Bougie with a controllable tip

A bougie for insertion in a patient, the bougie including:

• (i) a main shaft in the form of a tube having a proximal end and a distal end and a bore extending axially therein;
• (ii) a longitudinally extending recess formed in the main shaft between the proximal and distal ends thereof, and closer to the distal end;
• (iii) a movable tip having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the movable tip being connected to the distal end of the main shaft;
• (iv) a control member having a proximal end and a distal end, the control member being mounted for sliding movement in the bore of the main shaft;
• (v) lateral projections provided on the control member which are located in the region of said recess;
• the distal end of the control member being coupled to the distal end of the movable tip, the arrangement of the main shaft and lateral projections being such that an operator is able to grip said lateral projections so that the operator is able to slide the control member relative to the main shaft so as to cause displacement of the tip relative to the bore of the main shaft;
• and
• the arrangement of the main shaft and lateral projections being such that an operator is able to pass the movable tip into the trachea of a patient and then mount the distal end of an endotracheal tube over the proximal end of the main shaft so that the endotracheal tube is able to be correctly located in the trachea of the patient and thereafter the bougie is able to be removed from the endotracheal tube.