Oral airway with oximetry means
First Claim
1. An oral airway for insertion over a surgical patient'"'"'s tongue, which both assists in patient breathing and provides for the measurement of oxygen saturation in the patient'"'"'s blood, comprising:
- a) a main body configured to extend through the patient'"'"'s mouth over the tongue to prevent blockage of the patient'"'"'s pharnyx during surgery;
b) means for transmitting light;
c) means for detecting light transmitted by said transmitting means;
d) said transmitting means and said detecting means being positioned on said main body in spaced relation to one another for passage of light through the patient'"'"'s tongue when transmitted from said transmitting means to said detecting means during surgical use of the airway; and
e) means for operatively connecting said transmitting means and said detecting means with an oximeter for measuring oxygen saturation in the patient'"'"'s blood as a function of the transmitted light detected by said detecting means.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention discloses an oral airway for insertion within a surgical patient'"'"'s mouth and over the patient'"'"'s tongue for preventing blockage of the pharynx during surgical and like procedures. According to the present invention, the airway is provided with an arrangement for transmitting light through the patient'"'"'s tongue from a point on the oral airway bearing a transmitting device to a point on the oral airway bearing a detecting device. The transmitting devices and detecting devices are positioned in a spaced-apart relation on the oral airway so that the light transmitted from the transmitting device passes through at least a portion of the patient'"'"'s tongue before being received by the detecting device. Additionally, an operative connecting device is provided for connecting the transmitting device and detecting device with an oximeter for measuring saturation of the patient'"'"'s blood as a function of the transmitted light received by the detecting device.
34 Citations
7 Claims
-
1. An oral airway for insertion over a surgical patient'"'"'s tongue, which both assists in patient breathing and provides for the measurement of oxygen saturation in the patient'"'"'s blood, comprising:
-
a) a main body configured to extend through the patient'"'"'s mouth over the tongue to prevent blockage of the patient'"'"'s pharnyx during surgery; b) means for transmitting light; c) means for detecting light transmitted by said transmitting means; d) said transmitting means and said detecting means being positioned on said main body in spaced relation to one another for passage of light through the patient'"'"'s tongue when transmitted from said transmitting means to said detecting means during surgical use of the airway; and e) means for operatively connecting said transmitting means and said detecting means with an oximeter for measuring oxygen saturation in the patient'"'"'s blood as a function of the transmitted light detected by said detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7)
-
-
5. The oral airway of claim I further characterized in that said detecting means comprises a photosensitive device.
Specification