Tracheal tube with pilot valve balloon guard
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorsSeamus Maguire, Kamlesh Sethiya, Carol Kiernan, Emmet Bolger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pilot balloon assembly for a tracheal tube includes a pilot balloon guard for a pilot balloon. The pilot balloon guard includes an enclosure having walls that define an interior volume that is greater than an interior volume of a pilot balloon. The pilot balloon is received by the enclosure and inflates within the enclosure to indicate inflation of a cuff of the tracheal tube. The pilot balloon guard enclosure absorbs externally applied forces to prevent transfer of the externally applied forces to the pilot balloon.
Claims20
A tracheostomy tube assembly, comprising:
- an outer cannula comprising an open distal end and a proximal end, the open distal end being configured to be inserted into an airway of a patient;
- an inner cannula configured to be inserted into the outer cannula;
- a flange member disposed about the proximal end of the outer cannula;
- a connector coupled to the proximal end of the outer cannula, wherein the inner cannula and the connector form a contiguous passageway for exchanging fluid with the airway of the patient in operation;
- a cuff disposed around the outer cannula above the open distal end and configured to be inflated to seal the cuff against the walls of the patient's airway;
- and
- a pilot balloon assembly comprising a pilot balloon configured to inflate when air is supplied to the cuff to indicate the state of inflation of the cuff, and further comprising a pilot balloon guard disposed about the pilot balloon during operation to prevent transfer of compressive forces to the pilot balloon.
A pilot balloon assembly for a tracheal tube, comprising:
- a pilot balloon guard comprising an enclosure having walls that define an interior volume that is greater than an interior volume of a pilot balloon configured to be received by the enclosure and to inflate within the enclosure to indicate inflation of a cuff of the tracheal tube, wherein the enclosure absorbs externally applied forces to prevent transfer of the externally applied forces to the pilot balloon.
A tracheal tube assembly, comprising:
- a cannula comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being configured to be inserted into a patient's trachea;
- an inflatable cuff disposed about the proximal end of the cannula and configured to be inflated and deflated to seal against a wall of the patient's airway;
- an inflation lumen disposed in a wall of the cannula and configured to facilitate the transfer of air to the inflatable cuff;
- a pilot balloon coupled to the inflation lumen and configured to inflate when air is supplied to the cuff to indicate the state of inflation of the cuff;
- and
- a pilot balloon guard comprising a casing configured to enclose the pilot balloon, wherein the pilot balloon guard absorbs externally applied forces during operation to prevent transfer of the externally applied forces to the pilot balloon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.