The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 14, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 29, 1999
David D. Alfery, Nashville, TN (US);
Other;
Abstract
An oral airway ( ) includes an elongate tubular member ( ) having a distal ( ) and a proximal end ( ) with an enlarged wedge-shaped housing ( ) at the distal end. The wedge-shaped housing ( ) is for insertion into the mouth ( ) and pharynx ( A) of a patient with the proximal end of the tubular member extending from the mouth of the patient. The wedge-shaped housing ( ) has anterior ( ) and posterior ( ) walls forming an enlarged proximal portion ( ) tapering to a smaller distal portion ( ) with a leading opening ( ) separating the anterior ( ) and posterior ( ) walls at the distal end of the housing. A grate ( ) covers the leading opening. Sidewalls ( ) extend between the anterior ( ) and posterior ( ) walls and the wedge-shaped housing ( ) is configured so that the sidewalls abut the aryepiglottic folds ( ) as the wedge-shaped housing is inserted in to the hypopharynx ( ) of a patient to arrest insertion of the wedge-shaped housing and seat the wedge-shaped housing with the leading opening ( ) adjacent to the glottis ( ). The grate ( ) is inclined between the anterior and posterior walls ( ) so that as a patient's epiglottis ( ) is engaged by the grate ( ) during insertion of the wedge-shaped housing into the hypopharynx ( ), the epiglottis ( ) slides up the grate ( ) and into abutment with the anterior wall ( ) of the wedge-shaped housing. A method of providing an oral airway to a patient includes inserting the wedge-shaped housing ( ) into the mouth ( ) of the patient, axially advancing the wedge-shaped housing ( ) to slide the epiglottis ( ) over the grate ( ) and seating the wedge-shaped housing ( ) with a leading surface of the enlarged proximal portion ( ) abutting the patient's aryepiglottic folds ( ), the anterior wall ( ) of the wedge-shaped housing ( ) abutting the epiglottis ( ) and the grate ( ) adjacent to the glottis ( ).