Surface-anesthetizing medical appliance

Claim 2

A medical tracheal tube constructed for insertion into a body passage for prolonged exposure to mucous tissue of the patient, and having on its outside a solid layer comprised of solid surface effective anesthetic and solid substance physically securing the anesthetic with respect to the tube, both said anesthetic and said substance being solid at body temperature, the outer surface of said layer having a nontoxic surface anesthetizing characteristic extending over a period of at least 1 hour.

Claim 3

The tracheal tube of claim 1 wherein said solid substance is at least in part semipermeable to secretions of mucous tissue and to solutions of said anesthetic in said secretions whereby said anesthetic can be gradually dissolved and flow in solution into contact with some mucous tissue over a prolonged period of time.

Claim 4

The tracheal tube of claim 2 wherein said solid substance comprises an adhesive forming a coating on said tube with anesthetic distributed therethrough.

Claim 5

The tracheal tube of claim 3 wherein said solid substance comprises semipermeable silicone adhesive and said anesthetic is present in said adhesive in the form of solid particles.

Claim 6

The tracheal tube of claim 2 wherein as least part of said solid anesthetic is spaced from the outer surface of said layer by said semipermeable solid substance.

Claim 7

The tracheal tube of claim 1 wherein said tube is formed of resilient material, adapted to bend during insertion into the patient, and said layer is flexible and adapted to conform to said medical tube.

Claim 8

The tracheal tube of claim 6 wherein said layer comprises an elastomeric substance integrally united to said tube.

Claim 9

In a tracheal tube for introducing air into the lungs of a patient, said tube having means on its exterior surface for applying surface effective anesthetic to the tissue of the trachea by means of diffusion through a thickness of material having a diffusion characteristic, the improvement wherein said exterior surface is defined by film exposed for contact with body tissue to be anesthetized, Said film carrying substantially dry surface-effective anesthetic spaced inwardly from said exterior surface, said film material and said surface-effective anesthetic being solid at body temperature and semipermeable by a liquid compatible with said body tissue to mobilize said anesthetic to diffuse to said exterior surface.

Claim 10

In a tracheal tube for introducing air into the lungs of a patient, said tube having means on its exterior surface for applying surface effective anesthetic to the tissue of the trachea by means of diffusion through a thickness of material having a diffusion characteristic, the improvement wherein said exterior surface is defined by film exposed for contact with body tissue to be anesthetized, Said film carrying substantially dry surface-effective anesthetic spaced inwardly from said exterior surface, said film material and said surface-effective anesthetic being solid at body temperature and semipermeable by a liquid compatible with said body tissue to mobilize said anesthetic to diffuse to said exterior surface.

Claim 11

The tracheal tube of claim 8 including an inflatable cuff secured adjacent the distal end of said tube, wherein said cuff is formed by said film material, and at least one air passage adapted to introduce air into said cuff to cause said cuff to seal against tracheal tissue.

Claim 12

The tracheal tube of claim 9 wherein said film material and said surface effective anesthetic are semipermeable by water.

Claim 13

The tracheal tube of claim 10 wherein said cuff is comprised of semipermeable cellophane of a thickness less than 0.005 inch and said surface-effective anesthetic is in the form of a deposit adhered to the inner surface of said cuff, whereby said anesthetic can diffuse through said cuff to the tracheal tissue.

Claim 14

A means for applying surface effective anesthetic by diffusion through a thickness of material having a diffusion characteristic wherein the material comprises a film having a surface exposed for contact with body tissue to be anesthetized, the film carrying substantially dry surface-effective anesthetic spaced inwardly from said surface, said film material being permeable to and said surface anesthetic being dissolvable by a liquid compatible with said body tissue to mobilize said anesthetic to diffuse to said surface.

Claim 15

A means for applying surface effective anesthetic by diffusion through a thickness of material having a diffusion characteristic wherein the material comprises a film having a surface exposed for contact with body tissue to be anesthetized, the film carrying substantially dry surface-effective anesthetic spaced inwardly from said surface, said film material being permeable to and said surface anesthetic being dissolvable by a liquid compatible with said body tissue to mobilize said anesthetic to diffuse to said surface.

Claim 16

The means of claim 12 wherein said film is comprised of material from the group consisting of silicone, cellulose nitrate an regenerated cellulose.

Claim 17

The means of claim 12 wherein said film is less than about 0.005 inch thick and said surface-effective anesthetic is in the form of a deposit adhered to the surface of said film opposite to said surface that is exposed for contact with body tissue.

Claim 18

The means of claim 12 wherein said surface-effective anesthetic is dispersed through the mass of said film.