A method of delivering a substance in aerosol or powder form to the upper respiratory tract is provided. The substance is orally administered into the larynx, through the pharynx, and out from the nose while minimizing inhalation into the lungs, whereby deposition of particles in the upper respiratory tract is achieved with limited deposition in the trachea, lower airways and lungs. Also provided is an oral delivery device having a mouthpiece for oral inhalation of a flow of a substance into the upper respiratory tract and a flow restrictor for enabling arrestment of the flow minimizing inhalation into the trachea, lower airways and lungs, which provides for a deposition of particles in the upper respiratory tract with limited deposition in the trachea, lower airways and lungs. Also provided is an oral delivery device having a mouthpiece for admission of a flow of a substance into the upper respiratory tract and a flow generator for pressuring the substance into travel through the upper respiratory tract.

An intubation apparatus and, method of use, for intubating a patient. The apparatus includes an airway ventilation device having tubing located between an inlet end and an outlet end, the outlet end being configured to be locatable in the airway of a patient, intermediary tubing having a first end releasably connectable to the inlet end of the airway ventilation device and a second end having a fitting configured to connect to a gas supply, and an introducer having a first end that is alternatively releasably connectable to the first end of the intermediary tubing and a second end having a blunt tip.

A device adapted for maintaining an airway in a patient, the device comprising a mask, the mask adapted to form a seal around the laryngeal inlet when properly inserted into a patient and an airway tube for providing ventilation gases and/or anaesthetic gases through the mask and to the lungs of the patient when the device is properly inserted in a patient, wherein the airway tube has a first proximal opening and a second proximal opening.

Systems and methods for reducing pathogens near an implant are discussed. In some cases, the methods include reducing contaminants in a portion of a patient that has an implant and that is disposed interior to a closed surface of skin of the patient. The method can further include placing a conduit in the closed surface of skin and flowing an antimicrobial fluid into that portion of the patient to contact the antimicrobial fluid with a surface of the implant and tissue adjacent to the implant. In some cases, the antimicrobial fluid is then removed from the portion of the patient having the implant. As part of this method, biofilm near the implant can be mechanically, ultrasonically, electrically, chemically, enzymatically, or otherwise disrupted. Other implementations are described.

An embodiment of a system for treating sleep apnea includes a collar, pump, motor, sensor, memory, and controller, which is configured to store, in the memory, information related to sleep-apnea events or sleep-apnea treatment, experienced by the subject. For example, the controller can obtain, and store in the memory, information related to sleep-apnea events, and the controller, or another computing system, can correlate this information with the subject's lifestyle choices, and can recommend lifestyle changes to improve the subject's sleep apnea. Furthermore, the controller can obtain and store, in the memory, information related to usage and settings of the sleep-apnea system, and the controller, or another computing system, can correlate this information with the subject's wellbeing, and can recommend changes in the usage or the settings of the sleep-apnea system that can improve the subject's wellbeing.

The invention relates to a positioning sputum suction laryngeal mask. The positioning sputum suction laryngeal mask comprises a mask body and a mask body tube, wherein the mask body comprises a mask body bottom plate and a mask main body arranged on the mask body bottom plate, a central region in the mask main body is provided with a mask body cavity communicated with the mask body tube, a stomach decompression tube corresponding to the stomach mouth is arranged on the back side of the mask body bottom plate, and the stomach decompression tube is isolated from the mask body cavity through the mask body bottom plate. The positioning sputum suction laryngeal mask also comprises a connection suction mechanism capable of realizing negative pressure suction in a gas supply process. The connection suction mechanism comprises a suction connecting tube which is arranged in the mask body bottom plate, and the end, located in the mask body bottom plate, of the suction connecting tube is communicated with the stomach decompression tube. The positioning sputum suction laryngeal mask can be effectively positioned, has lower complexity and usage costs, can ensure the ventilation and sealing effect without air inflation in use, can realize suction of secretions in a ventilation process, can avoid airway blockage caused by epiglottis, and can improve the stability and reliability in use.

Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for accurately detecting a position of an endotracheal tube by sensing patient anatomy surrounding the endotracheal tube. Systems of the present disclosure include an endotracheal tube having at least one sensor supported by the endotracheal tube configured to detect surrounding patient anatomy. A signal processing unit can receive data from the sensor and can at least one of (i) identify the detected patient anatomy, for example, vocal cords, (ii) determine a distance between the detected patient anatomy and a known point on the endotracheal tube, and (iii) verify a positioning of the endotracheal tube within a tracheal or esophageal lumen of the patient. In some embodiments, the system can include at least one inflatable component that can extend along an outer surface of the endotracheal tube and support the at least one sensor.

Described here are systems and methods for delivering an active agent to target tissues of the ear, nose, or throat using a drug delivery platform having the therapeutic drug embedded as part of the drug delivery platform. The drug delivery platform is implanted into a target tissue, and the active agent elutes out of the body of the drug delivery platform for a target period of time, delivering a therapeutic dose of the drug for that period of time. The duration of therapy for an implant into a sinus tissue can be from 3 to 12 months, or longer, thereby providing relief for the full duration of an allergy season. Moreover, the duration of therapy can provide relief to individuals with chronic paranasal sinus condition symptoms for a period of time longer than presently available therapies, thus allowing for only semi-annual or annual applications of the therapy.

The invention is a laryngeal mask, comprising a head part (14) and an inlet tube (16) connected to the head part (14), and a passage (15) is formed between a laryngeal opening (11) of the head part (14) and an inlet opening (21) of the inlet tube (16), the laryngeal opening (11) is adapted for fitting onto a trachea, and the inlet opening (21) of the inlet tube (16) is opposite the connection of the inlet tube (16) with the head part (14), and an annular cushion (20) connected to an outer part of the head part (14) around the laryngeal opening (11). The laryngeal mask further comprises a covering element (10) encompassing the annular cushion (20), folding it back to the head part (14) and covering the laryngeal opening (11), the covering element (10) is connected to the outer part of the head part (14) at a part being towards the inlet tube (16) from the connection of the annular cushion (20), and a releasable connection is formed circumferentially in the covering element (10) or at the connection of the head part (14) and the covering element (10), and a puller element (12) being connected to an inner side of the covering element (10) being towards the laryngeal opening (11), being arranged in the passage (15) and being pullable from the inlet tube (16) through the inlet opening (21), and being adapted for removing at least one part of the covering element (10) through the inlet opening (21) of the inlet tube (16) by releasing the releasable connection.

An embodiment of a system for treating sleep apnea includes a collar, pump, motor, sensor, memory, and controller, which is configured to store, in the memory, information related to sleep-apnea events or sleep-apnea treatment, experienced by the subject. For example, the controller can obtain, and store in the memory, information related to sleep-apnea events, and the controller, or another computing system, can correlate this information with the subject's lifestyle choices, and can recommend lifestyle changes to improve the subject's sleep apnea. Furthermore, the controller can obtain and store, in the memory, information related to usage and settings of the sleep-apnea system, and the controller, or another computing system, can correlate this information with the subject's wellbeing, and can recommend changes in the usage or the settings of the sleep-apnea system that can improve the subject's wellbeing.