[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 169 (Thursday, August 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51836-51837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7330]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. 
Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance 
with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results 
of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent 
applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage 
for companies and may also be available for licensing.

ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent 
applications listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated 
licensing contact at the Office of Technology Transfer, National 
Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, 
Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057; fax: 301/402-0220. A 
signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive 
copies of the patent applications.

The Mucus Slurper: A Novel Device to Keep the Endotracheal Tube (ETT) 
Free of all Mucus, Without Suctioning.

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial 
development is a mucus slurping device to remove all mucus, before 
mucus reaches the tip of the endotracheal tube (ETT); thus, no mucus 
ever enters the ETT, and the ETT remains always clean--without 
suctioning. A Mallinckrodt Hi-Lo[supreg] CASS (continuous aspiration of 
subglottic secretions) endotracheal tube is modified by appending to 
the distal-most tip of a cut-off CASS tube a molded, hollow, concentric 
plastic ring with 3-4 (or more) small (less than 1 mm in diameter) 
suction ports, the latter positioned in the most dependent part of the 
ETT (Figure 1). The CASS line was extended to the very tip of the ETT, 
and suction was activated for approximately 0.5 s, synchronized to the 
early part of expiration; and repeated once a minute, or as desired. 
All mucus was collected in a small in-line vial. Healthy, anesthetized 
and paralyzed sheep, were intubated with a modified 8 mm CASS ETT tube 
with attached ``Mucus Slurper''; with sheep lying prone, trachea/neck 
oriented below horizontal. Never suctioned. At the end of the 72 h 
study, sheep were electively euthanized, and autopsied.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN31AU06.036

    Figure 1. Normal arterial blood gases. No traces of mucus were 
found along the entire length of the ETT. There were no gross 
abnormalities of the tracheal mucosa; Bacterial cultures of the 5 lobes 
of the lungs were negative. The Mucus Slurper represents a new concept 
that may significantly contribute to improved care of patients 
intubated and mechanically ventilated; with no need for suctioning/
cleaning, and free of ventilator associated pneumonia.
    Applications: (1) Prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia; 
(2) Intubation; (3) Mucus clearance.
    Market: All patients intubated for longer than 18 hours.
    Development Status: Pre-clinical data available from sheep.
    Inventors: Theodor Kolobow, Gianluigi Li Bassi, Francesco Curto 
(NHLBI).
    Publications:

[[Page 51837]]

    1. L Berra et al. Antibacterial-coated tracheal tubes cleaned with 
the Mucus Shaver: A novel method to retain long-term bactericidal 
activity of coated tracheal tubes. Intensive Care Med. 2006 
Jun;32(6):888-893. Epub 2006 Apr 19, doi: 10.1007/s00134-006-0125-6.
    2. T Kolobow et al. Novel system for complete removal of secretions 
within the endotracheal tube: the Mucus Shaver. Anesthesiology. 2005 
May;102(5):1063-1065.
    3. L Berra et al. Evaluation of continuous aspiration of subglottic 
secretion in an in vivo study. Crit Care Med. 2004 Oct;32(10):2071-
2078.
    4. R Trawoger et al. Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation keeps 
tracheal tubes clean without impairing mucociliary transport. Scand J 
Clin Lab Invest. 2002;62(5):351-356.
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/081,420 filed 15 Mar 
2005 (HHS Reference No. E-074-2005/0-US-01); International Patent 
Application PCT/US2006/009166 filed 14 Mar 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-
074-2005/0-PCT-02).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Michael A. Shmilovich, Esq.; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NHLBI Pulmonary Critical 
Care Medicine Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest 
from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize the endotracheal tube mucus cleaning device 
and related laboratory interests. Please contact Marianne Lynch at 301-
594-4094 or [email protected] for more information.

Mucus Shaving Apparatus for Endotracheal Tubes

    Description of Technology: HHS seeks parties interested in 
manufacturing and commercializing an endotracheal tube cleaning 
apparatus for insertion into the inside of the endotracheal tube of a 
patient to shave away mucus deposits. This cleaning apparatus comprises 
a flexible central tube with an inflatable balloon at its distal end. 
Affixed to the inflatable balloon are one or more silicone rubber 
shaving rings, each having a squared leading edge to shave away mucus 
accumulations implicated in bacterial accumulation. In operation, the 
un-inflated cleaning apparatus is inserted into the endotracheal tube 
until its distal end is properly aligned with the distal end of the 
endotracheal tube. After proper alignment, the balloon is inflated by a 
suitable inflation device (e.g., a syringe) until the balloon's shaving 
rings are pressed against the inside surface of the endotracheal tube. 
The cleaning apparatus is then pulled out of the endotracheal tube and 
in the process the balloon's shaving rings shave off the mucus deposits 
from the inside of the endotracheal tube.
    Inventors: Theodor Kolobow and Lorenzo Berra (NHLBI).
    Publication: T Kolobow et al. Novel system for complete removal of 
secretions within the endotracheal tube: the Mucus Shaver. 
Anesthesiology. 2005 May;102(5):1063-1065.
    Patent Status: U.S. Patent No. 7,051,737 issued 05 Feb 2004 (HHS 
Reference No. E-061-2004/0-US-01).
    Related Technology: PCT Application No. PCT//US2005/003395 filed 04 
Feb 2005, which published as WO 2005/076895 on 25 Aug 2005 (HHS 
Reference No. E-061-2004/1-PCT-01).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Michael Shmilovich, Esq.; 301/435-5019; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The NHLBI Pulmonary Critical 
Care Medicine Branch is seeking statements of capability or interest 
from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, 
evaluate, or commercialize the endotracheal tube apparatus and related 
laboratory interests. Please contact Marianne Lynch at 301-594-4094 or 
[email protected] for more information.

    Dated: August 25, 2006.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 06-7330 Filed 8-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P