Tracheostomy tube assemblies and inner cannulae
AssigneeSmiths Medical International Limited
InventorsTimothy Bateman, Stephen James Field, Andrew Thomas Jeffrey, Christopher John Woosnman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tracheostomy tube assembly includes an outer tube (1) and an inner cannula (2) removably inserted in the outer tube. The connector (15) on the machine end of the outer tube is rotatable through about a quarter turn and has a screw thread (30) on its inner surface. The hub (33) on the machine end of the inner cannula (2) is also formed with a screw thread (35) arranged to engage with the screw thread (30) in the connector. The inner cannula (2) is pulled into the outer tube (1), or is pushed outwardly of the tube, by rotating the connector.
Claims10
A tracheostomy tube assembly including an outer tracheostomy tube having a bore and a machine end and an inner cannula having a rear end removably inserted to extend along the bore of the tracheostomy tube, characterised in that the tracheostomy tube includes a male tapered connector towards its machine end rotatably attached with a hub of the outer tracheostomy tube in a manner that allows the connector to rotate relative to the hub about an axis of the hub through at least a limited angle, that the rotatable connector has a rear end and has a screw thread on an inner surface, and that the inner cannula has a screw thread on its outer surface adapted to engage with the screw thread on the rotatable connector in such a manner that rotating the connector in one direction relative to the tracheostomy tube pulls the inner cannula fully into the tracheostomy tube so that the rear end of the inner cannula is drawn level with the rear end of the connector and rotating the connector relative to the tracheostomy tube in a direction opposite to the one direction pushes at least the rear end of the inner cannula out of the rear end of the connector if the inner cannula was previously fully loaded into the tracheostomy tube.
In combination,
- an inner cannula having a shaft, a rear end and a fitting having formed on its outer surface a screw thread;
- an outer tracheostomy tube having a bore and a hub;
- a connector having a rear end and an opening defined by an inner surface rotatably secured to the hub of the outer tracheostomy tube, the connector rotatable relative to the hub about an axis of the hub through at least a limited angle, a screw thread formed on the inner surface of the connector;
- wherein the inner cannula is adapted to be removably inserted to extend along the bore of the tracheostomy tube;
- and
- wherein the screw thread on the outer surface of the inner cannula and the screw thread on the inner surface of the connector are adapted to engage with each other such that rotating the connector in one direction relative to the tracheostomy tube pulls the inner cannula fully into the tracheostomy tube with the rear end of the inner cannula being drawn level with the rear end of the connector and rotating the connector in an opposite direction to the one direction relative to the tracheostomy tube pushes at least the rear end of the inner cannula out of the rear end of the connector if the inner cannula was previously fully loaded into the tracheostomy tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.