# US 12,697,457 B2 · Neonatal flexible and hybrid medical tubes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,697,457 B2 - Document ID: US12697457B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/423,845 - Filed: 2024-01-26 - Published: 2024-09-26 - Granted: 2026-08-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-26 - Assignees: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Applicants: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Inventors: Gareth James Hobbs; Layton Robert Hern; Kiel Anthony McCool; Elmo Benson Stoks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12697457B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/0875: {Connecting tubes} - A61G 11/00: Baby-incubators; Couveuses - A61M 16/0816: {Joints or connectors} - A61M 16/109: {the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent} - A61M 16/1095: {in the connecting tubes} - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - H05B 1/025: {For medical applications} - H05B 3/56: Heating cables - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - A61M 16/1085: {after being humidified or mixed with a beneficial agent} - A61M 16/161: {with means for measuring the humidity} - A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter} - A61M 2016/003: {with a flowmeter} - A61M 2016/0039: {in the inspiratory circuit} - A61M 2016/1025: {the O2 concentration} - A61M 2016/1035: {the anaesthetic agent concentration} - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/3584: using modem, internet or Bluetooth® - A61M 2205/3633: thermally insulated - A61M 2205/3653: by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance - A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers - A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards - A61M 2240/00: Specially adapted for neonatal use - F16L 11/118: having arrangements for particular purposes, e.g. electrically conducting - F16L 53/38: using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons - H05B 2203/022: Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61G: TRANSPORT, PERSONAL CONVEYANCES OR ACCOMMODATION SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PATIENTS OR DISABLED PERSONS (appliances for aiding patients or disabled persons to walk A61H3/00); OPERATING TABLES OR CHAIRS; CHAIRS FOR DENTISTRY; FUNERAL DEVICES (embalming corpses A01N1/00) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL ## Abstract Medical tubes and methods of manufacturing medical tubes are disclosed, such as in positive airway pressure (PAP), respirator, anaesthesia, ventilator, and insufflation systems. The tube may be a composite structure made of two or more distinct components spirally wound to form an elongate tube. One of the components may be a spirally wound elongate hollow body, and the other component an elongate structural component spirally wound between turns of the spirally wound hollow body. Alternatively, the tube need not be made from distinct components. For instance, an elongate hollow body formed (e.g., extruded) from a single material may be spirally wound to form an elongate tube. The elongate hollow body itself may in transverse cross-section have a thin wall portion and a relatively thicker or more rigid reinforcement portion. The tubes can be incorporated into a variety of medical circuits or have other medical uses. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A breathing tube comprising: a first segment of the breathing tube; a second segment of the breathing tube; an intermediate connector connecting end-to-end the first segment to the second segment, the intermediate connector electrically coupled to a first heater wire and a second heater wire, the first heater wire being disposed within a first wall of the first segment and the second heater wire being disposed within a second wall of the second segment; and a sheath overlaying the first segment, the sheath being on an external surface of the breathing tube, wherein the sheath comprises a mesh configured to dampen displacement of the breathing tube during flow of gas through the breathing tube. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment have the same flexibility. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment have different flexibilities. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the sheath is connected to the intermediate connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The breathing tube of claim 4, wherein the intermediate connector secures one end of the sheath. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the sheath extends substantially along a whole length of the first segment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the first segment is a composite tube having a first elongate member comprising a hollow body spirally wound to form at least in part a lumen of the breathing tube, and a second elongate member spirally wound and joined between adjacent turns of the first elongate member, the second elongate member forming at least a portion of the lumen of the breathing tube. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein, the first segment of the breathing tube is a humidifier end segment; and the second segment is a patient interface end segment of the breathing tube. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the sheath is configured to dampen displacement of the breathing tube by restricting or resisting wave propagation or oscillation or displacement during therapy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the sheath is secured to a wall of the breathing tube at locations along the wall. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The breathing tube of claim 10, wherein the sheath is secured at and around or underneath an end connector or the intermediate connector by bonding, friction fit, or overmolding. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the sheath is secured only to ends of the breathing tube or ends of the first segment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the second segment is a portion of an inspiratory limb configured to be located inside an incubator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh is between 10 and 1000 picks per meter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh comprises filaments, wherein a diameter of each of the filaments is between 0.25 mm and 0.28 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh is a braided mesh. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh is configured to dampen displacement of the breathing tube during high frequency oscillatory ventilation through the breathing tube. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment have different lengths. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The breathing tube of claim 18, wherein the first segment is longer than the second segment. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh comprises filaments and the filaments are aligned at oblique angles relative to a longitudinal axis of the breathing tube. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The breathing tube of claim 1, wherein the mesh is configured to constrict radially in response to longitudinal stretching of the mesh.