An inflatable balloon cuff may be adapted to seal a patient's trachea when associated with an endotracheal tube. Configurations of these cuffs that include tapered regions with certain characteristics, such as cuff wall diameter and thickness, may provide improved sealing of the trachea.

A system for aiding in the proper placement of an endotracheal tube in the trachea of a patent includes an endotracheal tube having a proximal region and a distal region. At least one electrode is included on the distal region to provide an electrical stimulation signal to patient tissue. The system includes a control unit coupled to the electrode and configured to differentiate proper placement of the endotracheal tube in the patient's trachea from improper placement of the endotracheal tube in the patient's esophagus based on a sensed response to the electrical stimulation provided by the electrode.

Glottis Mask Airway (GMA)an aperture of larynx sealed airway for human ventilation includes a main airway; a non-inflatable cuff at the distal end of the main airway; the shape of the cuff is matched the shape of aperture of larynx perfectly. There is a sealing ring in the device to seal the intersection angle between the aperture of larynx and the wall of pharynx to prevent leakage during the ventilation. There is an epiglottis holder within the cuff where corresponding the epiglottis to prevent the epiglottis falls into the main airway cause the airway block. Plus there are 1) C-channel for gastric tube insertion; 2) at the proximal end of the main airway an openside airway is able to push ETT to the proper position at once; 3) a tongue base rest as the device stabilizer to stabilize the device in using.

An apparatus for monitoring EMG signals of a patient's laryngeal muscles includes an endotracheal tube having an exterior surface and a first location configured to be positioned at the patient's vocal folds. A first electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially below the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from below the vocal folds. A second electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially above the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from above the vocal folds. The first and second electrodes are configured to receive the EMG signals from the laryngeal muscles when the endotracheal tube is placed in a trachea of the patient.

A nerve integrity monitoring device includes a control module and a physical layer module. The control module is configured to generate a payload request. The payload request (i) requests a data payload from a sensor in a wireless nerve integrity monitoring network, and (ii) indicates whether a stimulation probe device is to generate a stimulation pulse. The physical layer module is configured to (i) wirelessly transmit the payload request to the sensor and the stimulation probe device, or (ii) transmit the payload request to a console interface module. The physical layer module is also configured to, in response to the payload request, (i) receive the data payload from the sensor, and (ii) receive stimulation pulse information from the stimulation probe device. The data payload includes data corresponding to an evoked response of a patient. The evoked response is generated based on the stimulation pulse.

The invention relates to an artificial airway device (1) to facilitate lung ventilation of a patient, comprising an airway tube (2) and a mask (3) carried at one end of the airway tube, the mask (3) having a distal end (4) and a proximal end (5) and a peripheral formation (6) capable of forming a seal around the circumference of the laryngeal inlet, the peripheral formation (6) surrounding a hollow interior space or lumen (7) of the (mask (3) and the bore of the airway tube (2) opening into the lumen (7) of the mask, the airway tube including support means (44) such that the cross sectional area of the bore is substantially maintained upon application of pressure by the patient's teeth, while allowing local deformation of the tube at the point of tooth contact.

The present disclosure relates generally to an endotracheal tube and to a method of using such a device. One embodiment of the device includes an inflatable balloon having at least a portion of its surface covered with a super-hydrophobic coating. In another embodiment, the inflatable balloon has a variable wall thickness which can allow for expansion of the balloon against the oropharynx to prevent tissue pressure necrosis within the trachea.

An airway device includes an airway tube having a first end surrounded by a laryngeal cuff which includes a back dorsal portion, a front face portion and a tip portion. The front face portion is shaped to form an anatomical fit over the laryngeal inlet of a patient, and to form a seal with the laryngeal inlet of the patient. The tip portion includes an annular sealing bulge which is adapted to wedge into an upper esophagus region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge improves sealing of the tip of the laryngeal cuff in the upper esophageal region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge is preferably formed from a soft polymeric or other plastics material with a Shore hardness of between 40 and 000 on the A scale, and allows for better sealing with a more variable range of upper esophageal anatomical features.

An apparatus for monitoring EMG signals of a patient's laryngeal muscles includes an endotracheal tube having an exterior surface. Conductive electrodes are formed on the endotracheal tube. The conductive electrodes are configured to receive the EMG signals from the laryngeal muscles when the endotracheal tube is placed in a trachea of the patient. At least wireless sensor is formed on the endotracheal tube, and is configured to wirelessly transmit information to a processing apparatus.

An apparatus for monitoring EMG signals of a patient's laryngeal muscles includes an endotracheal tube having an exterior surface and a first location configured to be positioned at the patient's vocal folds. A first electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially below the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from below the vocal folds. A second electrode is formed on the exterior surface of the endotracheal tube substantially above the first location to receive EMG signals primarily from above the vocal folds. The first and second electrodes are configured to receive the EMG signals from the laryngeal muscles when the endotracheal tube is placed in a trachea of the patient.