Method for intubating patient with magnetic bougie system

1 . A method for intubating a patient with a magnetic bougie system, comprising:

inserting a laryngeal tube through the oral cavity of the patient and advancing the laryngeal tube to an esophagus of the patient;

inserting the metal tip of the bougie into a bougie port of the laryngeal tube and advancing the metal tip of the bougie to a trachea of the patient;

positioning a base holder on an anterior surface of a neck of the patient;

attracting the metal tip of the bougie to a magnet, wherein the magnet is positioned externally to the trachea of the patient and wherein the magnet is fixed to the base holder;

positioning the metal tip of the bougie with the magnet;

removing the laryngeal tube from the esophagus of the patient while maintaining the position of the magnet and maintaining the position of the metal tip of the bougie in the trachea of the patient;

and confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie with at least one of a metal sensor and a magnet sensor, and inserting an endotracheal tube through the oral cavity of the patient and advancing the endotracheal tube to the position of the metal tip of the bougie;

wherein confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie with at least one of the metal sensor and the magnet sensor includes:

confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie with a first sensor positioned at a thyroid cartilage of the patient;

confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie at a distal cuff of the laryngeal tube and along an axis of the laryngeal tube with a second sensor; and

confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie at the trachea of the patient with a third sensor positioned at a carina of the patient, wherein the third sensor is the metal sensor that detects the metal tip of the bougie.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the metal tip of the bougie with the magnet includes:

at least one of changing the power of the magnet and changing the position of the base holder on the anterior surface of the neck of the patient; and

wherein positioning the metal tip of the bougie includes one or more of rotating, bending, flexing, straightening, moving, and manipulating the shape of the metal tip of the bougie in the neck of the patient.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

positioning the second sensor between the first sensor and the third sensor.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bougie port of the laryngeal tube has a diameter of from 0.7 to 0.9 times a diameter of the laryngeal tube.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the position of the metal tip of the bougie is further confirmed with at least one ultrasound device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

confirming a location of the magnet with an ultrasound imaging device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the bougie port of the laryngeal tube is fabricated of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the first, second and third sensors are metal sensors comprising a detector end fabricated of a same metal as the metal tip of the bougie.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the first, second and third sensors are metal sensors comprising a detector end fabricated of a different metal than the metal tip of the bougie.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base holder is fabricated of PVC.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base holder comprises at least two runners configured to position the base holder on the neck of the patient.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the metal tip of the bougie is at least one selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, copper, and aluminum.

13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal tip of the bougie is made of stainless steel and the metal sensors comprise the detector ends made of copper.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

positioning the second sensor equidistant between the first sensor and the third sensor on the throat of the patient.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the endotracheal tube has a metal segment.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein inserting the endotracheal tube through the oral cavity of the patient and advancing the endotracheal tube to the position of the metal tip of the bougie includes:

confirming the position of the metal segment of the endotracheal tube at the trachea of the patient with the third sensor positioned at the carina of the patient,

wherein the third sensor detects the metal tip of the bougie and the metal segment of the endotracheal tube,

wherein the detecting includes adjusting the position of the metal tip of the bougie and the metal segment of the endotracheal tube to maximize a detection signal, and

wherein a maximum signal is produced when the metal tip of the bougie and the metal segment of the endotracheal tube are positioned proximal to one another at the carina of the patient.

18 . A method for intubating a patient with a magnetic bougie system, comprising:

inserting a metal tip of a bougie through an oral cavity of the patient and advancing the metal tip of the bougie to a trachea of the patient;

positioning a base holder on an anterior surface of a neck of the patient;

attracting the metal tip of the bougie to a magnet, wherein the magnet is positioned externally to the trachea of the patient and wherein the magnet is fixed to the base holder;

positioning the metal tip of the bougie with the magnet;

confirming a position of the metal tip of the bougie with a first sensor positioned at a thyroid cartilage of the patient,

confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie at a distal cuff of the laryngeal tube and along an axis of the laryngeal tube with a second sensor; and

confirming the position of the metal tip of the bougie at the trachea of the patient with a third sensor positioned at a carina of the patient, wherein the third sensor is a metal sensor that detects the metal tip of the bougie; and

inserting an endotracheal tube through the oral cavity of the patient and advancing the endotracheal tube to the position of the metal tip of the bougie;

confirming a position of at least one of the first, second or third sensors positioned on a throat of the patient with an ultrasound imaging device.