Patent Application
20060157059
The field of the invention is medical devices, and more particularly endotracheal tubes.
Endotracheal tubes are commonplace in the medical field, both in medical facilities and in the field. Despite the prevalence of such tubes, however, their insertion remains a matter of training and skill.
The advent of lighted endotracheal tubes significantly improved the success rate of intubation. Lighted stylet guided intubation has been found to be particularly useful for difficult situations, such as anterior larynx scarring and bloody airway, and is in any event generally less traumatic for the patient. Among other things, lighted stylet intubation reduces manipulation of the head and neck, and the need for excessive opening of the mouth. There are numerous such devices on the market, including Trachlite® (Rusch), Trachlight® (Laerdal), Surch-lite® (Aaron Medical), and Lightwand”®.
Endotracheal tubes can also be lighted without a removable stylet. For example, it is known to provide a light source exterior to the endotracheal tube, and run the light through the tube using fiber optics. That concept accommodates use of a very bright light source, but creates its own problems. Among other things an external light source is bulky and generally requires a plug in type power source rather than merely a battery.
It has additionally been suggested, although apparently not commercialized, to include a light bulb within the tube itself. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,284 to Daneshvar (April 1996), an intubation tube includes a small battery powered light bulb 35. Daneshvar claims to place the bulb near the tip of the tube, but by that he means that the bulb should be positioned distal to the cuff, so that when the tube is properly inserted, the bulb is “in middle of the distance between the Cricoid cartilage and the upper notch of the sternum (the center bone of the chest).” (Spec. col. 11, line 66 through col. 12, line 13).
There are at least two significant problems with Daneshvar's devices. First, light bulbs suffer from a tradeoff between brightness and temperature. Sufficiently bright bulbs risk burning the patient. Second, Daneshvar uses the light to establish that the tube is properly inserted. Since the bulb is not at the tip portion of the tube, it has little or no usefulness in directing the tube during insertion.
What is needed is an endotracheal tube having a low temperature, built-in light source, which is positioned to provide improved assistance in guiding insertion of the tube.
The present invention provides apparatus, systems and methods in which an endotracheal tube has a light-emitting diode or other low temperature, built-in light source forward of the cuff.
Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.
In
Tube body 10 can be manufactured from any suitable material, and can have any suitable dimensions. Indeed the present inventor contemplates use of all materials and dimensions previously used to manufacture endotracheal tube bodies, as well as their replacements. Preference, however, is more restricted. Any material overlying the light source 30 should be sufficiently transparent or translucent to pass a desirable intensity of visible light.
Air hole 20 and cuff 40 are similarly contemplated to conform to any suitable materials, positions, dimensions, and so forth. Pediatric devices, for example, would have significantly smaller dimensions than devices intended for adults.
In
Light source 30 is preferably a light-emitting diode (LED) or other solid state light emitter. The light emissions are preferably centered in the visible light range of about 400 nm to about 900 nm, and more preferably in the red region because of greater transmissibility through skin. A red LED is most preferred, but a white light emitting or other LED that includes some percentage of red light is also preferred.
In contrast to a typical tracheoscope, in which the emission from the light source is directed forwardly, at least some of the emission from the light source 30 should be directed normally to the tube, or at some other angle that would facilitate transdermal visualization.
The light source 30 can have a single emitter, or more advantageously can have multiple emitters centered at different colors, so that the physician or other user can alter the emitted color to maximize visibility through the patient's overlying tissue. Since solid state light emitters tend to use minimal power, the power supply 50 is typically a small button, AAA or other battery. Switch 52 controls voltage to the light source 30, and in its simplest embodiment can comprise an on-off switch. In more sophisticated embodiments switch 52 controls level of intensity, and/or color temperature. The battery 50 and switch 52 can be housed in an appropriate housing 54.
In
Thus, specific embodiments and applications of end-lighted endotracheal tubes have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps can be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.
