Endotracheal tube with movable endobronchial blocker for one-lung anesthesia

#1. Field of the Invention:

#The present invention relates to an endotracheal tube with a movable endobronchial blocker for one-lung anesthesia which is capable of accomplishing collapse of the operated lung with the usual technique for endotracheal intubation.

#2. Description of the Prior Art:

#FIG. 1-a and FIG. 1-b illustrate a conventional single-lumen endobronchial tube.

#FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional double-lumen endobronchial tube.

#FIG. 3-a is a perspective view of the endotracheal tube of this invention.

#FIG. 3-a is a perspective view of an example of the endotracheal tube of this invention, and FIG. 3-b is a sectional view along line A--A in FIG. 3-a. This tube may be made of silicone and the like.

#The endotracheal tube 35 is similar to a conventional endotracheal tube in external appearance except that it has a branching guide tube 39 which communicates with the channel 37 and projects about 3 cm in the direction toward the upper opening of the tube 35. The guide tube 39 has, for example, an inside diameter of about 3.5 mm or an oval section of 3 mm by 4 mm. The tube 35 has a cuff 41 near the end 35a thereof, and the cuff 41 communicates with an air blowing means 45 through an air supply duct 43 for cuff inflation. The small channel 37 extending along almost of the entire length of the tube is formed in the concavely curved wall of the tube by simultaneous molding or bonding. Therefore, the ventilation duct 49 is adjacent to the small channel 37 but is separated therefrom by the partition wall 47 in the section as shown in FIG. 3-b.

#At the part several centimeters away from the end of the endotracheal tube 35, the partition wall 47 separating the small channel 37 from the ventilation duct 49 may be omitted as shown in FIG. 3-a. In such a structure, the small channel 37 may have the same tunnel-like shape as the branching guide tube 39. In this tunnel-like channel and branching guide tube is housed the catheter part of the endobronchial blocker, and in the forward end of the endotracheal tube where there is no partition wall is housed the cuff of the catheter. Consequently, the part near the forward end of the endobronchial blocker can be shaped with great freedom. Needless to say, it is also possible to provide the small channel 37 up to the forward end of endotracheal tube by forming the partition wall 47 as far as the forward end of the endotracheal tube. The branching guide tube 39 is intended to facilitate the manipulation of the endobronchial blocker.