MEDICO-SURGICAL TUBES
A tracheostomy tube comprises a skeletal frame ( 10 ) of a relatively stiff plastics covered by an overmoulding ( 11 ) of a relatively soft, transparent plastics. The frame ( 10 ) includes a portion extending along the shaft ( 1 ) of the tube and formed by longitudinal struts ( 16 ) linked by spaced ribs ( 20 ). The shaft portion of the frame ( 10 ) is formed integrally with a portion extending along a flange ( 5 ) of the tube, which includes apertures ( 6 ) for receiving the ends of a neck strap, and apertures ( 41 ) for use with sutures. At its patient end ( 2 ) the tube has a soft tip ( 51 ) formed by an extension of the overmoulding ( 11 ) beyond the patient end of the frame ( 10 ). At the machine end ( 3 ) of the tube the frame ( 10 ) is formed with a connector ( 4 ).
1 - 13 . (canceled)
14 . A medico-surgical tube having a shaft with a patient end arranged to extend within the body and a flange towards its machine end arranged to lie against the skin surface, characterised in that the tube includes a skeletal frame of a relatively stiff plastics material extending along both the shaft and the flange, that the tube further includes an overmoulding of a relatively soft plastics material formed on the frame along both the shaft and the flange, that the patient end tip of the shaft is provided by the soft material of the overmoulding, and that the frame in the flange provides an enclosed aperture on opposite sides to receive a neck strap.
15 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the frame includes a connector at the machine end of the tube projecting from the machine side of the flange.
16 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the portion of the frame in the flange is shaped with a plurality of suture openings.
17 . The tube according to any claim 14 , characterised in that the portion of the frame along the shaft includes a plurality of longitudinal struts linked by a plurality of ribs.
18 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the material of the overmoulding is transparent or translucent.
19 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the frame and overmoulding are of different grades of the same plastics.
20 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the thickness of the overmoulding is equal to or greater than the thickness of the frame along the shaft.
21 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the thickness of the overmoulding in the flange is greater than the thickness of the overmoulding in the shaft.
22 . The tube according to claim 14 , characterised in that the overmoulding extends beyond the frame at the patient end of the shaft by a distance between 2 mm and 5 mm.
23 . The tube according to claim 14 , wherein the tube is a tracheostomy tube.
24 . A method of making a medico-surgical tube including: moulding a skeletal frame of a relatively stiff plastics material with an integral shaft portion and flange portion, and overmoulding on the frame over both the shaft and flange portion a relatively soft plastics material such that a patient end tip of the tube is provided by the relatively soft material and such that the frame in the flange portion provides an enclosed aperture on opposite sides to receive a neck strap.
25 . A tracheostomy tube made by the method according to claim 24 .