US Patent Issued on July 15 for "Brushing device for cleaning endotracheal tubes" (South Carolina Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,357,421, issued on July 15.

"Brushing device for cleaning endotracheal tubes" was invented by Ashley Strickland (Beech Island, S.C.) and Michael W. Quinn (Beech Island, S.C.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A device and method for cleaning endotracheal tubes in situ. A brush is positioned near a distal end of a linkage the traverses the lumen of the tube. When a handle, the linkage and the brush are in a retracted position, the brush is constrained within the lumen of the tube. When the handle is advanced to push the brush and as stopper out of the distal end of the lumen of the tube, the brush and stopper expand sufficiently to contact an...