Intubation system having an axially moveable memory cylinder

Claim 1

An intubation system, comprising: a housing having first and second axial ends; a memory cylinder mounted for axial movement within and relative to said housing, said memory cylinder extending from said second axial end of said housing and having a first axial end section received in said housing and a second axial end section spaced from said second axial end of said housing, said memory cylinder being bendable into different curved shapes and self-sustaining a curved shaped; a scope tube coupled to and extending into said housing and slidably received in said memory cylinder, said scope tube including a light transmitting fiberoptic cable, a visual transmission fiberoptic cable and a fluid conduit, each of said cables and said conduits having a near end in said housing and a flexible distal end remote from said housing; adjustment means for varying angular orientations of said distal ends of said cables and conduit relative to said near ends thereof; light means in said housing for directing light into said light transmitting fiberoptic cable and emitting light from said distal end thereof; lens means in said housing for viewing images adjacent said distal ends of said cables through said visual transmission fiberoptic cable; and coupling means, in said housing, for connecting fluid means to said near end of said fluid conduit for conveying fluids between said near and distal ends of said fluid conduit.

Claim 22

A method of intubating a patient, comprising the steps of: mounting an endotracheal tube coaxially on an intubator having a housing, a memory cylinder and a scope tube axially slidable in the memory cylinder, with distal ends of the memory cylinder, endotracheal tube and scope tube being flush; illuminating a light source and conducting light through a light fiberoptic cable in the scope tube; bending a distal end of the memory cylinder into a curve of between about 45 degrees and about 90 degrees to form a self-sustaining curved distal end; inserting the curved distal end of the memory cylinder into a patient's oral pharynx and behind the patient's tongue; positioning the handle in a vertical plane; manipulating the patient's larynx orifice by a light reflex emitted from the distal end of the scope tube and through the patient; advancing the scope tube from the memory cylinder into the patient's larynx and trachea by collapsing the intubator at an axially adjustable connection between the housing and the memory cylinder, while viewing the larynx and trachea through a visual fiberoptic cable in the scope tube; locking the axially adjustable connection between the housing and the memory cylinder; pushing the endotracheal tube from the memory cylinder and into the patient's trachea using the scope tube as a guide, while visually confirming placement of the endotracheal tube in the trachea through the visual fiberoptic cable; and withdrawing the intubator from the patient, while leaving the endotracheal tube in the patient.

Claim 23

A method of intubating a patient, comprising the steps of: mounting an endotracheal tube coaxially on an intubator having a housing, a memory cylinder and a scope tube axially slidable in the memory cylinder, with distal ends of the memory cylinder, endotracheal tube and scope tube being flush; illuminating a light source and conducting light through a light fiberoptic cable in the scope tube; bending a distal end of the memory cylinder into a curve of between about 45 degrees and about 90 degrees to form a self-sustaining curved distal end; inserting the curved distal end of the memory cylinder into a patient's oral pharynx and behind the patient's tongue; positioning the handle in a vertical plane; manipulating the patient's larynx orifice by a light reflex emitted from the distal end of the scope tube and through the patient; advancing the scope tube from the memory cylinder into the patient's larynx and trachea by collapsing the intubator at an axially adjustable connection between the housing and the memory cylinder, while viewing the larynx and trachea through a visual fiberoptic cable in the scope tube; locking the axially adjustable connection between the housing and the memory cylinder; pushing the endotracheal tube from the memory cylinder and into the patient's trachea using the scope tube as a guide, while visually confirming placement of the endotracheal tube in the trachea through the visual fiberoptic cable; and withdrawing the intubator from the patient, while leaving the endotracheal tube in the patient.