Apparatus for introducing an airway tube into the trachea having visualization capability and methods of use
AssigneeEZC Medical LLC
InventorsZebadiah Kimmel, Raymond Glassenberg, Gerald Sanders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for introducing an airway tube within a patient's trachea, and methods of use, are provided, in which the an elongated rigid bougie includes a light source and imaging system configured to be introduced into a patient's trachea using video images received from the imaging system. Once a distal end of the bougie is visually confirmed to be placed with the patient's trachea, an airway tube is advanced over the bougie. The apparatus also may include two separable components, thereby facilitating video-guided placement of one component in pediatric applications under guidance of video images provided by the second component.
Claims33
Apparatus for introducing an airway tube into a patient's trachea, the apparatus comprising:
- a rigid elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior space disposed near the distal end;
- an imaging system disposed within the interior space, the imaging system electrically coupled to a connector disposed at the proximal end of the elongated body, the connector configured to be coupled to a monitor;
- a light source disposed within the interior space adjacent to the imaging system;
- and
- a optical lens associated with the imaging system to focus light rays onto the imaging system,
- wherein the elongated body has a preformed curvature between its proximal and distal ends and is dimensioned to be received within a lumen of the airway tube.
Apparatus for introducing an airway tube within a patient's trachea, the apparatus comprising:
- a main section having an elongated body, a proximal end, a distal end, an imaging system, and a light source;
- and
- an introducer section comprising an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an engagement feature configured to slidably couple with the main section, the introducer section configured to be received within a lumen of the airway tube.
A method of introducing an airway tube into a patient's trachea, the method comprising:
- providing apparatus comprising an elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, an imaging system, and a light source, the imaging system configured to communicate video data to an external monitor;
- providing an airway tube;
- inserting the apparatus orally into a patient;
- observing data communicated from the imaging system to determine the position of the distal end of the apparatus relative to the patient's trachea;
- advancing the airway tube along the apparatus so that a distal end of the airway tube enters the patient's trachea;
- and
- removing the apparatus while leaving the airway tube in position.
Apparatus for introducing an airway tube into a patient's trachea, the apparatus comprising:
- an elongated body dimensioned to be received within a lumen of the airway tube, the elongated body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an interior space disposed near the distal end;
- an imaging system comprising a pixel array coupled to array driver circuitry, the pixel array disposed within the interior space adjacent to the distal end, the array driver circuitry disposed near the proximal end of the elongated body and electrically coupled to the pixel array and a connector disposed at the proximal end of the elongated body, the connector configured to be coupled to a monitor;
- a light source disposed within the interior space adjacent to the imaging system;
- and
- a optical lens associated with the imaging system to focus light rays onto the imaging system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.