An intubation tool for assisting in placement of an endotracheal tube, the intubation tool comprising a) a stylet having a proximal end, a distal end, and a medial location, the stylet: i) configured for receiving an endotracheal tube, and ii) having an articulating distal tip, the articulating distal tip being configured to articulate between more than one shape; and b) a removable handle secured to a medial location on of the stylet.

Implants comprising electrically-responsive hydrogel are described. Systems to provide electricity to induce response in hydrogel-containing implants are described. Methods for utilizing said system and methods for utilizing said hydrogel-containing implants are described.

Disclosed herein are endotracheal tubes that have external baffles near the distal end of the tube to reduce unwanted migration of the tube relative to the trachea and to help prevent materials from passing between the outside of the tube and the tracheal walls. The baffles can be made of soft flexible material that conforms to and seals against the trachea. The baffles can be angled proximally or distally, or both. The baffles can be tapered in thickness and can vary in radial length. Some embodiments can include a supraglottic umbrella. Some embodiments can include an axially expandable portion along the tube. Some embodiments can include a loading tube that helps set the deflection orientation of the baffles within the trachea.

A tracheal tube can be easily positioned and has no risk of unexpectedly blocking a bronchus. This tracheal tube is inserted through the trachea and a bronchus of a subject, and includes: a tube body which has a through hole formed on the outer peripheral surface; and bronchus cuffs which are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tube body and which press the inner peripheral surface of the bronchus. The bronchus cuffs are formed spaced apart in the axial direction of the tube body and form a plurality of vent spaces which communicate with each other. The through hole communicates with the vent spaces.

We describe a Tracheal Tube insertion facilitator (modified bougie) with superior ventilating capability to enable medical/paramedical personnel to place tracheal/bronchial tubes reliably in trachea/bronchus of the patients under anaesthesia or patients in respiratory distress, and provide respiratory support. This device is particularly useful in situations where the conventional tracheal intubation technique using a laryngoscope is difficult or near impossible. This device has a outer cylindrical member, inner hollow stylet and a dynamic cuff which inflates during Positive Pressure Ventilation/Jet ventilation, and hence enabling oxygenation in patients with respiratory distress even before the tracheal tube is inserted into the patient's airway.

Liquid ventilator and methods integrating the concept of total liquid ventilation (TLV) using liquid volumes below functional residual capacity (FRC) of mammal's lungs are disclosed. Beyond the automatization of the whole process, the technology has been up-scaled to confirm that TLV at residual volumes below FRC can provide a safe procedure while enabling the full potential of TLV in a mammal such as humans or adult-sized animals. Such tidal liquid ventilation strongly differs from the previously known TLV approach, opening promising perspectives for a safer clinical translation. Also disclosed are apparatus and method for safe and fast induction of hypothermia during liquid ventilation of a mammal.

Some implementations of the disclosure are directed to a balloon dilator system, including: a hand piece including an attachment mechanism for removably coupling to a proximal end of an endoscope; a hole for inserting a distal end of a balloon catheter including an inflatable balloon; and a hollow tube distally extending from the hand piece, a proximal end of the hollow tube configured to receive the balloon catheter inserted through the hole and advance the balloon catheter such that the distal of the balloon catheter exits a distal end of the hollow tube. The hand piece may include a pump handle that, when actuated, pumps pressurized fluid to inflate the inflatable balloon.

In some additional aspects, an apparatus can include a chamber having an inlet valve for receiving a reactant gas and an outlet valve for delivering a product gas, a piston positioned inside the chamber and configured to move along a length of the chamber for adjusting pressure in the chamber, a sensor for collecting information related to one or more conditions of a respiratory system associated with a patient, a controller for determining one or more control parameters based on the collected information, and one or more pairs of electrodes positioned inside the chamber for initiating a series of electric arcs external to the patient to generate nitric oxide based on the determined control parameters.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to drug-coated balloon catheters for treating strictures in body lumens and methods of using the same. A drug-coated balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic agent to a target site of a body lumen stricture includes an elongated balloon having a main diameter. The balloon catheter includes a coating layer overlying an exterior surface of the balloon. The coating layer includes one or more water-soluble additives and an initial drug load of a therapeutic agent.

Disclosed herein, in some aspects, are endotracheal stimulation platforms, systems, and methods of their use for pacing the phrenic nerves, right and/or left phrenic nerves, of a subject. In some embodiments, one or more pairs of electrodes are provided through an ET tube to contact a portion of a tracheal wall, or trachea, so as to enable phrenic nerve pacing. In some cases, the one or more pairs of electrodes are configured to send electrical pulses that stimulate the phrenic nerve, thereby helping promote contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm muscle.