Claims
- 1. Intubation apparatus comprising:
- an airway device composed of a first hollow tube having an inner diameter, a wall, a proximal end, a distal end, at least one first opening located in said wall between said proximal and distal ends, and a second opening located in said wall between said first opening and said distal end, said first hollow tube being insertable, via its distal end, into a patient's mouth and into one of the esophagus and trachea of a patient, said first hollow tube providing a first air flow path between said proximal end and said distal end of said first hollow tube and a second air flow path between said proximal end of said first hollow tube and said first opening;
- a second hollow tube having an inner diameter, a wall, a proximal end and a distal end, said second hollow tube being joined to said first hollow tube so that said distal end of said second hollow tube is aligned with said second opening;
- a third hollow tube having a wall, a proximal end and a distal end, said third hollow tube having an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameters of each of said first and second hollow tubes and being insertable into said first and second hollow tubes to extend along said second hollow tube and along a portion of said first hollow tube from said second opening in the direction away from said proximal end of said first hollow tube;
- air flow directing means comprising first flow control means disposed for closing said first opening to block said second air flow path, and second flow control means disposed for blocking the interior of said first hollow tube to block said first air flow path; and
- means for operating said air flow directing means for opening said first air flow path when said distal end of said first hollow tube is in the trachea and for opening said second air flow path when said distal end of said first hollow tube is in the esophagus.
- 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first flow control means comprise a sleeve mounted at the inside of said wall of said first hollow tube and moveable between a first position in which said sleeve blocks said first opening and a second position in which said sleeve does not block said first opening.
- 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for operating comprise a control member extending between said sleeve and a region which will be outside of the patient's mouth when said device is inserted for moving said sleeve in at least one direction between said first and second positions.
- 4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second flow control means comprise an inflatable blocking element which is inflatable to seal the interior of said first hollow tube while permitting said third hollow tube to extend past said blocking element.
- 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said inflatable blocking element is carried by said third hollow tube.
- 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said inflatable blocking element is carried at an interior surface of said wall of said first hollow tube.
- 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a mask arranged to be placed on the patient's face and having a hollow member couplable to said proximal end of said first hollow tube.
- 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said hollow member is dimensioned such that when said mask is on the patient's face, said hollow member projects at least 7.6 cm out of said mask.
- 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said hollow member projects at least 10.1 cm.
- 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said mask further comprises a collar disposed to fit around the patient's mouth, said collar being made of a resilient material and being non-inflatable.
- 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said collar comprises a flexible sheet of silicone rubber and at least one strap fastened to said sheet for securing said mask on the patient's face.
- 12. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said mask comprises a strap for securing said mask on the patient's face.
- 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said mask further comprises a one-way valve mounted in said hollow member for permitting fluid flow through said hollow member only in the direction from said hollow member to said first hollow tube when said first hollow tube is coupled to said hollow member, while preventing the flow of air and airborne materials through said hollow member in a direction from said first tube to said hollow member.
- 14. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said third hollow tube is provided with at least one opening in its wall in the vicinity of said distal end of said third hollow tube.
- 15. Intubation apparatus comprising:
- a first hollow tube having an imperforate wall, a proximal end and a distal end, an inner diameter, an outer diameter, and passage sealing means extending circumferentially about the outer diameter, said first hollow tube being inserted, via its distal end, into a patient's mouth and into one of two positions, a first position wherein said distal end of said first hollow tube is inserted into the esophagus of a patient, and a second position wherein said distal end of said first hollow tube is inserted into the trachea of a patient, in both said first and said second positions, said proximal end of said first hollow tube extending out of the patient's mouth;
- a second hollow tube having an inner diameter, a wall provided with an opening, a proximal end and a distal end, said distal end of said second hollow tube being secured to the outer surface of said wall of said first hollow tube, said distal end of said second hollow tube being closed by said imperforate wall of said first hollow tube, said proximal end of said second hollow tube being open and offset from said proximal end of said first hollow tube, and said proximal end of said second hollow tube in both said first and said second positions of said distal end of said first hollow tube, extending out of the patient's mouth;
- said distal end of said first hollow tube in said first position inserted into the esophagus of a patient, having said proximal end of said second hollow tube comprising the sole means for introducing air into the patient's lungs via air entering said proximal end of said second hollow tube and flowing through said opening in said wall of said second hollow tube, said opening in said wall of said second hollow tube being in fluid flow communication with the patient's trachea; and
- said distal end of said first hollow tube in said second position inserted into the trachea of a patient, having said passage sealing means preventing airflow between said second hollow tube and the patient's trachea, said proximal end of said first hollow tube comprising the sole means for introducing air into the patient's lungs via air flow entering said proximal end of said first hollow tube, flowing through said inner diameter of said first hollow tube, exiting the distal end of said first hollow tube, and entering the patient's lungs.
- 16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a third hollow tube having a wall, a proximal end and a distal end, said third hollow tube having an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of said first hollow tube and being insertable into said first hollow tube to extend along said first hollow tube in the direction away from said proximal end of said first hollow tube to at least the vicinity of said distal end of said first hollow tube.
- 17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16 further comprising a mask arranged to be placed on the patient's face and having a hollow member couplable to said proximal end of said second hollow tube.
- 18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said mask comprises a flexible sheet dimensioned to cover the patient's face in a region surrounding the patient's mouth and having at least one strap for securing said sheet on the patient's face.
- 19. Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said mask further comprises a one-way valve mounted in said hollow member for permitting fluid flow through said hollow member only in the direction from said hollow member to said second hollow tube when said second hollow tube is coupled to said hollow member, while preventing the flow of air and airborne materials through said hollow member in a direction from said second hollow tube to said hollow member.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 07/679,197, filed Apr. 2, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
679197 |
Apr 1991 |
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