Multi-diameter pediatric tracheal cuff
View Patent ↗The present disclosure describes an endotracheal tube for a child, the tube having a balloon mounted near the distal end of the tube. The tube has a ventilation lumen and an inflation line used to inflate the balloon. The balloon is mounted to the tube at a lower mounting point and an upper mounting point. The upper mounting point is above the level of the vocal cords. The balloon has a lower and upper diameter when inflated, and the upper diameter is from 1.1 to 1.5 times larger than the outer diameter of the tube.
1. An endotracheal tube for a child having a trachea with a diameter and vocal cords at a level in the trachea, comprising:
a tube having an outer diameter on which is mounted a balloon near a distal end of said tube, an inflation line used to inflate said balloon,
said balloon mounted to said tube at a lower mounting point and an upper mounting point, said upper mounting point adapted to be placed above the level of said vocal cords,
said balloon being inflatable in a region of the vocal cords and in a region below the vocal cords such that the balloon has an inflated lower diameter in the region below the vocal cords and an inflated upper diameter in the region of the vocal cords,
wherein said inflated upper diameter is smaller than said inflated lower diameter, the balloon tapering from the inflated upper diameter to the inflated lower diameter,
wherein said inflated upper diameter is constant over an upper diameter length, the upper diameter length defined from said upper mounting point to the level of the vocal cords,
wherein the inflated upper diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the tube and the inflated lower diameter is at least equal to the tracheal diameter below the vocal cords, and
wherein the balloon is a high-volume/low-pressure cuff for sealing the trachea.
2. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein the inflated upper diameter is from 1.2 to 1.4 times the outer diameter of the tube.
3. The endotracheal tube of claim 2 , wherein the inflated lower diameter is from 1.1 to 1.8 times the tracheal diameter below the vocal cords.
4. The endotracheal tube of claim 2 , wherein the inflated lower diameter is from 1.3 to 1.6 times the tracheal diameter below the vocal cords.
5. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon is made from a polymer selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane polymers, thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers, thermoplastic polyolefin block copolymers, SBS di-block elastomers, SEBS tri-block elastomers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and blends and mixtures thereof.
6. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon has a thickness of between 1 and 25 microns.
7. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon has a thickness of between 5 and 15 microns.
8. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon has an inflation pressure of between 5 and 30 mmH 2 O.
9. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon has an inflation pressure of between 15 and 25 mmH 2 O.
10. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein the inflated lower diameter is maintained over a lower diameter length, wherein said lower diameter length is at least 5 mm and the upper diameter length is at least 5 mm.
11. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein the inflated lower diameter is maintained over a lower diameter length, wherein said lower diameter length is approximately 10 mm and the upper diameter length is approximately 10 mm.
12. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon changes from said inflated upper diameter to said inflated lower diameter within less than 5 mm.
13. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 , wherein said balloon changes from said inflated upper diameter to said inflated lower diameter within less than 3 mm.
14. An endotracheal tube for a child having a trachea with a diameter and vocal cords at a level in the trachea, comprising:
a tube having an outer diameter on which is mounted a balloon near a distal end of said tube, an inflation line used to inflate said balloon,
said balloon mounted to said tube at a lower mounting point and an upper mounting point, said upper mounting point adapted to be placed above the level of said vocal cords,
said balloon being inflatable in a region of the vocal cords and in a region below the vocal cords such that the balloon has an inflated lower diameter in the region below the vocal cords and an inflated diameter in the region of the vocal cords,
wherein the balloon is a high-volume/low-pressure cuff for sealing the trachea that has an inflation pressure of no more than 30 mmH 2 O,
wherein said inflated upper diameter is smaller than said inflated lower diameter, said inflated upper diameter being constant over an upper diameter length, the upper diameter length defined from said upper mounting point to the level of the vocal cords,
wherein the inflated upper diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the tube and the inflated lower diameter is at least equal to the tracheal diameter below the vocal cords, and
wherein said inflated lower diameter is maintained for a lower diameter length, the lower diameter length being within a range of lengths having a minimum value of 5 mm.
15. The endotracheal tube of claim 14 , wherein the lower diameter length is approximately 10 mm and the upper diameter length is approximately 10 mm.
16. The endotracheal tube of claim 14 , wherein said balloon changes from said inflated upper diameter to said inflated lower diameter within less than 5 mm.
17. The endotracheal tube of claim 14 , wherein said balloon changes from said inflated upper diameter to said inflated lower diameter within less than 3 mm.
18. An endotracheal tube for a child having a trachea with a diameter and vocal cords at a level in the trachea, comprising:
a tube having an outer diameter on which is mounted a balloon near a distal end of said tube, an inflation line used to inflate said balloon,
said balloon mounted to said tube at a lower mounting point and an upper mounting point, said upper mounting point adapted to be placed above the level of said vocal cords,
said balloon being inflatable in a region of the vocal cords and in a region below the vocal cords such that the balloon has an inflated lower diameter in the region below the vocal cords and an inflated upper diameter in the region of the vocal cords,
wherein the balloon is a high-volume/low-pressure cuff for sealing the trachea that has an inflation pressure of no more than 30 mmH 2 O,
wherein said inflated upper diameter is smaller than said inflated lower diameter, said inflated upper diameter being constant over an upper diameter length, the upper diameter length defined from said upper mounting point to the level of the vocal cords,
wherein the inflated upper diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the tube and the inflated lower diameter is at least equal to the tracheal diameter below the vocal cords, and
wherein said inflated lower diameter is maintained for a lower diameter length such that the lower diameter length and the upper diameter length are at least 5 mm.
19. The endotracheal tube of claim 18 , wherein the lower diameter length is approximately 10 mm and the upper diameter length is approximately 10 mm.
20. The endotracheal tube of claim 18 , wherein said balloon changes from said inflated upper diameter to said inflated lower diameter within less than 5 mm.