A tracheal tube has a high-volume/low-pressure sealing cuff (10, 201, 310, 510, 610, 710, 810) with an outer surface provided with surface formations (211, 311, 511, 611, 711, 811) adapted to reduce the flow of secretions past the cuff. The formations could be in the form of an array of dimples (211) or a pattern of linear ridges or channels (611 or 711). Alternatively, the surface formations, could be a pattern of intersecting linear projections (311, 312, 313) or grooves (511). Instead the surface formations could be provided by a rough texture (811) on the outer wall surface.

The sealing cuff (10) on a tracheal tube has a collar (31) at its patient end inverted within the inflatable part (32) of the cuff and attached with the shaft 1 immediately adjacent its patient end (6). The cuff (10) has a patient end region (33) of frusto-conical shape inclined to the axis of the shaft at about 30° and extending by about half the length of the inflatable portion.

This document provides devices and methods for performing tracheostomies. For example, this document provides devices and methods for performing tracheostomies using tracheostomy tubes that include a cuff at the neck opening area that can prevent or reduce the potential for air leaks.

Disclosed herein are aspects of a tracheal breathing tube that provides for accurate and reliable control of cannula cuff pressure. Such a tracheal breathing tube include a pressure controller through which a fluid is supplied to a cannula cuff of a tracheal breathing tube and which enables reliable indication of a level of pressure of fluid within the cannula cuff. The pressure controller serves to achieve a proper interface between the cannula cuff and a patient's trachea, thereby addressing important clinical considerations such as anesthesiologist control. Moreover, the pressure controller serves to ensure that proper force is being applied on the patient's tracheal walls by the cannula cuff to thereby limit the potential for post-surgical complications resulting from, for example, inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body. swelling of the patient's tracheal walls that can lead to difficulty in breathing, and the like.

Apparatus and methods are provided for applying negative pressure to tissues of a patient that are transmitted to the vertebral venous system of the patient and thereby lowering intracranial pressure. Intracranial pressure is thus lowered easily without increasing the work of breathing, without needing to be intubated, and without breathing through a valve in patients with elevated increased intracranial pressure.

A tracheostomy tube (1) has an inflatable sealing cuff (13) and an array of one or more RFID pressure sensors (120) around the cuff. A leakage unit (30) interrogates the sensors (120) to determine any regions around the cuff having incomplete contact with the tracheal wall indicative of potential leakage between the cuff and the wall of the trachea.

The embodied invention is a new inspiration/expiration ventilator flow design, with a constant inspiration flow and intermittent-concurrent expiratory flow based on lung pressure setpoints. This mode is possible by using a new dual lumen tube inserted into a patient Trachea. Additionally, the control provides support for patient initiated breathing which is initiated by a lung pressure drop. This control provides continuous and gentle recruitment of lung alveoli.

Various embodiments of a tracheostomy tube having neck flanges with filleted ends are provided. In certain embodiments, the neck flange may include a fillet extending from a bottom surface of the neck flange to a tip of the neck flange. In addition, the filleted end may also be tapered from a top surface of the neck flange to the tip of the neck flange. The neck flange may also include several curved edges, such as curved edges from the tip of the neck flange to side surfaces of the neck flange, and a curved bottom surface from side surface to side surface of the neck flange.

A tracheal tube include a conformable conduit that forms a respiratory passage to transfer respiratory gases to a patient. A helical inflatable lumen is formed in or on an interior surface of the conformable conduit. Fluid transferred into the helical inflatable lumen causes the inflatable lumen to assume an expanded configuration to expand an outer diameter of the conformable conduit relative to an unexpanded configuration of the helical inflatable lumen. When in the expanded configuration and inserted in a patient, conformable walls of the conformable conduit expand outwards to contact the tracheal walls such that the conformable conduit is self-sizing to a patient's trachea size.

The present invention provides medical devices comprising at least one visualization device sealed to, attached to or otherwise combined with at least one of the following second devices: an oral airway, ventilating mask, urinary catheter, trocar, a tool tube, and a medical glove. The present invention also provides methods for rapid and accurate placement of a medical device in a patient and continuous real time monitoring, including a remote monitoring, of the patient after the placement.