GB2098073A - Intubation device - Google Patents

Abstract

An intubation device comprises a tube (10) of radio non-opaque material having embedded in the tube wall a helical winding (15) or a series of spaced rings, the winding or rings being radio opaque and allowing not only the positions of the tube but any distortion it has experienced to be detected. The winding or rings also reinforce(s) the tube wall against crushing forces. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Intubation device The invention relates to an intubation device such as is used for effecting permanent intubation of strictures of the oesophagus and cardia.

In Patent Specifications GB 885054 and GB 1178 285, there are described devices of this kind which are arranged to be drawn into position by an operation in which the stomach is opened and a pilotbougie is used to pull the device through the growth.

In GB 1 518 there is described an intubation device arranged to be pushed into position after the stricture has been stretched or dilated to admit the device.

It is desirable to monitor the state and the position of an intubation device after it has been positioned in a stricture and to facilitate this it has been proposed to make the device of radio opaque material. The passage of a radio opaque liquid through the device is then obscured however and it is difficult to detect any distortion of the device that may have occurred.

Instead, the device can be provided with a longitudinal radio opaque line as described in GB 1 518654 so that radio opaque liquid in the device is not obscured, but distortion, for example crushing of the tube cannot be detected.

The invention therefore provides an intubation device comprising a tube of radio non-opaque material and means of radio-opaque material having a configuration such as to permit distortion of the tube to be detected.

The radio opaque means preferably has a substantial extent longitudinally of the tube as well as peripherally and can advantageously comprise a plurality of spaced rings or a helix embedded in the tube wall. However any configuration of the radio opaque means can be employed which will reveal any distortion of the device in use, as well as its location.

It is known to promote the resistance of the tube wall of the device to crushing by incorporation in the wall of reinforcing means, for example a nylon thread such that flexibility is not impaired. Measures to enable the position of the device to be determined in use have been separately applied.

However in accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an intubation device comprising a tube of radio non-opaque material and reinforcing means for the tube, the reinforcing means being of radio opaque material.

This aspect of the invention can be conveniently combined with that previously described, by providing a reinforcing element which is not only radio opaque but is also such as to reveal any distortion of the device in use. Thus the radio opaque helix or spaced rings mentioned above can be of material which reinforces the tube against crushing. In production of such an intubation device, no special marking step is required.

The invention will be more readily understood from the following illustrative description and the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a part-sectional side view of an intubation device embodying the invention; and Figure 2 is a fragmentary side view of a modified intubation device embodying the invention.

The endo-oesophageal intubation device illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a tubular main part 10 provided at its upper end with a thin walled flexible funnel 11, integral with the tubular main part. The funnel 11 is provided with an incurving lip 12 having an innermost edge 14 which is slightly re-entrant within the funnel as shown. The funnel 11 is barrel shaped and is preferably of oval or elliptical cross section. The main tubular part 10 may be of either circular or oval or elliptical cross section. The device can be constructed from any suitable radio-nonopaque material, for example polythene, silicone, or of softer and more flexible materials such as rubber latex.

The major portion of the tubular part 10 extending down from the funnel 11 is provided with a reinforcement in the form of a helical winding of a wire on thread reinforcing element 15 embedded in the tubular part wall. This monofilament reinforcing element can be of synthetic plastics material, for example nylon or teflon, mixed with a radio-opaque material, for example a suitable compound of barium or bismuth. The element not only provides added mechanical strength to resist crushing of the wall, but permits the location of the device in use to be readily determined by x-ray screening. The passage of a radio-opaque liquid through it is not obscured. Moreover, any unwinding of the reinforcing element or any distortion of the shape of the device can be observed.

At or towards the lower end of the main tubular part 10, there is provided an external formation 16 having the form of a skirt or an inverted frustoconical funnel. The formation 16 can be made of any suitable natural or synthetic material, and can be made integrally with the main tubular part 10. Whatever the material of which the formation 16 is made, it is such that it will collapse inwardly towards the outer wall of the main tubular part 10 by engagement with the stricture, when the device is being pushed through the stricture in use. When the tubular part 10 has been pushed sufficiently far through the stricture for the formation 16 to emerge on the other side, the resilience of the material of the formation and/or its construction causes this to expand, or recover its original shape.

The outer edge of the skirt-like formation 16 is now in a position to prevent a reverse movement or withdrawal of the device.

The intubation device of Figure 2 resembles that of Figure 1 in all respects except that the helical reinforcement element 15 is replaced by a plurality of rings 18 spaced along the length of the device. Each ring 18 can conveniently be of the same material as the element 15.

Although the element 15 is shown as being of con stant pitch and the rings 18 as being equally spaced, other arrangements are possible, as are quite different configurations of radio opaque means. The invention can thus be embodied in a variety of ways other than as specifically described and shown.

Claims (15)

1. An intubation device comprising a tube of radio non-opaque material and means of radioopaque material having a configuration such asto permit distortion of the tube to be detected.

2. An intubation device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the radio-opaque means is of such material and configuration as to function as a reinforcement for the tube.

3. An intubation device comprising a tube of radio non-opaque material and reinforcing means for the tube, the reinforcing means being of radio opaque material.

4. An intubation device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reinforcing means has a configuration such as to permit detection of distortion of the tube.

5. An intubation device as claimed in claim 1, 2,3 or 4 wherein the radio opaque means is embedded in the tube wall.

6. An intubation device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the radio opaque means comprises at least one elongate member.

7. An intubation device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the member has a helical configuration.

8. An intubation device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the radio opaque means comprises a plurality of rings spaced along the tube.

9. An intubation device as claimed in claim 6,7 or 8 wherein the radio opaque means is a monofila ment of synthetic plastics material mixed with a radio opaque material.

10. An intubation device as claimed in any preceding claim having a formation at each end for opposing movement of the device through a stric ture.

11. An intubation device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the formation at the proximal end comprises a funnel-like formation.

12. An intubation device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the funnel-like formation has an incurving lip with a re-entrant innermost edge.

13. An intubation device as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12 wherein the formation at the distal end is arranged to collapse inwardly when being pushed through a stricture an to tend to expand after emergence through the stricture.

14. An intubation device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the tube is of polythene, silicone, or rubber latex.

15. An intubation device substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing.