Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-03
2001-07-17
Ball, Michael W. (Department: 1733)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S199000, C156S267000, C156S269000, C156S292000, C128S207140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261401
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to laryngeal masks and their manufacture.
Laryngeal mask airways are used to ventilate and provide anaesthetic gas to a patient during surgery. Laryngeal mask airways differ from endotracheal tubes, which extend into the trachea and terminate beyond the vocal folds. By contrast, laryngeal mask airways have a tube opening into the centre of a generally elliptical mask, which seals in the region of the hypopharnyx, at the top of the trachea. Laryngeal masks are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,879, U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,743, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,547, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,464, GB 2267034, U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,571, U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,956, U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,697, GB 2317830, GB 2249959, GB 2111394, EP 448878, U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,388, GB 2205499, GB 2128561, GB 2298797, GB 2321854, GB 9900596, GB 2323289, GB 2323290, GB 2318735 and GB 2330312. Laryngeal mask airways have certain advantages over endotracheal tubes but their more complex construction makes them considerably more expensive. As a result, the majority of laryngeal mask airways are reusable devices, which are sterilized after use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacture of laryngeal mask airways, and airways made by this method.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making a mask formation for a laryngeal mask airway comprising the steps of moving two sheets of plastics material along their length, moulding from the sheets components of a mask formation for the airway, bringing the sheets towards one another and joining components on the two sheets to form the mask formation for the airway, and separating the mask formation from the sheets.
The first sheet preferably includes a reinforcement member, which may be of ring-shape, sandwiched between two layers of sheet material. The second sheet preferably includes a reinforcement member, which may be of ring-shape, sandwiched between two layers of sheet material. The reinforcement member may be sandwiched between the layers of sheet material by peeling the reinforcement member off a supply sheet. The components of the sheets are preferably joined with opposite sides of a mount member to provide a cuff member on opposite sides of the mask formation. The components may be moulded by a pressure-vacuum process.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a mask formation made by a method according to the above one aspect of the invention.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a machine for use in a method according to the above one aspect of the invention.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a machine for making a mask formation for a laryngeal mask airway comprising a first and second track of sheet plastic material arranged to move together towards one end, a first forming station intermediate the ends of the first track for moulding a first cuff component from the sheet in the first track, a second forming station intermediate the ends of the second track for moulding a second cuff component from the sheet in the second track, and a third station for joining the first and second cuff components to opposite sides of a mount member to form the mask formation.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a mask made on a machine according to the above fourth aspect of the invention.
A machine and method for making a mask for a laryngeal mask airway and a mask made by the method, according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4415398 (1983-11-01), Ottaviano
patent: 5305743 (1994-04-01), Brain
patent: 5355879 (1994-10-01), Brain
patent: 5794617 (1998-08-01), Brunnell et al.
patent: 5997676 (1999-12-01), Jurrius et al.
Ball Michael W.
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Musser Barbara J.
Smiths Group PLC
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