Tracheostomy tubes

A tracheostomy tube, characterized in that the tube is of generally tubular form and comprises an integral one piece skeletal structure of a relatively stiff plastics material in the shape of a longitudinal spine with a plurality of rib members extending from said spine and spaced along the length of said spine, the spine extending in axial alignment along the outside curve of said tube and the rib members extending transversely from the spine in a circumferential manner to form respective annular rings, and that the tube has a flexible sheath of a plastics material attached with the skeletal structure, wherein the sheath is thinner than the skeletal structure.

A tracheostomy tube comprising a skeletal structural frame and a sheath covering said frame, said frame having a plurality of ribs separated from each other by gaps each extending circumferentially around the tube, said ribs being spaced from one another along the length of the tube and are supported relative to one another by longitudinal members that are arranged in a line to form a spine extending in axial alignment along the tube, said sheath being a film of plastics material and said frame being made from a relatively stiff plastics material, wherein the sheath is thinner than the frame.