Tracheostomy tube connector key system
AssigneeCovidien LP
InventorsGeorge L. Matlock, Steven M. Brackney, Avila Ignacio
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Abstract
A tracheostomy tube is provided. The tracheostomy tube includes an outer cannula that comprises an outer cannula connector comprising a first keying feature. The tracheostomy tube further comprises an inner cannula comprising an inner cannula connector including a second keying feature configured to complement the first keying feature when the inner cannula is inserted into the outer cannula. Further, a method is provided, whereby the method comprises inserting an outer cannula into a patient's trachea, and inserting an inner cannula into the outer cannula such that a keying feature on an inner cannula connector of the inner cannula engages a second keying feature on an outer cannula connector of the outer cannula.
Claims14
A cannula assembly kit, comprising:
- a first inner cannula;
- and
- a first inner cannula connector associated with the first inner cannula comprising a first keying feature and a second keying feature radially distributed about the first inner cannula connector with a first clocking pattern
- an outer cannula coupled to an outer cannula connector comprising a locking flange forming a complete annulus and comprising complementary features configured to engage the first keying feature and the second keying feature, wherein a clocking pattern of the complementary features allows mating of the first inner cannula connector and the outer cannula connector;
- and
- a second inner cannula connector associated with a second inner cannula comprising a plurality of keying features radially distributed about the second inner cannula connector with a second clocking pattern configured to prevent mating of the second inner cannula connector with the outer cannula connector such that the plurality of keying features is not compatible with the complementary features of the outer cannula connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.