PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Jingjing Lv AU - Jingxing Wu AU - Rui Guo AU - Xun Liu AU - Bingbing Yan AU - Huisheng Deng TI - An Effective and Novel Design for Aspirating Sputum With a Visual Sputum Suction System: Its Feasibility and Efficiency in a Laboratory Setting AID - 10.4187/respcare.01982 DP - 2013 Mar 26 TA - Respiratory Care PG - respcare.01982 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2013/03/26/respcare.01982.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2013/03/26/respcare.01982.full AB - Background: Conventional sputum suction is a routine clinical practice, but complications may arise from the blind manipulation of the catheter. Recently, a visual sputum suction system (VSSS) was developed. We hypothesized that this new system would be feasible and efficient for sputum suction in a laboratory setting. Methods: We used 1.5% and 3.0% coagulant to simulate mucus and sputum. Conventional single-lumen and triple-lumen catheters were inserted separately into a beaker for sputum suction (15 s, 200 mmHg). Then a micro-imaging fiber was integrated into the triple-lumen catheter to create the VSSS. The single-lumen catheter and the VSSS were inserted separately into the mouth cavity, the nasal cavity, the tracheostomy tube, and the endotracheal tube of a human analogue model for further comparisons. Results: As the suction channel of the triple-lumen catheter was reduced by 46.8%, the amount of simulant it suctioned was significantly less than that suctioned by the single-lumen catheter. However, under real-time guidance, the VSSS suctioned more simulant than the conventional single-lumen catheter in a human analogue model. Conclusion: Sputum suction with this new system was feasible. Because of its real-time imaging guidance, the efficiency of the VSSS procedure was greater than that of the conventional single-lumen catheter. Therefore, this system may provide a new platform for sputum suction in the future.