Laryngeal-mask construction

Claim 2

A laryngeal-mask construction, comprising a backplate member providing in essentially a single plane an apertured base-mounting rim of generally elliptical configuration, an inflatable toroidal ring of flexible material surrounding and continuously connected to said base-mounting rim, and an inflatable back cushion comprising a shell of flexible material adhered generally to the perimeter of said inflatable ring to define said back cushion in conjunction with said mask construction.

Claim 3

The construction of claim 1, in which an air passage communicates between said inflatable ring and said inflatable cushion, whereby a single means of inflation and/or deflation can simultaneously serve both said ring and said back cushion.

Claim 4

The construction of claim 1, in which said inflatable ring and said inflatable back cushion have independent connections for separate inflation and/or deflation.

Claim 5

The construction of claim 1, in which said backplate member and said inflatable toroidal ring are separate components secured to each other.

Claim 6

The construction of claim 1, in which said backplate member and said inflatable toroidal ring are integrally connected product components of a single molding operation.

Claim 7

The construction of claim 1, in which said back cushion has an effective area which is at least as great as the exposed surface area of said back-plate member at peripheral juncture to said inflatable ring.

Claim 8

A laryngeal-mask construction, comprising a backplate member providing in essentially a single geometric plane an apertured base mounting rim of generally elliptical configuration, said back-plate member including an airway- tube connecting formation on an inclined axis that is at an acute angle to said geometric plane, the inclined axis being in a plane which includes the major axis of the elliptical configuration and which is normal to said geometric plane, an inflatable toroidal ring of flexible material surrounding and continuously connected to said base-mounting rim, and an inflatable back cushion comprising a shell of flexible material adhered generally to the perimeter of said inflatable ring and externally sealed around said airway tube connecting formation to define said back cushion in conjunction with said mask construction.

Claim 9

A laryngeal-mask construction, comprising a backplate member providing in essentially a single geometric plane an apertured base mounting rim of generally elliptical configuration, said back-plate member including an airway- tube connecting formation on an inclined axis that is at an acute angle to said geometric plane, the inclined axis being in a plane which includes the major axis of the elliptical configuration and which is normal to said geometric plane, an inflatable toroidal ring of flexible material surrounding and continuously connected to said base-mounting rim, and an inflatable back cushion comprising a shell of flexible material adhered generally to the perimeter of said inflatable ring and externally sealed around said airway tube connecting formation to define said back cushion in conjunction with said mask construction.

Claim 10

The construction of claim 7, in which an air passage communicates between said inflatable ring and said inflatable cushion, whereby a single means of inflation and/or deflation can simultaneously serve both said ring and said back cushion.

Claim 11

The construction of claim 7, in which said inflatable ring and said inflatable back cushion have independent connections for separate inflation and/or deflation.

Claim 12

The construction of claim 7, in which said back cushion has an effective inflatable area which is at least as great as the exposed surface area of said back-plate member at peripheral juncture to said inflatable ring.

Claim 13

The artificial airway device of claim 10, in which an air passage communicates between said inflatable ring and said inflatable cushion, whereby a single means of inflation and/or deflation can simultaneously serve both said ring and said back cushion.

Claim 14

The artificial airway device of claim 10, in which said inflatable ring and said inflatable back cushion have independent connections for separate inflation and/or deflation.

Claim 15

An artificial airway device to facilitate a patient's lung ventilation, comprising an airway tube, an evacuation tube and a laryngeal mask at one end of said tubes, said mask comprising a back-plate member providing in essentially a single geometric plane an apertured base mounting rim of generally elliptical configuration extending from a proximal end to a distal end, said back-plate member including an airway-tube connecting formation on an inclined axis that diverges proximally at an acute angle to said geometric plane, the inclined axis being in a plane which includes the major axis of the elliptical configuration and which is normal to said geometric plane, an inflatable toroidal ring of flexible material surrounding and continuously connected to said base-mounting rim, the distal end of said inflatable ring being configured for entry into and insertional location of the mask by engagement with the oesophagus at the upper sphinctral region of the oesophagus when the mask is positioned for sealing the airway tube to the laryngeal inlet, said evacuation tube including a portion having sealed passage through part of said toroidal ring and having an open distal end centrally within and axially short of the distal end of said ring, and an inflatable back cushion comprising a shell of flexible material adhered generally to the perimeter of said inflatable ring and externally sealed around said airway-tube connecting formation to define said back cushion in conjunction with said mask construction.

Claim 16

An artificial airway device to facilitate a patient's lung ventilation, comprising an airway tube, an evacuation tube and a laryngeal mask at one end of said tubes, said mask comprising a back-plate member providing in essentially a single geometric plane an apertured base mounting rim of generally elliptical configuration extending from a proximal end to a distal end, said back-plate member including an airway-tube connecting formation on an inclined axis that diverges proximally at an acute angle to said geometric plane, the inclined axis being in a plane which includes the major axis of the elliptical configuration and which is normal to said geometric plane, an inflatable toroidal ring of flexible material surrounding and continuously connected to said base-mounting rim, the distal end of said inflatable ring being configured for entry into and insertional location of the mask by engagement with the oesophagus at the upper sphinctral region of the oesophagus when the mask is positioned for sealing the airway tube to the laryngeal inlet, said evacuation tube including a portion having sealed passage through part of said toroidal ring and having an open distal end centrally within and axially short of the distal end of said ring, and an inflatable back cushion comprising a shell of flexible material adhered generally to the perimeter of said inflatable ring and externally sealed around said airway-tube connecting formation to define said back cushion in conjunction with said mask construction.

Claim 17

The artificial airway device of claim 13, in which said back cushion has an effective inflatable area which is at least as great as the exposed surface area of said back-plate member at peripheral juncture to said inflatable ring.

Claim 18

The artificial airway device of claim 13, wherein said evacuation tube includes a portion having sealed passage through part of said toroidal ring.