Patent Application
20080251083
This invention relates generally to tracheotomies and more particularly to a tracheotomy kit and method for performing a tracheotomy.
The conventional method to perform a tracheotomy today uses a hand held scalpel or other sharp blade to cut through the throat skin and trachea of a patient by hand. The size and depth of the incision is operator sensitive. Moreover the skill necessary to perform a tracheotomy by hand without causing further injury is not possessed by the average layman nor even by most paramedics and military medics. Consequently, performing an emergency tracheotomy, for instance to an injured soldier in the battle field is avoided often due to the lack of skill. On the other hand, avoiding the emergency tracheotomy, prior to transport to an aid station, or other place where the skill exists, may be catastrophic even to the point of resulting in death. Consequently there is a need for a tracheotomy kit and method that can be used by anyone to perform a tracheotomy with little or minimal training.
This invention provides a tracheotomy kit and method that allows anyone, such as an average layman, a paramedic or a military medic, to perform a tracheotomy with little or minimal training. Thus the tracheotomy can be performed in any emergency situation, such as at the scene of an accident or on the battlefield, thereby reducing the risk of serious injury and possible death due to delay or an unskilled tracheotomy.
Referring now to the drawings, tracheotomy kit 10 comprises a cutter assembly 11 having a housing base 12, a cutter head indicated generally at 14 and a housing cover 16. An end cap 18 is detachably connected to the cutter assembly 11.
Housing base 12 has a generally flat body 20 comprising a forward rectangular portion that terminates with a forward down flange 22, and a rearward trapezoidal portion that terminates with a rearward up flange 24 as best shown in
The generally flat body 20 also has two raised, shorter, paddle shaped retention ribs 28 outward of the respective guide rails 26 and a raised lock nib 30. The raised lock nib 30 is located between the guide rails 26 and extends above the guide rails 26. The generally flat body 20 may also include strengthening ribs 32 inside guide rails 26 and a shallow groove 33 adjacent the outer side of each of the guide rails 26.
Cutter head 14 is preferably flat and wedge shaped as best shown in
Housing cover 16 comprises a generally flat body 42 having a forward rectangular portion, a rearward trapezoidal portion, and side flanges 44 that engage respective sides of housing base 12 to form a cutter housing 45 for the flat blades 34. Four hold down ribs 46 project down from the generally flat body 42 into the cutter housing 45. The side flanges 44 have channels that receive respective side wings 47 of housing base 12 so that the housing cover 16 is held down on the housing base 12 and the hold down ribs 46 engage and clamp the flat blades 34 down against the housing base 12 as best shown in
Housing cover 16 has a forward flange 48 that mates with the forward down flange 22 of the housing base 12 to provide an enlarged stop wall 50 at the forward end of cutter housing 45 as best shown in
End cap 18 has a thin flat, elongate tongue 56 at one end and a small trapezoidal cup 58 at an opposite end that terminates in an enlarged mounting hood 60. Hood 60 is detachably fastened to the enlarged stop wall 50 by lock tabs 62 so that the trapezoidal cup 58 covers the projecting cutter head 14 as shown in
In the event that an emergency tracheotomy is required, such as in a battlefield, the tracheotomy kit 10 can be used by a minimally trained military medic to provide an opening in the throat of a wounded soldier in a controlled manner to allow the insertion of a breathing tube. First, the end cap 18 is detached to expose cutter head 14 as shown in
The cutter assembly 11 is then positioned on the wounded soldiers throat 55 between the larynx (voice box) and the sternum (breastbone) where the opening is to be made as shown in
The cutter housing 45 is then simply pushed down until the enlarge stop wall 50 engages throat 55 and the cutter head 14 cuts through the skin and into the trachea 63 as shown in
It is estimated that it takes a force of about 5 to 15 pounds to push the cutter housing down to make the incision. The cutter housing 45 may be pushed down with the palm of the hand easily because the trapezoidal shaped rearward portion of the cutter housing 45 provides a relatively wide flange 24 for pushing the cutter housing down 45 down as well as accommodating the angled cutter blades 34 inside the cutter housing 45. The cutter housing 45 can also be formed with other ergonomic friendly features for better control under battlefield or other hazardous conditions, for example, finger and thumb pads or a generally thicker body for easier gripping and/or texturized non-slip surfaces.
The end cap 18 of the tracheotomy kit 10 protects the cutter head 14 and kit handlers while attached. After detachment, the end cap 18 also accommodates a follow-up procedure for the tracheotomy as shown in
End cap 18 is then rotated approximately 90° creating a larger opening for the insertion of a breathing tube 62 as shown in
After use the cutter assembly 11 can be disassembled, the cutter housing components and cutter blades sterilized and the cutter assembly 11 reassembled. (The cutter blades 34 may be replaced with new blades if desired.) It should be noted that the two part cutter housing 45 does not require any tools for disassembly because the slide lock formed by lock nib 30 and lock slot 47 allows for housing cover 16 to be detached and reattached by hand. If new blades 34 are desired, conventional scalpel blades 34 may be used and held in the desired position by retention ribs 28 in the housing base 12 that match the standard slot of the conventional scalpel blades 34. Hold down ribs 46 on the housing cover 16 apply force against the blades 34 to prevent excessive blade movement once the blade housing 45 is reassembled.
Proper orientation of the blade housing 45 on the throat relative to the head and chest of the patient may be accomplished by markings on the cutter housing 45 indicating which side faces the head and which side faces the chest of the patient. For instance, the housing base 12 could be marked with an arrow and “chest side” and the housing cover with an arrow and “head side” as shown by optional labels at 64 and 66 in
As indicated above, the flat blades 34 are held at an angle towards the chest when the cutter housing 45 is located on the throat by the flexible arms 52 and U-shaped pads 54 adding additional protection against injuring the voice box of the patient. A thin flat elongate blade 56 is integrated into the end cap 18 to spread the incision made in the throat and trachea for insertion of a temporary breathing tube.
The cutter housing 45 is preferably molded in two parts from a suitable plastic such as nylon or other medical grade plastic. While the housing base 12 and housing cover 16 can be detached and reattached manually, the housing base and housing cover can be modified for permanent attachment if a one-time-use, disposable cutter assembly is desired. For example, the housing cover 116 can be permanently attached to the cover base 112 by welding, gluing or otherwise permanently securing the two parts together to form a cutter housing 145 for cutter assembly 111 as shown in
In other words, it will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those described above, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
