US3587589A - Decannulation device for tracheal tube - Google Patents

Abstract

DECANULATION DEVICE COMPRISING PLUG AND INTEGRALLY MOLDED SIDEWAYS EXTENDING FLEXIBLE WING MEMBER. SHOWN ARE A PAIR OF OPPOSITE WING MEMBERS WHICH MAY BE FLEXED TOGETHER FOR PULLING THE PLUG ENDWISE OUT OF THE TRACHEOTOMY TUBE. CROSSWISE EXTENDING RIDGES ON WING MEMBERS OF STRIP FORM PROVIDE FINGER GRIPS WITHOUT IMPEDING FLEXING.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Merrill L. Ebner Arlington, Mass.

Appl. No. 797,827

Filed Feb. 10, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee Carpenter and Paterson Inc.

Cambridge, Mass.

DECANNULATION DEVICE FOR TRACHEAL TUBE 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 128/351, 215/55 Int. Cl A6/m 25/00 Field of Search 128/348- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1957 Cohen 7/1959 Bel1amy..... 5/1963 Nichols 3/1967 Strawn FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1957 France Great Britain Primary Examiner- Dalton L. Truluck Attorney-John Noel Williams lng.

DECANNULATION DEVICE FOR TRACIIEAL TUBE DECANNULATION DEVICE This invention relates to decannulation devices for use by anesthesiologists and other medical personnel in decannulation procedures preparatory to the removal of tracheotomy tubes from patients. Such devices are employed to obstruct in a controlled manner the passage of air through the tracheotomy tube causing the patient to "breathe by" the tube. This enables reuse of the nasal and oral passages to begin while having the safety of the tube in place ready for use should complications be experienced.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a decannulation device which is simple to manufacture. which offers means of both secure, noninterfering positioning in the proximal end of the tracheotomy tube and sure and rapid removal in the event of need, and which readily adapts to' the production of devices having the various degrees of closure desired.

The invention features a central plug member, preferably of circular cross section with an axial opening commensurate with the degree of closure desired, and a sideways extending wing member integral with the proximal end of the plug member in a molding of flexible plastic. Advantageously two wing members (preferably with crosswise extending grasping ridges) are shaped to be flexed outwardly to a meeting position in which they can be grasped together by the index finger and thumb of the attending physician for removal of the plug. They may be flexed or have a self-restoring character for return to their protruding position, where they do not interfere with the insertion of catheters or the normal function of the tracheotomy tube.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the decannulation device of the preferred embodiment, viewed from the proximal end;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view,'partially in cross section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plug inserted in the proximal end of an inner cannula, with the inner cannula inserted within the outer cannula, of a tracheotomy tube assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the tracheotomy tube assembly of FIG. 3 taken on line 4-4, and with the outer cannula shown removed.

Referring to the FIGS. the preferred form of the invention comprises a plug having proximal end 12 and distal end 14. To opposite sides of the proximal end 12 are integrally joined two wing members l6, 18, extending sideways at angles 8 and C to the axis A of plug member 10. The device is an integral molding of flexible plastic and each wing member 14 or 16 is adapted to flex outwardly toward the axis A when grasped and pulled for the removal of the plug from the tracheotomy tube 20.

Each wing member comprises a strip form member having a substantially greater width w than thickness I, the direction of thickness 1 lying in a plane substantially parallel with the axis A of the plug member.

The device is advantageously molded of flexible plastics such as polyethylene, which not only gives the flexibility permitting the wing members to be flexed toward axis A for removal (see FIG. 2) and to be returned out of the way (when desired); such flexibility also ensures that the plug will slightly deform and grip the inner surface of the tracheotomy tube to ensure its secure positioning.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2 the wing members are formed with length 1 sufficient to permit their outer portions to engage face-to-face and be grasped together for removal of the device, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2.

Advantageously the sides of the wing members contacted by the fingers are provided with roughened finger gripping surfaces. In the preferred embodiment this is achieved by ridge form projections 26 extending cross wise to the axis'X of the direction of extension of the wing members, thereby not impedin the ability of the win members to flex.

Ma mg the device amena le to molding to provide varying degrees of blockage as required is the provision, in the principle of construction, of a central passage which may be varied in diameter from one production run to the next, to produce the various blockage characteristics desired, e.g. to achieve one-half or three-fourths flow capacity blockage, or total blockage by omitting the passage.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 a plug is shown inserted in the inner cannula 20 of a tracheotomy tube. The wing members extend away from the axis, leaving clear opening 13 of the plug.

For a size 7 French inner cannula the plug may for instance be five-eighth inch long, tapering from a size smaller than the cannula at the distal end to a size larger than the cannula at the proximal end. Typical dimensions for the wings are t=l /20 inch, w=5/l6 inch, length 1 inch.

Numerous modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to the reader.

lclaim:

l. A decannulation device for insertion, at the proximal end, into the inner cannula of a predetermined tracheotomy tube, said device comprising a plug member of elastomeric material tapering from a distal diameter less than the diameter of said cannula to a proximal diameter greater than the diameter of said cannula, a pair of wing members integral with the outer peripheral portions of the proximal end of said plug member, each of said wing members comprising a flexible strip form member having a substantially greater width than thickness, the direction of thickness of said wing member lying in a plane substantially parallel with the axis of said plug member, each said wing member extending sideways, in the direction away from the axis of said plug member, from the peripheral portion of said plug member to which said wing member is integrally joined, said wing members being of sufficient length to permit outer portions of the two wing members to engage and be grasped together for removal of said device, while the said joints of said wing members to said plug member leave clear the body of said plug member, permitting the amount of closure desired.

2. The decannulation device of claim 1 including a central passage throughout the length of said plug member.

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