Combination Artificial Airway Device and Esophageal Obturator

Abstract

A combination artificial airway device and esophageal obturator (10) includes a pressure indicator (25) surrounding a pilot balloon (28) for continuous monitoring of the internal pressure within the cuffs (14&16).

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional of application U.S. Ser. No. 11 / 368,881 filed on Mar. 6, 2006 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 289,655 filed on Nov. 7, 2002, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,322 B2 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 339,092 filed on Nov. 8, 2001.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The field of this invention relates to medical airway device having a supraglottic inflatable cuff and a cuff pressure indicator.BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0003]Endotracheal tubes have long been accepted to establish a direct path from the trachea to the ambient exterior or to a ventilation machine. However, endotracheal intubation requires a high degree of skill and the use of supporting medical devices such as a laryngoscope for visualization of the glottis. Furthermore, an endotracheal tube on its way to a trachea passes into the larynx and adjacent to delicate structures which poses a potential for serious damage to this im...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention relates to an artificial airway device with an inflatable supraglottic cuff for installation above the esophageal opening at the oropharynx and the hypopharynx. The cuff has a peripheral seal with walls that have inner and outer surfaces in part defining the pressured interior of the seal. A plurality of tension supports extend between and are connected to both the inner and outer surfaces and extend through the pressured interior of the seal to prevent the surfaces from lateral deformation outward when the cuff is inflated. The inflatable cuff has a wedge shape when inflated, which helps to secure the airway and prevent air leakage. The device also includes an esophageal inflatable cuff for installation in the esophagus. The patent text also describes various features and improvements of the inflatable supraglottic cuff."

Problems solved by technology

However, endotracheal intubation requires a high degree of skill and the use of supporting medical devices such as a laryngoscope for visualization of the glottis.

Furthermore, an endotracheal tube on its way to a trachea passes into the larynx and adjacent to delicate structures which poses a potential for serious damage to this important speech organ.

A disadvantage related with the use of this traditional laryngeal mask device is encountered in patients who are at risk from vomiting or regurgitating stomach contents while unconscious.

Although the device is known to form a seal around the laryngeal inlet sufficient to permit artificial ventilation of the lungs, this seal may be sometimes insufficient to prevent lung contamination during retching, vomiting or regurgitation.

Besides, the bulk size of these devices may impede, or create difficulties to the prompt access to the esophagus for the passage of an oral or nasal gastric tube to drain eventual esophageal / stomach contents.

Due also to its design, it is possible that when a certain ventilation pressure is reached or when the device is not properly placed, a leak of gases from the repetitive ventilation attempts may reach and enter the esophagus, inflating the stomach increasing the risk of regurgitation and discharge of its contents.

However for this device to work, proper insertion and positioning of the ventilation device (supraglottic mask) at the hypopharynx is critical.

If the mask is not in the right position, the proposed esophageal draining may not properly occur which may result in an increased risk of leakage of the esophageal / gastric contents.

Any such contents may then be undesirably aspirated into the lungs with serious consequences.

The increased thickness may make proper insertion and installation of the device into the patient's throat more difficult.

Due to its design, this device is limited to unconscious patients over five feet (5) in height.

Proper insertion of this particular device is very difficult.

However, this device is not designed to measure and alert the occurrence of under pressure events.

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