Apparatus for preventing breakage of bags of tracheal tubes

Claim 1

Apparatus for preventing breakage of bags of tracheal tubes comprising: an elongated resilient hollow tracheal tube having a terminal end and a central longitudinal axis, a normally deflated inflatable bag surrounding a portion of said tube adjacent the terminal end thereof and secured thereto, an elongated inlet tube coupled thereto in fluid communication with said bag; a protector having a tubular body portion with a forward end and rear end, said tubular body portion surrounding said bag and the portion of said tube surrounded by and adjacent to said bag with said bag entirely contained within said tubular body portion of the protector, said tubular body portion being of a resilient material and having an end to end slit for separation thereat to accommodate insertion of said tracheal tube and deflated bag therein, said tubular body portion of said protector being open at the forward and rear ends and having an extension portion extending away from the rear end of said body portion of said protector in a direction away from the terminal end of said tracheal tube, the forward end of said tubular body portion including a convex nose generally transverse thereacross, said nose having a restricted opening located centrally therein out of which the terminal end of said tracheal tube extends, said nose engaging about the tracheal tube inward of the terminal end and forward of the inflatable bag to protectively enclose said bag, and a plurality of spaced slits through said nose extending radially outwardly from said restricted opening for a selective spreading of said nose for retraction of the tubular body portion over said bag.