the catheter of this case has been tried for nearly half a year. Therefore, we are familiar with all the details of flushing the nasal cavity, and we recognize that the effect of washing is most clear because of the need to rinse the nasal cavity every day. There are two items for evaluating the effect. One is the amount of mucus outflow during and after rinsing, the more the better; the second is subjective rinsing, nasal congestion, throat foreign body sensation and cough, and the improvement of these feelings. Both must be satisfied and at least acceptable to be effective, and the patient will continue to use it. However, depending on the severity of the condition, the symptoms will repeat again in one day, half a day or less, and the rinse must be repeated. If a patient uses the catheter of Figure 5 in the previous case and has penetrated the nasal cavity (at least 8~10cm or more) and still has no satisfactory flushing effect, it should be placed in the two target areas of the middle nasal passage and the upper nasal passage, or the water column. Insufficient strength to penetrate the nose. At this point, you should first seek the assistance of a physician, perform a computed tomography of the nasal cavity and sinuses, and do a computed tomography examination to help the daily flushing. It should be worthwhile.

If the result of this computed tomography examination is shown in Fig. 14, the nasal cavity of the human body is divided into three slightly curved slit passages by three plate-like structures, and the three plate-like structures are the upper turbinate F and the middle turbinate G, respectively. And the inferior turbinate H, and the three pathways are the upper nasal channel F1, the middle nasal channel G1 and the lower nasal channel H1. Although there is not a lot of mucus or nasal sputum MC causing obstruction, this figure shows that the upper turbinate F, the middle turbinate G, and the inferior turbinate H are larger than normal, and the upper nasal passage F1, the middle nasal passage G1, and the lower nasal passage H1 are narrower than normal. It should be the narrowness caused by the hard nasal sinus sticking to the turbinates, and if the outer diameter of the catheter used is larger than the stenosis, the poor rinsing effect can be confirmed as failure to enter the target area. It is therefore necessary to examine all of the coronal sections from front to back, measuring the smallest width of the path of arrival, and selecting the catheter body 61 that is smaller than this width. Due to the design of the probe 8, the catheter body 61 has good handling. As can be seen from Fig. 14, from the nasal vestibule E to the middle space I3, and then outward bending to reach the middle nasal passage G1, from the nasal vestibule E to the middle of the space I3 and the middle of the middle space I2, then The outer nose channel F1 can be reached by bending outward, and the catheter body 61 is pressed close to the nose and down along the operation. Linzhong 膈 space I3 goes inward and backwards into the nasal cavity about 3~4cm, and then bends outward and goes deep to reach the middle nasal passage G1 (this state is shown in Figure 15); if the catheter body 61 is close to the nose Next to the middle space I3 and the middle space I2 and go back into the nasal cavity about 5~6cm, and then bend outward to reach the upper nasal channel F1 target area (this state is shown in Figure 16). Since the conduit body 61 has reached the target zone directly, although the flow of the conduit is small, it is sufficient to clean this very narrow space.

If the result of this computed tomography examination is shown in Fig. 17, the mucus or sinus MC is deposited from the narrow upper nasal passage F1 and the middle nasal passage G1 to the lower middle space I3, and the air at the accumulation is not circulated. Below the stack is a wide space for breathing air in and out, so the lower edge becomes the surface of the breathing air, which is easy to form a hard nose. Anyone who has experience in digging boo knows that the surface of the snot is hard, but the inner layer is often a mucus that is still hydrated. The difference is that the snot that is generally dug is located in the nasal vestibule E, but the patient The snot is in the narrow nasal cavity that the finger can't reach. Not only the water column in the forward and backward direction of the commercially available rattle can not shake the nose. The 30cm water column generated by the "nose channel irrigation catheter device" in Figure 5 also has insufficient penetrating power. At this time, the medium pressure catheter can be selected according to the severity of the disease. Or the high-pressure catheter is placed in the lower middle space I3 below the snot, and is sprayed upwards with a strong water column. As in the above-mentioned spray experiment, the medium and high-pressure water column can have better penetrating power and clearing effect, and quickly improve the nasal congestion. Symptoms.

Referring to Figure 18, because the nasopharynx J is a must-have for the wide breathing air, the mucus that falls into the nasopharynx J quickly becomes a hard nasal sin due to the drying of the air, and the water column in the unidirectional direction of the commercially available ratchet is only It can wash the back wall of the nasopharynx J, can not wash the top and sides of the nasopharynx J, and if pressurized, its huge water column (mostly between 1~2mm in diameter) must be accompanied by a large flow rate, which is prone to waterlogging. The 30cm water column of the catheter of the previous case can wash the mucus, but the effect on the penetration of the sinus is not good, and it is difficult to play a role in the nasopharynx J. In this case, depending on the severity of the disease, the user can press the medium pressure or The high pressure catheter follows the horizontal direction from the lower nasal passage H1, the middle nasal passage G1 or the temporary middle Space I enters the nasopharynx J, and then the catheter is tilted up to reach the top of the nasopharynx J. The syringe 6 can be sprayed to spray the ideal water column to remove the mucus and nasal discharge on the nasopharynx J.

According to the above description, the user can select the catheter 6 having the probe 8 and suitable for the patient's condition. Because of its good handling, the catheter can be easily penetrated into the upper nasal passage F1, the middle nasal passage G1, and the lower nasal passage H1. And in the nasopharynx J, to remove the mucus and nasal discharge.

Through the description of the above embodiments, it can be seen that the nasal irrigation catheter 6 of the present invention does have the following enhancements:

1. It is possible to directly flush a narrow nasal passage by means of an easily controllable microcatheter.

Second, by the improvement of the adapter 62, a more powerful jet water column can be obtained without increasing the diameter of the pipe, thereby enhancing the effect of indirect flushing.

3. The strength of the water column is designed by controlling the total area of the side holes 613. The stronger the water column is, the better the cleaning effect is.

4. The position of the catheter body 61 at the nasopharynx J can be controlled by the manipulation of the catheter, and the mucus and nasal discharge on the nasopharynx J can be removed by a strong water column.

The nasal irrigation catheter of the invention can overcome the shortcomings that the conventional nasal device cannot perform deep nasal irrigation, can truly improve the symptoms of patients with chronic sinusitis, and reduce the discomfort during use, facilitating the user to go out, so it is true The object of the invention can be achieved.

However, the above is only the five preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes made by the scope of the invention and the description of the invention are Modifications are still within the scope of the invention.

6‧‧‧ nasal irrigation catheter

61‧‧‧ catheter body

611‧‧‧closed end

612‧‧‧Open end

613‧‧‧ side hole

62‧‧‧Connector

7‧‧‧Syringe

8‧‧‧ probe

Claims (10)

A nasal irrigation catheter can be filled with a syringe to flush the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx: the irrigation catheter comprises a catheter body and a set of adapters connected to the outside of the catheter body, the catheter body is silicone And one of the latex or other soft and elastic material, which can be manually placed into the nasal cavity and the nasopharynx by the user. The catheter body has a closed end and an open end opposite to the closed end, and is adjacent to the A plurality of side holes are formed at the closed end. The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 1, wherein a further tapered probe is disposed in the irrigation catheter. The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 1, wherein the irrigation catheter is further provided with a plurality of probes of decreasing length. The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 2, wherein the catheter body has an outer diameter of no more than 1.0 mm and a probe having an outer diameter of no more than 0.1 mm . The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 4, wherein the closed end of the catheter body is further provided with an end hole. The nasal irrigation catheter of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is between 3.367 mm ² and 4.123 mm ² . The nasal irrigation catheter of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is between 2.381 mm ² and 3.367 mm ² . The nasal irrigation catheter of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the total area of the plurality of side holes on the catheter body is less than 2.381 mm ² . The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 7, wherein the closer the plurality of side holes on the catheter body are to the closed end, the denser the distribution. The nasal irrigation catheter of claim 8, wherein the closer the plurality of side holes on the catheter body are to the closed end, the denser the distribution.