Esophageal tracheal intubator airway

A method for rapid blind esophageal tracheal intubation of plural tubes from outside the mouth of a patient into the upper respiratory and upper gastrointestinal tracts, for lung ventilation, stomach suctioning or fiberscopic examination, and passage of an endotracheal tube into the trachea comprising the steps of:

• providing a generally tapered positioning element having a distal end, a proximal end, and a side wall configured to conform with the base of the throat behind the epiglottis, an anterior lip extending radially outward to one side of said proximal end, an elongate tubular esophageal conduit having a distal portion extending longitudinally therethrough and a proximal portion extending rearwardly from said positioning element, a laryngeal channel in said positioning element extending inwardly a distance from said proximal end and curving outwardly to define an opening through said side wall, an inflatable tubular member secured to said side wall surrounding said opening configured to form a sealing relation around the patient's laryngeal inlet when inflated, and an inflation tube connected with said inflatable tubular member for inflating said inflatable tubular member;
• said esophageal conduit having an interior diameter of sufficient size to allow passage of a gastric suction tube and related medical instruments therethrough into the patient's esophagus, and said laryngeal channel having an interior diameter of sufficient size to allow passage of an endotracheal tube and related medical instruments therethrough into the patient's larynx and trachea;
• installing the distal portion of an endotracheal tube into said laryngeal channel and temporarily fixing its distal end flush with the opening in the side wall of said positioning element;
• inserting said positioning element with said endotracheal tube installed, as a single unit, into the mouth of the patient, through the throat past the epiglottis until said positioning element distal end enters the esophageal opening and said anterior lip is disposed just behind the epiglottis with said inflatable tubular member around the patient's laryngeal inlet;
• forming a seal around the patient's laryngeal inlet and lifting the tip of the epiglottis up and out of the way of said positioning element laryngeal channel opening by inflating said inflatable tubular member with sufficient pressure to form a seal around the laryngeal inlet and simultaneously cause said positioning element to back outwardly relative to the throat a sufficient distance to cause said anterior lip to engage and lift the tip of the epiglottis up and out of the way of said laryngeal channel opening on said positioning element side wall;
• and
• if stomach suction or fiberscopic examination is required, passing a gastric suction tube or related medical instrument through said esophageal conduit relative to said positioning element into the patient's esophagus or upper gastrointestinal tracts, as appropriate;
• and
• if lung ventilation or fiberscopic examination is required, passing said endotracheal tube or related medical instrument through said laryngeal channel relative to said positioning element into the patient's trachea or upper respiratory tract, as appropriate.

A method for rapid blind esophageal tracheal intubation of plural tubes from outside the mouth of a patient into the upper respiratory and upper gastrointestinal tracts, for lung ventilation, stomach suctioning or fiberscopic examination, and passage of an inflatable cuff endotracheal tube into the trachea comprising the steps of:

• providing a generally tapered positioning element having a distal end, a proximal end, and a side wall configured to conform with the base of the throat behind the epiglottis, an anterior lip extending radially outward to one side of said proximal end, an elongate tubular esophageal conduit having a distal portion extending longitudinally therethrough and a proximal portion extending rearwardly from said positioning element, a laryngeal channel in said positioning element extending inwardly a distance from said proximal end and curving outwardly to define an opening through said side wall, an inflatable tubular member secured to said side wall substantially surrounding said opening configured to form a sealing relation around the patient's laryngeal inlet when inflated, and an inflation tube connected with said inflatable tubular member for inflating said inflatable tubular member;
• said esophageal conduit having an interior diameter of sufficient size to allow passage of a gastric suction tube and related medical instruments therethrough into the patient's esophagus, and said laryngeal channel having an interior diameter of sufficient size to allow passage of an inflatable cuff endotracheal tube and related medical instruments therethrough into the patient's larynx and trachea;
• installing the distal portion of an inflatable cuff endotracheal tube into said laryngeal channel with its distal end flush with the opening in the side wall of said positioning element, and inflating the cuff of said inflatable cuff endotracheal tube to engage the interior diameter of said laryngeal channel and maintain said distal end flush with the opening in the side wall of said positioning element;
• inserting said positioning element with said inflatable cuff endotracheal tube installed, as a single unit, into the mouth of the patient, through the throat past the epiglottis until said positioning element distal end enters the esophageal opening and said anterior lip is disposed just behind the epiglottis with said inflatable tubular member around the patient's laryngeal inlet;
• forming a seal around the patient's laryngeal inlet and lifting the tip of the epiglottis up and out of the way of said positioning element laryngeal channel opening by inflating said inflatable tubular member with sufficient pressure to form a seal around the laryngeal inlet and simultaneously cause said positioning element to back outwardly relative to the throat a sufficient distance to cause said anterior lip to engage and lift the tip of the epiglottis up and out of the way of said laryngeal channel opening on said positioning element side wall;
• and
• if lung ventilation or fiberscopic examination is required, deflating said cuff of said inflatable cuff endotracheal tube and moving said inflatable cuff endotracheal tube relative to said positioning element to pass said inflatable cuff endotracheal tube through said laryngeal channel into the patient's trachea or upper respiratory tract or to remove said endotracheal tube from said positioning element, as appropriate;
• and
• if stomach suction or fiberscopic examination is required, passing a gastric suction tube or related medical instrument through said esophageal conduit relative to said positioning element into the patient's esophagus or upper gastrointestinal tracts, as appropriate.