IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,661,467
Granted Patent B2
US 12,661,467 · App. 18/012,717 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Medico-surgical tubes

Inventors: John Zarembo (Minneapolis, MN); Eli Joseph McElwain (Champlin, MN); Mark Henry Faust (Stacy, MN); Mary Schueppert (Minneapolis, MN)
Assignee: ICU MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
A61M16/0425A61M16/0434A61M16/0486A61M25/0052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,661,467
App. No.
18/012,717
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cuffed tracheostomy tube has a shaft ( 10 ) with an inflation lumen ( 16 ) extending longitudinally along the shaft and opening at its patient end into a sealing cuff ( 13 ). The tube also includes a reinforcement member provided by a metal wire ( 25 ) wound into two sets of loops ( 26 A) and ( 26 B) of different widths. The loops ( 26 ) extend part way around the shaft ( 10 ) up to but without crossing the inflation lumen ( 16 ).

Claims (11)

1 . A medico-surgical tube comprising:

a shaft including an inner layer;

an elongate member providing or in the form of a lumen extending within a wall of the inner layer along a substantially straight line extending parallel to the axis of the shaft; the tube also including

a preformed reinforcement member extending along at least one part of the length of the shaft and wound around the inner layer along the at least one part of the length of the shaft, the reinforcement member having a plurality of loops extending around the circumference of the inner layer of the shaft up to but without crossing the elongate member provided along the inner layer; and

an outer layer overlying the reinforcement member to provide a smooth outer surface for the shaft.

2 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member includes two sets of loops extending around the shaft in opposite senses and extending up to the elongate member from opposite sides.

3 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 2 , wherein the loops of one set are wider than the loops of the other set.

4 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member is of a metal wire.

5 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 1 , wherein the wall of the shaft is of silicone.

6 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 1 , wherein the tube includes an inflatable cuff towards its patient end, and that the elongate member is an inflation lumen opening into the cuff at one end.

7 . The medico-surgical tube according to claim 6 , wherein the tube is a tracheal tube and the inflatable cuff is a sealing cuff.