Perilaryngeal oral airway

An oral airway comprising:

• an elongate tubular member having a distal and a proximal end;
• an enlarged wedge-shaped housing at the distal end of the elongate tubular member for insertion into the mouth and pharynx of a patient with the proximal end of the elongate tubular member adapted to extend from the mouth of the patient, the wedge-shaped housing having anterior and posterior walls forming an enlarged proximal portion tapering to a smaller leading distal portion, the leading distal portion leading the wedge-shaped housing as the wedge-shaped housing is inserted into the mouth and pharynx of a patient, there being an opening separating the anterior and posterior walls at the leading distal portion of the wedge-shaped housing;
• and
• a grate covering the opening, the grate being inclined between the posterior and anterior walls so that as a patient's epiglottis is engaged by the grate during insertion of the wedge-shaped housing into the hypopharynx the epiglottis slides up the grate and into abutment with the anterior wall of the wedge-shaped housing, the grate being made of a flexible material that is rigid enough to slide the epiglottis into abutment with the anterior wall of the wedge-shaped housing as the wedge-shaped housing is inserted into the hypopharynx and flexible enough to enable an endotracheal tube to be axially driven between a gap defined by the grate by displacing the flexible grate material defining the gap.

A method of providing an oral airway to a patient comprising:

• providing an elongate tubular member having a distal and a proximal end with an enlarged wedge-shaped housing at the distal end of the tubular member for insertion into the mouth and pharynx of a patient with the proximal end of the tubular member extending from the mouth of the patient, the wedge-shaped housing having anterior and posterior walls forming an enlarged proximal portion tapering to a smaller distal portion with a leading opening separating the anterior and posterior walls at the distal end of the housing and a grate covering the leading opening;
• inserting the wedge-shaped housing into the mouth of the patient;
• axially advancing the wedge-shaped housing to slide the epiglottis up the grate;
• and
• seating the wedge-shaped housing with a leading surface of the enlarged proximal portion abutting the patient's aryepiglottic folds, the anterior wall of the wedge-shaped housing abutting the epiglottis and the grate adjacent to the glottis.