Neonatal resuscitation device

Apparatus for resuscitating a neonatal infant having a mouth, a trachea and a pathway extending from the mouth into the trachea, and the pathway having a length and a curvature, comprising:

• a generally elongated endotracheal tube including a wall and having a proximate end and a distal end and including an upper section and a lower section shorter in length than said upper section, said lower section being flexible and said upper section including a portion which is substantially equal in length to the length of the pathway;
• a curved substantially rigid shape support member mounted in said wall of said endotracheal tube, said shape support member being sufficiently bendable to permit said endotracheal tube to be pre-shaped to a desired curvature prior to intubation of the infant with said endotracheal tube so as to provide said upper section with a curvature substantially conforming to the curvature of the pathway, said shape support member making said upper section of said endotracheal tube sufficiently rigid so as to maintain the desired curvature while said endotracheal tube is in use during the resuscitation;
• a rigid connector including integrally formed rigid cylindrical upper and lower portions, said upper portion having a first outer diameter, and said lower portion having a second outer diameter smaller than said first outer diameter, said outer diameter of said upper portion of a size to facilitate connection to a mechanical source of suctioning or a source of controlled mechanical ventilation connected to a source of oxygen, the source of mechanical ventilation for controlling the provision of oxygen to, and removal of carbon dioxide from the infant, said rigid connector having a conduit extending therethrough;
• said endotracheal tube having at least a first lumen extending therethrough, said first lumen and said conduit extending through said connector connected and combining to form a combined passageway having a substantially uniform cross-section, throughout its length, for suctioning or ventilating and supplying oxygen to, or the removal of carbon dioxide from the infant;
• and
• an adapter provided on said rigid cylindrical lower portion of said connector and said adapter provided with an adapter passageway in fluid communication with said combined passageway, said adapter provided at a location which remains outside of the mouth of the infant while the infant is being resuscitated and said adapter passageway provided with an entrance opening for venting said combined passageway to substantially eliminate suction at said distal end of said endotracheal tube during insertion of said endotracheal tube into the pathway and while said endotracheal tube is connected to the source of suctioning, said adapter passageway permitting the dispensing of liquid medicine therethrough into said combined passageway and into the infant while said endotracheal tube is connected to the source of controlled mechanical ventilation, and said combined passageway and said adapter passageway having cross-sections sufficiently large to permit the insertion therethrough of a suctioning catheter while said endotracheal tube is connected to the source of controlled mechanical ventilation.