Cuff for tubular elements

Claim 1

IN AN ENDOTRACHEAL CUFF FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH AN ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE WHERIEN THE CUFF AND TUBE ARE INSERTED INTO THE TRACHEA WITH THE CUFF SURROUNDING THE TUBE AND WHEREIN THE CUFF IS ADAPTED TO BE INFLATED TO SEAL THE PASSAGE BETWEEN THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF THE TUBE AND THE INTERNAL SURFACE OF THE TRACHEA, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN SAID CUFF IS FORMED FROM A NORMALLY FLAT, RECTANGULAR DISPENSABLE ENVELOPE HAVING LONG SIDE EDGES AND SHORT SIDE EDGES AND FORMED OF HEAT SEALABLE MATERIAL, THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID ENVELOPE BEING HEAT SEALED WHEREBY THE ENVELOPE IS SEALED IN A FLUID-TIGHT MANNER ABOUT ITS EDGES, A RELATIVELY NARROW BAND OF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SHORT SIDE EDGES AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO SAID LONG SIDE EDGES ON ONE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF, SAID BAND HAVING A WIDTH TERMINATING ALONG A LINE ADJACENT TO AND SPACED FROM SAID SHORT SIDE EDGE, AN OPENING DEFINED IN ONE OF THE LONG SIDE EDGES OF SAID ENVELOPE ADJACENT THE OTHER SHORT SIDE EDGE THEREOF, AND AN AIR CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING, SAID CONDUIT EXTENDING OUTWARDLY APPROXIMATELY AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM SAID LONG EDGE, WHEREBY THE LONG DIMENSION OF SAID ENVELOPE IS ADAPTED TO BE WRAPPED AROUND SAID TUBE WITH SAID ONE SURFACE BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF THE TUBE AND WHEREBY SAID ONE SHORT SIDE EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE OVERLAPS THE OPPOSITE SURFACE OF THE ENVELOPE WITH THE ADHESIVE ON SAID ONE SHORT SIDE EDGE PRESSING INTO ADHERING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID OPPOSITE SURFACE FOR HOLDING THE ENVELOPE IN POSITION ON THE TUBE, SAID ENVELOPE BEING ADAPTED TO EXPAND IN ALL DIRECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO INTRODUCTION OF AIR INTO THE ENVELOPE THROUGH SAID CONDUIT TO PROVIDE SAID SEALING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TUBE AND THE TRACHEA.