Nasal airway management device

Abstract

An airway management device including a hollow flexible tube. The tube defines a lumen extending between a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is configured to be coupled to a ventilator and/or anesthesia circuit. An opening is provided at or near the distal end to allow passage of air and/or anesthesia therethrough. The tube is configured to be expanded radially after insertion through a patient's nasopharyngeal passageway when the distal end of the tube is positioned proximate the patient's hypopharynx. The device may include an inflatable outer sleeve surrounding and extending along the length of the tube. When the outer sleeve is in a deflated state, the distal end of the tube may be inserted through a patient's nasopharyngeal passageway. When the distal end of the tube is positioned proximate the patient's hypopharynx, the outer sleeve may be inflated and expanded. The device may include an inflatable cuff attached at or near the distal end of the tube and including an opening fluidly coupled with the opening and lumen of the tube to allow passage of air and/or anesthesia therethrough. When in a deflated state, the inflatable cuff may be inserted through the patient's nasopharyngeal passageway. When in an inflated state, the inflatable cuff may expand to form a seal around the patient's supraglottic laryngeal inlet. An intermediate inflatable cuff having a larger diameter than other portions of the outer sleeve when inflated may be positioned along the length of the tube between the proximal and distal ends. The respective inflatable elements of the device may be concurrently or separately inflatable.

1 . An airway management device, comprising:
 a hollow flexible tube defining a lumen extending between a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is configured to be coupled to at least one of a ventilator and an anesthesia circuit, wherein an opening is provided proximate the distal end to allow passage of air and/or anesthesia therethrough, and wherein the tube is configured to be expanded radially after insertion through a patient's nasopharyngeal passageway when the distal end of the tube is positioned proximate the patient's hypopharynx.   
     
     
         2 . The airway management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inflatable outer sleeve surrounding and extending along a length of the tube, wherein, when the outer sleeve is in a deflated state, the distal end of the tube is configured to be inserted through a patient's nasopharyngeal passageway, and wherein, when the distal end of the tube is positioned proximate the patient's hypopharynx, the outer sleeve is configured to be inflated and expanded.   
     
     
         3 . The airway management device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an inflatable cuff attached at or near the distal end of the tube, wherein the inflatable cuff defines an opening fluidly coupled with the opening and lumen of the tube to allow passage of air and/or anesthesia therethrough, wherein, when in a deflated state, the inflatable cuff is configured to be inserted through the patient's nasopharyngeal passageway, and wherein, when in an inflated state, the inflatable cuff is configured to expand to form a seal around the patient's supraglottic laryngeal inlet.   
     
     
         4 . The airway management device according to  claim 3 , wherein a space between an outer surface of the tube and an inner surface of the outer sleeve defines an inflation passage extending along the tube and fluidly coupled to the inflatable cuff to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the outer sleeve and the inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         5 . The airway management device according to  claim 5 , wherein the outer sleeve further comprises an intermediate inflatable cuff portion disposed between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff portion is configured to have a larger diameter than other portions of the outer sleeve when inflated, and wherein, when positioned in the patient's oropharynx and inflated, the intermediate inflatable cuff portion of the outer sleeve is configured to secure the tube therein and prevent the tube from sliding back into the nasopharyngeal passageway. 
     
     
         6 . The airway management device according to  claim 3 , further comprising a pilot tube extending along the length of the tube. 
     
     
         8 . The airway management device according to  claim 6 , wherein the pilot tube is fluidly coupled to the inflatable cuff and to a space between an outer surface of the tube and an inner surface of the outer sleeve to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff and the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         9 . The airway management device according to  claim 8 , further comprising an intermediate inflatable cuff provided on the outer sleeve between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to have a larger diameter than the outer sleeve when inflated, and wherein, when positioned in the patient's oropharynx and inflated, the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to secure the tube therein and prevent the tube from sliding back into the nasopharyngeal passageway. 
     
     
         10 . The airway management device according to  claim 9 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to at least one of the pilot tube and a space between the outer surface of the tube and the inner surface of the outer sleeve to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the outer sleeve, the inflatable cuff, and the intermediate inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         11 . The airway management device according to  claim 9 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to a second pilot tube to allow inflation and deflation of the intermediate inflatable cuff separate from the outer sleeve and the inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         12 . The airway management device according to  claim 6 , wherein the pilot tube is fluidly coupled to the inflatable cuff to allow inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff separate from the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The airway management device according to  claim 12 , further comprising an intermediate inflatable cuff provided on the outer sleeve between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to have a larger diameter than the outer sleeve when inflated, and wherein, when positioned in the patient's oropharynx and inflated, the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to secure the tube therein and prevent the tube from sliding back into the nasopharyngeal passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The airway management device according to  claim 13 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to a space between the outer surface of the tube and the inner surface of the outer sleeve to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the outer sleeve and the intermediate inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         15 . The airway management device according to  claim 13 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to at least one of the pilot tube and the inflatable cuff to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the inflatable cuff and the intermediate inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         16 . The airway management device according to  claim 13 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to a second pilot tube to allow inflation and deflation of the intermediate inflatable cuff separate from the outer sleeve and the inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         17 . The airway management device according to  claim 2 , further comprising an intermediate inflatable cuff provided on the outer sleeve between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to have a larger diameter than the outer sleeve when inflated, and wherein, when positioned in the patient's oropharynx and inflated, the intermediate inflatable cuff is configured to secure the tube therein and prevent the tube from sliding back into the nasopharyngeal passageway. 
     
     
         18 . The airway management device according to  claim 17 , wherein a space between an outer surface of the tube and an inner surface of the outer sleeve defines an inflation passage extending along the tube and fluidly coupled to the intermediate inflatable cuff to allow concurrent inflation and deflation of the outer sleeve and the intermediate inflatable cuff. 
     
     
         19 . The airway management device according to  claim 17 , further comprising a pilot tube extending along the length of the tube. 
     
     
         20 . The airway management device according to  claim 19 , wherein the intermediate inflatable cuff is fluidly coupled to the pilot tube to allow inflation and deflation of the intermediate inflatable cuff separate from the outer sleeve. 
     
     
         21 . The airway management device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pilot tubes extending along a length of the tube and configured to radially expand the tube when inflated. 
     
     
         22 . The airway management device according to  claim 21 , wherein the pilot tubes spiral along the length of the tube, wherein, when the pilot tubes are inflated, the length of the tube increases.