Cuffed nasal airway and anesthetic wand system

A nasal airway system comprising:

• a cuffed nasal airway including:
• a flexible tube having a first end and a second end, a length, and an opening extending from the first end to the second end, the length of the tube being such that upon insertion into a nasal cavity of a patient, the second end is in substantial alignment with a soft palate and a lateral pharyngeal wall of a patient;
• an inflatable cuff positioned at the second end of the flexible tube;
• means for inflating the cuff after alignment of the flexible tube in a patient to, in turn, provide a seal with the soft palate, the lateral pharyngeal wall, and a tongue of a patient;
• and;
• a nasal wand including:
• a housing having an inner chamber with a fluid;
• a flexible wand being substantially soft and substantially bendable, to, in turn, facilitate the insertion thereof through a nasal passage of a patient substantially without adversely affecting soft tissue of a nasal passage of a patient, the flexible wand having a plurality of openings along the length thereof;
• and
• means for delivering the fluid through the openings in the wand.

A method of nasal intubation comprising the steps of:

• providing a nasal wand having a plurality of openings therethrough, the nasal wand being substantially soft and substantially bendable, to, in turn, facilitate the insertion thereof through a nasal passage of a patient substantially without adversely affecting soft tissue of a nasal passage of a patient;
• inserting the nasal wand into the nasal passage of a patient;
• delivering a topical anesthetic through at least some of the plurality of openings in the nasal wand;
• removing the nasal wand from the nasal passage of a patient;
• providing a cuffed nasal airway having a flexible tube and an inflatable cuff positioned at a second end thereof;
• inserting the second end of the flexible tube through the nasal passage of a patient;
• positioning the second end of the flexible tube with the soft palate and lateral pharyngeal wall of a patient;
• inflating the inflatable cuff;
• and
• contacting at least a portion of the soft palate, the lateral pharyngeal wall and a tongue of a patient to, in turn, form a substantial seal with the inflatable cuff.