Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TRACHEOSTOMY TUBE WITH RING
. PULL REMOVABLE INNER CANNULA
~' Backqround of the Invention
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The present invention relates to respiratory circuits and
particularly to tracheostomy tubes comprising of an outer
constant radius cannula and a removable inner cannula.
Tracheostomy tubes with removable inner cannula are well
known in the prior art. When a two part tracheostomy tube
is placed in the patients trachea, if the patients
tracheostomy should become occluded by mucus or phlegm, the
tracheostomy tube airway can be cleaned by removing the
inner cannula. After being cleaned, the inner cannula can
be placed inside the outer cannula of the tracheostomy tube
which remains in place in the trachea.
Various means of connecting the inner cannula to the
tracheostomy tube and connecting the tracheostomy tube to a
ventilation system and the like are also well known.
Examples showing various connecting means are: U.S. Patent
No. 3,088,466 to Nichols; U.S. Patent No. 3,659,612 to
Shiley, et al.; U.S. Patent No. 4,009,720 to Crandall, et
al.; and U.S. Patent No. 4,315,545 to Crandall, et al., also
assigned to Shiley. All of these patents show various means
for interconnecting the inner cannula and the outer
tracheostomy tube cannula by means of a coupling connector.
It is common for all of these patents, that the coupling
connection means to the ventilator or the like is integral
with or connected to the removable inner cannula and that an
additional connection is required between the outer
tracheostomy tube cannula and the body of the inner cannula.
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Tracheostomy tubes of this design have several
disadvantages. First, they require an additional
disconnection point between the outer and inner cannula
which reduces the safety of the system. Such prior art
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tracheostomy tube devices must have an air tight seal
between the inner and outer cannulae and at the ventilator
connecting means which is typically part of the inner
cannula.
Second, the need exists in the art to improve the security
of the respiratory system so that the accidental
disconnection of the parts of the tracheostomy tube assembly
car be prevented. ~t the present time there is no
in~erconnecting system in the respiratory art that can
provide high security for the connection of an inner cannula
within arespiratory circuit.
Third, the need has been emphasized fcr some time to provide
a system which will only be disconnectable at the ventilator
connecting means. The problem is discussed in a study by
Arthur D. Little entitled: "Accidental Disconnection of
Breathing Circuits". The current state of the art
tracheostomy devices, by design and preferred embodiment,
require an additional disconnection point which reduces the
safety of the patient. The preferred embodiment of the
present invention, proposes to overcome the above discussed
disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the ventilator circuit is provided with a
tracheostomy tube having a ventilator connection means
integral to the outer tracheostomy tube cannula, and a
removable inner cannula tube made separately from the outer
cannula and placeable inside the outer cannula and the
ventilator connection means. This design enhances the
safety of the respiratory air delivery system. The
removable inner cannula is safely placed inside the
connector while the device is attached to various ventilator
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connection means such as elbows, swivels, connectors, etc.,
minimizing the possibility of unintentional disconnection.
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Summary of the Present Invention
~` The purpose of this invention is to provide a tracheostomy
tube with a removable inner cannula adapted for placement
inside the ventilation delivery system which will enhance
the safety of the connection of the tracheostomy tube by
eliminating a possi~le disconnection point between the inner
and outer cannulae at the connector site.
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I Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a
means for facilitating removal of an inner cannula from the
ventilator coupling connector member of the outer
tracheostomy cannula.
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Still another purpose of this invention is to provide a
system allowing easy and dependable interconnecting of the
inner cannula within the ventilator coupling connector body
without the necessity for using a sealing means between the
outer cannula, the inner cannula and/or the ventilator
~ connector member.
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Yet another important purpose of the present invention is to
provide the device which would accomplish the above
~; functions with a simple and inexpensive structure.
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To this end, the present preferred embodiment of the
removable inner cannula is placed inside the air delivery
path of the tracheostomy tube with locking means at its
proximal end adapted for snap-fit interconnection into the
tracheostomy tube ventilator connector member. The locking
means are also provided with a grasping means for
facilitating a withdrawal of the inner cannula from the
connector member.
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~ rief ~escription of the Drawinqs
The preferred embodiment of the present invention device
will now be described in more detail with reference being
made to the drawings in which:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the removable inner
cannula according to the present invention inserted into the
connector member.
Fig. 2 shows the embodiment shown in Fig 1 with removable
inner cannula withdrawn from the connector.
Fig. 3 shows cross-section taken along lines 3' of Fig. 1.
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Detailed Descrij~ion of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring first to Fig. 2 the inner cannula tube lO is shownwithdrawn from the connector member 8. As clearly appears
from Fig. 2 the inner cannula 10 is made as a part separate
from the connector member 8. The inner cannula has a first
end 3 and a second end 5. The first end 3 is insertable
through the opening 7 in the circular connector member 8
into an outer tube 30- The outer tube 30 of the
tracheal system can be permanently connected to the
connector member or made integral with the connector. The
inner cannula tube 10 includes a ribbed-grooved member 14
provided at its second end S. Member 14 is inserted onto
the outer wall of the tube 10 and includes a plurality of
ring-like ribs 20 forming grooves 22 therebetween. The
exterior ring-like rib 16 is partially cut around the major
portion of its circumference and is connected to other ribs 20
with hinge means 32.
As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the exterior ring 16 forms a
ring-pull feature constituting a grasping means. The ring 16
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can be folded integrally with the remaining portion of the
member 14 and can be easily grasped with the fingers to
facilitate removal of the inner cannula ~rom the connector.
As shown in Fig. 1 the ~rasping means of the inner cannula
member is extending beyond the connector member 8 when the
inner cannula 10 is fitted into the connector member and is
easily reachable for removal of the inner cannula. At the
same time, the ring-pull feature takes a minimum of space
inside the coupling connector. The ribbed-grooved member 14
in the preferred embodiment is made from a flexible plastic
polymeric material.
The removable inner cannula is adapted for interlocking into
the connector body through the ribbed-grooved member 14. As
better sh~wn in Fig. 3 the connector 8 at its first end 11
includes first locking means 15 on the~interior wall of the connector m~er
8 ~or interacting with the m~r 14 which defines second locking means
of the inner cannula 8. This first locking means 15 includes at least a
pair of circular ribs 17 forming a groove l9 therebetween and adapted for snap-
fit connection with corresponding seoond locking mcmber o~rising
ribbed-grooved member 14. A presence of the definite snap-
fit provides simple but dependable indication that the inner
cannula device is in place within a connector member.
Placement of the removable inner cannula inside the
connector member within the air delivery system is very
advantageous. It reduces the possibility of accidental
disconnection between inner and outer cannulae. When the
respirator connection is made to the tracheostomy device,
the plastic deformation of the connector member provides
additional clamping force holding the inner cannula in
place.
The tracheostomy assembly according to the present invention
allows therefore to dispense with any convcntional sealing
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i means necessary for known tracheostomy tubes having
removable inner cannula.
~' The degree of safety of the present invention tracheostomy
device is superior in comparison with prior art devices
since the coupling connector 8 is always available for
connection to a respirator circuit with or without inner
, cannula 10 being placed inside the outer tube.
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:~ I The inner cannula of the present invention is described in
the preferred embodiment in connection with tracheostomy
assemblies using 15 mm and 22 mm coupling connector.
However, the locking and grasping features described here in
connection with the inner cannula can be used in many other
applications. It can for example be utilized with
replaceable filter systems attached to the ring pull feature
~; and bacterial filters, moisture devices, and any type of
i device which could utilize the fold out ring for
~: facilitation of its removal from an internal snap-fit or
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tempered locking device.
The connector 8 used with the removable inner cannula 10 is
provided with a flange 2 which is made of a flexible
material and attached to the opposite end 13 of the
connector 8 with the pair of flexible pivot webs 6 molded 'o
both the connector 8 and the flange 2. The webs 6 increase
the flexibi:Lity of the flange 2 and provide for better
comfort of lhe patient without the possibility of
disconnection between the flange member 2 and the connector
1~ti 8. The flange 2 can be made as a single piece molded flange
including the webs 6.
In the preferred embodiment, the connector member 8 is
designed as a 7 offset which lowers the position of the
attaching apparatus from the upper neck and chin area. Two
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~¦i tape slots 4 are provided in the flange member 2. The tape
slots 4 are of a size sufficient to allow a full size half
inch type t~pe to be easily threaded through the flange.
. The slots 4 will provide a high degree of f lexibility to the
~i system as well as guard against abrasion of the tape on the. neck areaO The provision of two flexible webs 6 and a large
t opening between the connector and the flange walls allows
significantly larger open area around the stoma site and
. I provide full view of the stoma for proper maintenance.
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