Airway assembly for tracheal intubation

• US 9,433,738 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mermaid Medical Vascular ApS
• Original Assignee: Bio2 Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Angel, Luis F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Justine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis, LaToya M
• Application Number:
  US14/662,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20150258293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/04 Hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts A61F2/18, A61F2/20 take precedence; devices, other than stent-grafts, providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body other than stent-grafts, e.g. stents A61F2/82; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/046 Tracheae
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9528 for retrieval of stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 temporary
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0071 breakable or frangible
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0406 implanted flow modifiers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0418 with integrated means for changing the degree of curvature, e.g. for easy intubation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0427 with removable and re-insertable liner tubes, e.g. for cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0443 Special cuff-wall materials A61M16/0481, A61M16/0422 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0445 Special cuff forms, e.g. undulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0465 Tracheostomy tubes; Devices for performing a tracheostomy; Accessories therefor, e.g. masks, filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0488 Mouthpieces; Means for guiding, securing or introducing the tubes guiding or introducing with laryngoscopes A61B1/267; holding devices on the body A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/32 with radio-opaque indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0108 using radio-opaque or ultrasound markers

Abstract

In some embodiments, an airway assembly may be used in a procedure that requires tracheal intubation. The airway assembly may include a first conduit, a sleeve, and a stent. The first conduit and the sleeve may be relatively flexible, facilitating insertion of the airway assembly in a body lumen (e.g., an air passage way). The first conduit may function to deliver gases (e.g., air) to the body lumen and consequently the patient. The first conduit may be positioned in the sleeve during use. The sleeve may be removably coupled to the first conduit. In certain embodiments, a sleeve may function to inhibit a stent from expanding until desired. In some embodiments, an elongated member may be positionable in the first conduit. The elongated member may be configurable to substantially retain a new shape upon deformation. The stent may be coupled towards the distal end of the first conduit. The stent may function to inhibit the body lumen from collapsing. In certain embodiments, a stent may function to inhibit the body lumen from collapsing without exerting unnecessary outward pressures on the inner surface of the body lumen.

Claims

1. A method for endotracheal intubation, the method comprising the steps of:

a) inserting at least a distal end of an airway assembly in an air passage selected from one of the trachea, right bronchus or left bronchus of a patient, wherein the airway assembly comprises;

i) a first elongated tubular conduit having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end of the first elongated tubular conduit tapers to a smaller diameter than the proximal end and is positionable within the air passage selected from one of the trachea, right bronchus or left bronchus of the patient and the proximal end of the first elongated tubular conduit remains outside the patient'"'"'s body, and wherein the first elongated tubular conduit is configurable to deliver gases to and withdraw gases from the patient;

ii) a stent having a proximal end and a distal end, the stent fixedly coupled to the distal end of the first elongated tubular conduit, wherein the stent is diametrically expandable along an entire length of the stent from an unexpanded state, wherein a diameter of the unexpanded state of the stent is smaller than a diameter of the first elongated tubular conduit, and the stent is formed from a material that is less flexible than the first elongated tubular conduit; and

iii) a sleeve, wherein at least a portion of the distal end of the first elongated tubular conduit and at least a portion of the stent are positionable in the sleeve during use, and wherein the sleeve inhibits the stent from expanding until the sleeve is removed from the stent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the sleeve includes a portion having a higher coefficient of friction than at least another portion of the sleeve to inhibit movement of the sleeve relative to the first elongated tubular conduit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

positioning at least a portion of a stent expansion device in the stent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

inserting the distal end of the airway assembly through a non-natural opening in the air passage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

inserting the distal end of the airway assembly through a natural opening in the air passage.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

positioning at least a portion of a stent expansion device in the stent; and

expanding the stent.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

positioning an elongated member in the first elongated tubular conduit, wherein the elongated member is deformable from an original shape into a new shape and substantially retains the new shape upon deformation of the elongated member.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

positioning an elongated member in the first elongated tubular conduit, wherein the elongated member is deformable from an original shape into a new shape and substantially retains the new shape upon deformation of the elongated member; and

deforming the elongated member so as to facilitate insertion of the distal end of the first elongated tubular conduit in the air passage.