NL1034812C2 - Endotracheal tube, has steering wires controllably steering tip of tube in different directions, and control wires bending tip in direction that is opposite to direction in which tip is steered - Google Patents

Abstract

The tube (1) has a set of steering wires (3, 4) controllably steering a tip (2) of the tube in different directions. Additional control wires (5, 6) bend the tip in a direction that is opposite to a direction in which the tip is steered by the steering wires. The steering wires comprise threads or bodies that contract or expand under the influence of an electric current or pressure change.

Description

Brief indication: Manipulable endothracheal tube

The invention relates to an endotracheal tube that can be steered in different directions during intubation.

5

Endothracheal tubes are characterized by a curvature to the ventral. With almost all existing intubation techniques, the endotracheal tube must be inserted under the tongue base and the lump valve (epiglottis) through the trachea. To be able to do this in difficult cases, an endotracheal tube is known in which the tip of the endotracheal tube can be bent further upwards with an internal thread. This is particularly useful in the case of difficult intubations with a laryngoscope in which the vocal cords and the entrance of the windpipe cannot be made visible because the tongue base and / or the voice valve are too large and / or obstruct the view. By warping the endotracheal tube with the wire, it can be blindly inserted behind or under the epiglottis through trachea. In this way the intubation can still be done blind in some cases.

With an intubation system such as, for example, the Larynguide® in which a gutter guides the endotracheal tube up and under the tongue base and the larynx, the endotracheal tube may end up too high or get stuck at the front of the larynx (throat above the entrance of the windpipe) . To prevent this, it is useful to have an endotracheal tube where the endotracheal tube tip can be bent downwards. This can just give the difference that the endotracheal tube ends up in the windpipe. The endotracheal tube can be bent to the left and right in a similar way. This only makes sense with intubation methods that take place under sight with the aid of fiberscoop or videoscope because without sight the user does not know which way the tip should be sent. This principle is already being used in the flexible endoscopy that uses steerable 5 tips. However, this is not used with endotracheal tubes, nor for intubation purposes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a totally manipulable endotracheal tube. This goal is achieved because the tip of the endotracheal tube can be manipulated in all directions so that it can be sent into the trachea in a controlled manner.

An embodiment of the invention will be further elucidated with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows the endotracheal tube according to the invention in the rest position with standard curvature;

Figure 2 shows the endotracheal tube with a tip pulled in the opposite direction; Figure 3 shows a section with 2 control wires;

Figure 4 shows a section with 4 control wires.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a manipulable endotracheal tube (1) with tip (2) which in its rest position contains a preformed curvature to the ventral. This curvature can be strengthened by pulling on the control wire (3). To give the tip (2) of the manipulable endotracheal tube (1) a curvature in the opposite direction, control wire 3 (4) is pulled. Figure 2 shows the side view of the endotracheal tube (1) whose tip (2) has received an opposite curvature by pulling on control wire (4). The section in figure (3) shows the location of the control wires (3) and (4). Figure 4 shows a cross-section with additional control wires 5 (5) and (6) with which the tip (2) of the endotracheal tube (1), viewed in the direction of the tip (2), also gives a curvature to the right and to the left respectively can become.

In the embodiments described above, the tip (2) is controllable in several directions by pulling on the control wires (3), (4), (5) or (6).

It is conceivable that the direction change of the tip (2) is caused by other control means. Other control means for steering the tip (2) in a desired direction are, for example, wires or bodies that contract or expand under the influence of an electric current or under the influence of a change in pressure.

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Claims (4)

1. Endotracheal tube (1) with a curvature to the ventral and provided with an internal thread (3) with which the curvature can be reinforced so that the tip (2) can be bent further upwards, characterized in that the endotracheal tube (1) ) contains steering means with the aid of which the tip (2) of the endotracheal tube can be steered in several directions. Endotracheal tube (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the endotracheal tube (1) is provided with an additional control means in the form of a second internal thread (4) with the aid of which the tip (2) curves the other side can be given up. Endotracheal tube (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the endotracheal tube (1) is provided with control means in the form of a plurality of internal wires with the aid of which the tip (2) can be curved in any desired direction . Endotracheal tube (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means consist of wires or bodies that contract or expand under the influence of an electric current or under the influence of a change in pressure.