Endotracheal tube with tip directional control and position preserving mechanism
AssigneeMerlyn Associates, Inc.
InventorsAndrew J. Toti, Michael H. Wong, Jay Kotin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endotracheal tube which facilitates rapid intubation of the trachea, especially in situations where anatomical variation creates difficult intubating conditions, includes a portion that can be bent during placement to control the position of the distal end of the tube. The distal end of the endotracheal tube may be selectively curled or bent by a mechanism or fluid passage accessible from the proximal end of the endotracheal tube. The endotracheal tube provides for manipulation of the insertion end without occluding the lumen of the tube, to facilitate placement of the tube.
Claims41
An apparatus for rapid intubation of the trachea, comprising:
- a hollow tube forming a distal end configured for insertion into the trachea and an opposite proximal end;
- a flexible portion of the tube more flexible than surrounding portions of the tube, the flexible portion near the distal end of the tube;
- a membrane attached to the tube covering the flexible portion to separate the flexible portion from the trachea;
- a pulling mechanism extending from the proximal end of the tube and extending between the flexible portion and the membrane to attach near the distal end of the tube;
- and
- whereby application of a pulling force to the pulling mechanism from the proximal end of the tube causes the flexible portion to bend.
An apparatus for insertion into a body, comprising:
- a hollow tube forming a distal end configured for insertion into the body and an opposite proximal end;
- a flexible portion of the tube more flexible than surrounding portions of the tube, the flexible portion near the distal end of the tube;
- a membrane attached to the tube covering the flexible portion to separate the flexible portion from the body;
- a pulling mechanism extending from the proximal end of the tube and extending between the flexible portion and the membrane to attach near the distal end of the tube;
- and
- whereby application of a pulling force to the pulling mechanism from the proximal end of the tube causes the flexible portion to bend.
An apparatus for insertion into a body, comprising:
- a flexible structure formed from a wall having an outer wall surface, the flexible structure having a distal end configured for insertion into the body and an opposite proximal end;
- a notch formed in the wall;
- a membrane attached to the outer wall surface of the structure and covering the notch;
- a pulling mechanism for creating a temporary bend in the structure at the notch, the pulling mechanism extending from the proximal end of the structure and passing from a proximal end of the notch into a region formed by the notch and the membrane;
- and
- a connection point near a distal end of notch to which a distal end of the pulling mechanism attaches so that application of a pulling force to a proximal end of the pulling mechanism causes the flexible structure to bend at the notch.
An apparatus for rapid intubation of the trachea, comprising:
- a flexible structure formed from a wall having an outer wall surface, the flexible structure having a distal end configured for insertion into the trachea and an opposite proximal end;
- a notch formed in the wall;
- a membrane attached to the outer wall surface of the structure and covering the notch;
- a pulling mechanism for creating a temporary bend in the structure at the notch, the pulling mechanism extending from the proximal end of the structure and passing from a proximal end of the notch into a region formed by the notch and the membrane;
- and
- a connection point near a distal end of notch to which a distal end of the pulling mechanism attaches so that application of a pulling force to a proximal end of the pulling mechanism causes the flexible structure to bend at the notch.
An apparatus for rapid intubation of the trachea, comprising:
- a hollow tube forming a distal end configured for insertion into the trachea and an opposite proximal end;
- a plurality of flexible portions of the tube more flexible than surrounding portions of the tube;
- a plurality of actuating mechanisms for creating temporary bends in the flexible portions, the actuating mechanisms extending from the proximal end of the tube to the flexible portions, the actuating mechanisms actuated at the proximal end to temporarily bend the hollow tube;
- and
- a plurality of membranes covering the plurality of flexible portions to separate the actuating mechanism from the trachea.
An apparatus for rapid intubation of the trachea, comprising:
- a hollow tube having a distal end configured for insertion into the trachea and an opposite proximal end;
- an inflatable cuff attached to an outer surface of the hollow tube between the distal end and the proximal end of the tube;
- and
- an expandable chamber for creating a temporary bend in a desired region proximate the distal end of tube, the expandable chamber being adapted to receive fluid under pressure;
- whereby introduction of fluid under pressure into the expandable chamber causes the tube to bend in the desired region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.