Pharyngeal airway

Details Pharyngeal airway Pharyngeal airway

1996-01-26

1998-04-28

Millin, Vincent

Surgery

Respiratory method or device

Respiratory gas supply means enters mouth or tracheotomy...

12820714, 12820026, 128911, 128912, 128DIG26, A61M 1604

Patent

active

057432589

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an airway device for securing a respiratory air-route necessary for the respiration of an unconscious patient. More specifically, the present invention relates to a medical airway implement for securing the respiratory route for a patient, that is for securing an adequate airway from the mouth through the pharynx to enable the unconsious patient to inspire or expire air, or oxygen and anesthetic gases easily so that the patient can be ventilated from the pharynx to the trachea and then finally to the lungs, and especially for facilitating intermittent positive pressure artificial ventilation as needed, without using any tracheal tube during general anesthesia or while the patient is in a comatose condition.


BACKGROUND ART

Currently available medical implements to secure an airway for anesthesia, emergency resuscitation or the management of seriously ill patients include tracheal tubes, oropharyngeal airways, nasopharyngeal airways, esophageal obstructor airways (EOAs), laryngeal masks (LMs) and the like.
Tracheal tubes have been most prevalently used because tracheal tubes surely secure a respiratory route, facilitate the evacuation of endotracheal secretion, isolate the airway from gastric contents regurgitated through the esophagus and enables positive pressure artificial ventilation without any troubles as needed when tracheal tubes are inserted orally or nasally in patients' tracheae and connected to anesthetic machines, lung ventilators or resuscitators etc.
When surely inserting a tracheal tube in the patient's trachea for emergency resuscitation, the intubation of the tracheal tube in a routine manner requiring direct vision of the larynx with a laryngoscope is liable to entail serious adverse effects due to neural reflex actions, such as arrhythmia and the regurgitation of gastric contents. Thus, the intubation of the tracheal tube is a highly risky, invasive medical practice which can be safely performed only by a physician skilled in the endotracheal intubation procedures.
Furthermore, stimulation of the very sensitive pharynx and oppression of the delicate ciliary epithelium in the trachea with the tracheal tube and its inflated cuff cause foreign sensation in the throat, hoarse voice and difficulty in expectoration and, in the worst case, entails serious complications, such as glottic edema and/or tracheitis. Accordingly, it is a recent medical trend to avoid, if possible, inserting any foreign matters in the larynx and the trachea for the purpose of securing adequate airway. Oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal airways have been prevalently used for many years.
However, such an airway is not satisfactorily effective because such a short airway device is inserted simply in the throat to hold the root of the tongue mechanically with its tip so as to prevent airway obstruction by depression. Since the airway is unable to fully support the total structure of the tongue root, the use of the airway, in most cases, is not satisfactorily effective.
Furthermore, the airway cannot prevent regurgitation from the esophagus into the trachea and also requires hermetically holding a face mask and the patient's jaw by hands during artificial respiration.
Therefore, the airway can be applied effectively to limited cases and can be safely used only for a limited time. However, it is a significant advantage of the airway that the airway, unlike the tracheal tube, can be used by nurses and ambulance paramedics as well as physicians skilled in airway manipulation.
Esophageal obstructor airways (EOAs) have been manufactured in U.S. and have been prevalently used worldwide by ambulance personnel. An EOA, unlike tracheal tubes, does not require direct laryngoscopy. When using the EOA, the tube of the EOA is inserted blindly and quickly in the esophagus, a balloon attached to a part of the tube near the distal end of the same is inflated in the lower esophagus so that the balloon comes into close contact with the esophageal wall, thus the lower part of the esophagus is

REFERENCES:
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patent: 4739756 (1988-04-01), Horn
patent: 5146916 (1992-09-01), Catalani
patent: 5287848 (1994-02-01), Chubb et al.
patent: 5372131 (1994-12-01), Heinen
patent: 5443063 (1995-08-01), Greenberg
patent: 5499625 (1996-03-01), Frass et al.

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