Nasal intubation apparatus

An intubating apparatus, comprising:

• a rigid curved body, said body having an outer wall surface sized to receive an endotracheal tube thereon and to be fitted into human nasal and pharyngeal passageways, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a curved section joining said proximal and distal ends having a curvature approximating the curvature of the transition of the normal human nasopharynx to the oropharynx;
• an optical viewing channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• an optical illumination channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• and
• a working channel extending from said distal end to a port provided at said proximal end of said apparatus, said working channel having an inner diameter adapted to permit a flexible guide member having a distal end to be passed therethrough, such that, upon passage of a flexible guide member through said working channel, the flexible guide member will be manipulated to position the guide member at a desired position in a patient's anatomy with direct vision by said optical illumination channel and said optical viewing channel, such that an endotracheal tube, when mounted to said body, may be advanced along the body onto the guide member to be positioned in the patient at the desired position in the patient's anatomy.

An intubating apparatus, comprising:

• a rigid curved body, said body having an outer wall surface sized to receive an endotracheal tube thereon and to be fitted into human nasal and pharyngeal passageways, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a curved section joining said proximal and distal ends having a curvature approximating the curvature of the transition of the normal human nasopharynx to the oropharynx;
• an optical viewing channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• an optical illumination channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• a working channel extending from said distal end to a port provided at said proximal end of said apparatus, said working channel having an inner diameter adapted to permit a flexible guide member having a distal end to be passed therethrough, such that, upon passage of a flexible guide member through said working channel, the flexible guide member will be manipulated to position the guide member at a desired position in a patient's anatomy with direct vision by said optical illumination channel and said optical viewing channel, such that an endotracheal tube, when mounted to said body, may be advanced along the body onto the guide member to be positioned in the patient at the desired position in the patient's anatomy;
• and
• a controllable tip section provided at said distal end of said apparatus, said controllable tip section being pivotable in a single direction from a home position which is aligned with said distal end of said apparatus to a pivoted position, and in which said optical viewing channel and said optical illumination channel are pivoted with said controllable tip section.

A method of nasally intubating a patient, comprising the steps of:

• introducing an intubation apparatus in a supine patient's nasal passageway, said intubation apparatus comprising
• a rigid curved body, said body having an outer wall surface sized to receive an endotracheal tube thereon and to be fitted into human nasal and pharyngeal passageways, said body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a curved section joining said proximal and distal ends having a curvature approximating the curvature of the transition of the normal human nasopharynx to the oropharynx;
• an optical viewing channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• an optical illumination channel containing a flexible optical image transmitting medium extending from said distal end of said apparatus to said proximal end of said apparatus;
• and an endotracheal tube having a distal end and a proximal end mounted onto said body;
• advancing said distal end of said intubation apparatus to traverse the superior aspect of the hard palate generally parallel to the hard palate;
• rotating said intubation apparatus until said proximal end of said intubation apparatus is generally vertical while advancing said distal end of said intubation apparatus past the patient's tongue and epiglottis until the patient's glottis is viewed by said optical viewing channel;
• advancing said endotracheal tube on said intubation apparatus to cause said distal end of said endotracheal tube to pass through the patient's glottis and into the patient's trachea;
• and
• removing said intubation apparatus from said patient, leaving said endotracheal tube positioned with its distal end positioned in the patient's trachea.