Tracheostomy device
First Claim
1. A combination ventilator fitting/tracheal stent device comprising:
- a hollow, generally T-shaped tracheal stent formed from a flexible, resiliently yieldable material and having;
a tubular, open-ended body portion having top and bottom longitudinal sections, said body portion being insertable, through a neck incision, into the tracheal passage of a patient to coaxially position said body portion therein with said top longitudinal section extending toward the head of the patient, anda tubular arm portion extending transversely outwardly from a longitudinally intermediate section of said body portion and having an open outer end, and an interior which communicates with the interior of said body portion, said arm portion being positioned and configured to project outwardly through the nest incision when said body portion is operably inserted into the tracheal passage; and
means for selectively and internally blocking or unblocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion when it is operatively inserted in the tracheal passage, where said stent may be used;
(1) as a ventilator fitting by internally blocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion and connecting said outer end of said arm portion to the outlet of a mechanical ventilator to cyclically flow ventilator air downwardly through said body portion and the tracheal passage into the patient'"'"'s lungs, or(2) to hold open the tracheal passage section into which said body portion is inserted, and permit essentially normal patient breathing through such tracheal passage section, by unblocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion and plugging said outer end of said arm portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tracheal T-tube stent is formed from a flexible, resiliently yieldable material and has a hollow, open-ended tubular body portion which is coaxially insertable into the trachea through a suitable neck incision, and a transverse tubular portion which projects outwardly through the incision and has a small side wall opening therein. The distal end portion of a small inflation lumen having an air inlet check valve fitting at its proximal end is extended inwardly through the side wall opening, runs inwardly along the interior side surface of the transverse tube portion and upwardly along the interior side surface of the top end of the body portion, and is connected at its distal end to an inflation balloon disposed within the top end of the T-tube body. With the T-tube in place within the trachea, and the balloon deflated, the T-tube functions as an ordinary tracheal stent to hold the trachea open and permit normal patient breathing. By simply inflating the balloon the upper tube body end is internally occluded, thereby permitting the T-tube to be utilized as a ventilator fitting when desired. In this manner, the conventional use of a curved tracheostomy tube, with its attendant tracheal scarring, may be advantageously eliminated.
118 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A combination ventilator fitting/tracheal stent device comprising:
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a hollow, generally T-shaped tracheal stent formed from a flexible, resiliently yieldable material and having; a tubular, open-ended body portion having top and bottom longitudinal sections, said body portion being insertable, through a neck incision, into the tracheal passage of a patient to coaxially position said body portion therein with said top longitudinal section extending toward the head of the patient, and a tubular arm portion extending transversely outwardly from a longitudinally intermediate section of said body portion and having an open outer end, and an interior which communicates with the interior of said body portion, said arm portion being positioned and configured to project outwardly through the nest incision when said body portion is operably inserted into the tracheal passage; and means for selectively and internally blocking or unblocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion when it is operatively inserted in the tracheal passage, where said stent may be used; (1) as a ventilator fitting by internally blocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion and connecting said outer end of said arm portion to the outlet of a mechanical ventilator to cyclically flow ventilator air downwardly through said body portion and the tracheal passage into the patient'"'"'s lungs, or (2) to hold open the tracheal passage section into which said body portion is inserted, and permit essentially normal patient breathing through such tracheal passage section, by unblocking said top longitudinal section of said body portion and plugging said outer end of said arm portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. Improved tracheal stent apparatus comprising:
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a hollow, generally T-shaped tracheal stent member having a tubular, essentially straight, open-ended body portion with top and bottom longitudinal sections, and a tubular arm portion extending transversely outwardly from a longitudinally intermediate section of said body portion, said arm portion having an interior which communicates with the interior of said body portion, an open outer end, and a side wall opening formed through a longitudinally intermediate section of said arm portion; a balloon member disposed within said top longitudinal section of said body portion, said balloon member being inflatable to internally occlude said top longitudinal section to preclude upward air flow therethrough, and being deflatable to permit upward and downward air flow through said top longitudinal section; and an elongated hollow inflation lumen member having a distal end portion extending interiorly through said arm portion and said top longitudinal section and operatively connected at a distal end thereof to said balloon member, a longitudinally intermediate portion passing through said side wall opening in said arm portion, and a proximal end portion disposed exteriorly of said stent member, whereby said balloon member may be inflated by flowing pressurized air inwardly through said proximal end portion, and deflated by permitting pressurized air to flow outwardly through said proximal end portion. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A tracheostomy procedure comprising the step of:
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forming a neck incision extending into the tracheal passage of a patient; providing a hollow, generally T-shaped tracheal stent having an essentially straight tubular body portion with top and bottom longitudinal sections, and a tubular arm portion extending transversely outwardly from a longitudinally intermediate section of said body portion; inserting said body portion into the tracheal passage, through the neck incision, so that said top longitudinal section extends toward the head of the patient and said arm portion extends outwardly through the throat incision; mechanically assisting the patient'"'"'s breathing by internally blocking said top longitudinal section of the inserted body portion and cyclically flowing ventilator air inwardly through said arm portion; and permitting patient breathing, without ventilator assistance, through the tracheal section in which said body portion is inserted by unblocking said top longitudinal section and terminating the cyclic flow of ventilator air inwardly through said arm portion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification