WO2017006117A1

WO2017006117A1 - Oropharyngeal airway

Info

Publication number: WO2017006117A1
Application number: PCT/GB2016/052037
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Jeffrey Young; Daniel STOLADY
Original assignee: Venner Medical Technologies SA
Current assignee: Venner Medical Technologies SA
Priority date: 2015-07-06
Filing date: 2016-07-06
Publication date: 2017-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 2018-01-06
Also published as: GB201511764D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oropharyngeal airway device (10,20) comprising a circumferential wall, wherein the circumferential wall comprises at least one aperture (30) in the length of the longitudinal axis of the circumferential wall. The at least one aperture is configured to allow fluid flow through the naso-pharyngeal passage when the device is inserted in a patient. A method of manufacturing the airway device is also described.

Description

Oropharyngeal Airway

The invention relates to an oropharyngeal airway device. The invention more particularly relates to an oropharyngeal airway device adapted to allow maintenance of the naso- pharyngeal airway.

Current oropharyngeal airways comprise a rigid or semi-rigid tube which can be inserted through the mouth to leave a proximal end at the lips of a patient and a distal end in the back of the mouth or pharynx proximate the epiglottis. This bypasses the structures of the upper airway to allow patients to breath through the oropharyngeal airway tube. The Guedel airway is an oropharyngeal airway device which has an ideal shape for routine use in patients who require an adjunct to improve the patency of the upper airway and the Guedel has been tried and tested for many years and clinicians are familiar with it. A number of designs of bite block and introducer devices for bronchoscopes and laryngoscopes, such as the Ovassapian airway or Berman airway, have been developed. These devices have lateral and/or posterior deficiencies and channels within them. However, these devices are not suitable for use as a routine oropharyngeal airway due to their shape and channels incorporated into the device to facilitate the passage of the scopes.

An oropharyngeal airway of the Guedel type has a disadvantage in that although it holds the oropharyngeal passage open, it does not hold the patient's naso-pharyngeal passage open and in some circumstances may obstruct the naso-pharyngeal passage. The maintenance of the naso-pharyngeal passage at the distal end of the Guedel airway is particularly important to maintain the availability of oxygen at the pharynx if the patient is receiving oxygen supplementation through the nose, for example by nasal prongs of a nasal cannula at low flow rates or at higher flow rates for example using THRIVE oxygenation as described by Patel and Nouraei in the journal of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, Anaesthesia (Anaesthesia, 2015 vol. 70(3) pp. 323-9).

The invention described herein seeks to overcome at least the above-mentioned problems. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an airway tube comprising a circumferential wall, wherein the circumferential wall comprises at least one aperture in the length of the longitudinal axis of the circumferential wall configured to allow fluid flow through the naso -pharyngeal airway when the device is inserted in a patient. The at least one aperture prevents blockage of the naso-pharyngeal airway passage and therefore is advantageous as it to enables maintenance of the airway when a patient is receiving oxygen supplementation via the nasal prongs of a nasal cannula. Reoxygenation through nasal prongs can be beneficial when using both low and high flow oxygenation systems. However, it is particularly advantageous when using a high flow system such as the THRIVE system as nasal oxygenation in a high flow system rapidly increases oxygenation of the blood stream in a short time frame. Therefore, any blockage in this airway passage greatly reduces the efficiency of the system.

Preferably, the circumferential wall of the airway tube extends from a proximal end located at the mouth of a patient when the airway tube is in the inserted configuration, which forms a proximal end opening, to a distal end located proximate the epiglottis of a patient when the airway tube is in the inserted configuration, which forms a distal end opening, wherein the at least one aperture is provided proximate the distal end of the circumferential wall. The airway tube allows the passage of air or medical gas from outside of a patient to the lungs of a patient. When in the inserted configuration and positioned in the throat of a patient, the at least one aperture in the airway tube allows fluid, for example air or medical gas, to pass from through the nasopharyngeal passage. Positioning the at least one aperture near the distal end of the airway tube facilitates transfer of gas through the naso-pharyngeal passage. Preferably, the shape of the at least one aperture is selected from a group comprising one or more of a circular, oval, elliptical, triangular, or rectangular. The shape of the at least one aperture can be selected to allow for the optimal flow of fluid. Different shaped apertures may be required for different situations, for example different sized patients. Preferably, the at least one aperture is at least one slit in the length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube. The lengthwise at least one slit along the longitudinal axis of the oropharyngeal airway device provides an aperture through the circumferential sidewall of the airway tube. Thus, the at least one slit allows the passage of air or medical gas from outside of a patient to the lungs of a patient through the nasopharyngeal passage. Advantageously, the provision of at least one slit in the airway tube provides a large surface area that can be used for fluid flow. The tube can be formed from a suitably rigid material such that the presence of the at least one slit does not have an effect on the structural integrity of the airway tube. Different sizes of slit in the airway tube can be used and may be beneficial in different situations, for example larger slits may be beneficial if a high level of oxygenation is required in a short time frame. Preferably, the airway device comprises polyethylene or PVC. These materials provide the stability of the tube and allow for it to be positioned within the throat of a patient.

Preferably, the airway device comprises a bite block. The bite block prevents the patient from deforming or breaking the airway device accidentally using their teeth.

Preferably, the airway device comprises a connector. A connector may be used to connect the airway device to a supply of air or medical gas. The invention will now be illustrated by way of example with reference to the following drawings, of which:

Figure la shows a side view of a prior art oropharyngeal airway tube; Figure lb shows a perspective view of a prior art oropharyngeal airway tube;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an oropharyngeal airway tube in accordance with the invention comprising at least one aperture lengthwise along the longitudinal axis of the airway tube;

Figure 3a shows a perspective view of an oropharyngeal airway tube in accordance with the invention comprising at least one slit along the along the longitudinal axis of the airway tube from the distal end to about half the length of the airway tube; and Figure 3b shows a perspective view of an oropharyngeal airway tube in accordance with the invention comprising at least one slit along the along the longitudinal axis of the airway tube from the distal end substantially the length of the airway tube. Figure 1 shows a side view of a prior art oropharyngeal airway device having a proximal end 1 and a distal end 2. Figure lb shows a perspective view of the same prior art oropharyngeal airway tube having a proximal end 1 and a distal end 2. The airway tube is hollow and tubular which allows for the passage of air and/or medical gas through the airway tube. The airway tube forms an enclosed conduit that has not apertures in the length of the longitudinal axis. The proximal end may be in fluid communication with a supply of medical gas.

Figure 2 shows an oropharyngeal airway device according to the invention comprising an airway tube extending from a proximal end (10) to a distal end (20) when an inserted configuration within a patient, wherein at least one aperture (30) is provided along the length of the airway tube. As with the prior art, the airway tube is hollow and tubular which allows for the passage of air and/or medical gas through the airway tube. However, the airway device according to the invention has at least one aperture through the circumferential wall to allow fluid flow thorough the nasopharyngeal passage.

The oropharyngeal airway device of the current invention is similar or identical in shape to a standard Guedel airway comprising at least one aperture (30), two or more apertures (30), or a slit (40) in the posterior wall of the airway tube to allow the continuity of the naso-pharyngeal airway when the oropharyngeal airway is in place in the patient. This allows the passage of oxygen from the nose to the pharynx and permits oxygenation by conventional means such as spontaneous ventilation or assisted positive pressure ventilation and/or by apnoeic ventilation.

A preferred embodiment of the invention maintains the oropharyngeal airway shape similar to that of current Guedel airways which are very familiar to clinicians.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, there are 12 apertures (30) provided in the airway tube. However, in other embodiments the airway tube may comprise any number of apertures. In preferred embodiments the airway tube may comprise between 1 to 100 apertures (30). The apertures (30) may be of any shape. However, it is preferred that the shape may be selected from a group comprising one or more of circular, oval, elliptical, triangular, or rectangular.

In the embodiment of Figure 3a and Figure 3b, the oropharyngeal airway has a single slit (40) in the length of the airway tube along the longitudinal axis of the airway tube from the distal end to the proximal end. In the embodiment of Figure 3a the slit runs to about half of the length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube. In the embodiment of Figure 3b, the slit runs along substantially the entire length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube from the distal end to proximal end. In other embodiments the slit (40) may run along any length of the airway tube. In further embodiments, the airway tube may have any one of 1 to 100 slits (40) that run along any length of the longitudinal axis fo the airway tube.

Claims

1. An oropharyngeal airway device comprising an airway tube, the airway tube comprising a circumferential wall, wherein the circumferential wall comprises at least one aperture in the length of the longitudinal axis of the circumferential wall configured to allow fluid flow through the naso -pharyngeal airway when the device is inserted in a patient.

2. An oropharyngeal airway device according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential wall extends from a proximal end located at the mouth of a patient when the airway tube is in the inserted configuration, which forms a proximal end opening, to a distal end located proximate the epiglottis of a patient when the airway tube is in the inserted configuration, which forms a distal end opening, wherein the at least one aperture is provided proximate the distal end of the circumferential wall.

3. An oropharyngeal airway device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the shape of the at least one aperture is selected from a group comprising one or more of circular, oval, elliptical, triangular, or rectangular.

4. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the airway tube has at least two evenly spaced apertures provided in the length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube.

5. An oropharyngeal airway device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is at least one slit in the length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube.

6. An oropharyngeal airway device according to claim 5, wherein the at least one slit in the airway tube runs along the length of the airway tube about a quarter, or a half, or three quarters, or substantially the entire length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube.

7. An oropharyngeal airway device according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the at least one slit in the airway tube runs along the length of the longitudinal axis of the airway tube from the distal end toward the proximal end.

8. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the at least one slit interrupts the circumference of the distal opening.

9. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the at least one slit does not interrupt the circumference of the distal end opening.

10. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the airway device comprises polyethylene or PVC.

11. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the airway device comprises a bite block.

12. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the airway device comprises a connector.

13. An oropharyngeal airway device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one aperture is positioned circumferentially around the circumferential wall as well as along the length of the longitudinal axis.

A method of manufacturing an oropharyngeal airway device according to claims 1