US3774616A — Endotracheal tube holder and airway

Claim 1

Independent Claim 177 words

An endotracheal intubation apparatus comprising, in combination, an airway, a face plate engageable over the mouth of a patient and having therein a central aperture for passage of an endotracheal tube therethrough, the face plate having also therein at least one auxiliary aperture at one side of the central aperture and adapted for passage therethrough of at least one special purpose tube, said airway having a curved body portion adapted to engage over a patient''s tongue, a pair of outer side walls and at least one inner wall extending upwardly from said body portion to define an open top central channel and at least one open top auxiliary side channel, said central and side channel extending longitudinally of said airway, said central channel communicating with said face plate central aperture to receive the endotracheal tube and said auxiliary side channel communicating with the auxiliary face plate aperture to guidingly receive said selective purpose tube passing through said auxiliary aperture, said means readily detachably connected the airway and the face plate in service relation as a unitary assembly.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 177 words

An endotracheal intubation apparatus comprising, in combination, an airway, a face plate engageable over the mouth of a patient and having therein a central aperture for passage of an endotracheal tube therethrough, the face plate having also therein at least one auxiliary aperture at one side of the central aperture and adapted for passage therethrough of at least one special purpose tube, said airway having a curved body portion adapted to engage over a patient''s tongue, a pair of outer side walls and at least one inner wall extending upwardly from said body portion to define an open top central channel and at least one open top auxiliary side channel, said central and side channel extending longitudinally of said airway, said central channel communicating with said face plate central aperture to receive the endotracheal tube and said auxiliary side channel communicating with the auxiliary face plate aperture to guidingly receive said selective purpose tube passing through said auxiliary aperture, said means readily detachably connected the airway and the face plate in service relation as a unitary assembly.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

In the apparatus of claim 1, means on the face plate operative to engage an endotracheal tube disposed in the central aperture of the face plate for holding the tube secured against axial movement in either direction.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 152 words

In the apparatus of claim 1, said detachable connecting means including a resilient latch tongue carried by the airway at each side thereof for projecting through said face plate auxiliary apertures, the latch tongues being in parallel spaced relation such that their passage through the face plate is blocked by the face plate body at an edge of each auxiliary aperture, a detent on the outer end of each tongue and engageable with the outer face of the face plate in a manner preventing separation of the airway and the face plate while the detent is in holding engagement with the plate, said detents being constituted as cams slidably engageable by an adjacent auxiliary aperture edge of the face plate body to move the tongues laterally towards each other against their resilience bias and thereby move the outer ends of the tongues into registry with the auxiliary passages for free passage therethrough.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 49 words

In the apparatus of claim 3, said detents being operative manually from the exterior of the face plate to release them from holding engagement with the face plate and thereby permit removal of the face plate from the airway without removal of the airway from a position of service.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 84 words

In the apparatus of clAim 3, tubular bite block members carried by the face plate and extending inwardly from its inner face, said tubular bite block members being in axial registry with the auxiliary apertures in the face plate, each member having a wall longitudinally apertured to provide top and bottom track rails for receiving said guiding therebetween the top and bottom edges of one of the latch tongues when the face plate and the airway are moved axially together in effecting their connection.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 32 words

In the apparatus of claim 5, the latch tongues providing a portion of the bite tube walls in which they are guided when the airway and the face plate are being connected.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 41 words

In the apparatus of claim 6, the body of the airway at its forward end having therein at each side a longitudinal slot open at its outer end to receive the bottom portion of the adjacent bite tube in slidable relation.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

In the apparatus of claim 7, the floor of the outer end portion of the airway at the inner end of each slot having a section extending at an angle between the front end of each side channel and its adjacent latch tongue.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 45 words

In the apparatus of claim 8, the floor of the airway between said slots being flat and of a width to fill the space between the inside walls of the bite tubes in sliding engagement therewith when the airway and the face plate are connected.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 48 words

In the apparatus of claim 9, said flat portion of the airway floor lying in a plane common to the bottom edges of the latch tongues and having at its outer end a depending portion for seating over and in front of the lower teeth of a patient.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 177 words

An endotracheal tube holder comprising a face plate having a rear face and a front face with the rear face adapted to cover the mouth of a patient, said face plate having formed substantially centrally thereof a notch-like opening for receiving an endotracheal tube and an auxiliary opening at each side of the notch-like opening, a pair of bite block tubes projecting from the rear face of the plate each in open communication with a respective auxiliary opening of said face plate and each adapted to receive a special purpose tube, said face plate notch-like opening extending through one edge of the face plate at a point midway between the bite block tubes, and being closed at the opposite edge at the central portion of the face plate body to provide a seat for an endotracheal tube when disposed in said opening, whereby the face plate may be slid into supporting engagement with an endotracheal tube inserted in the mouth of a patient without shifting the face plate laterally in the direction of either bite block tube.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 177 words

An endotracheal tube holder comprising a face plate having a rear face and a front face with the rear face adapted to cover the mouth of a patient, said face plate having formed substantially centrally thereof a notch-like opening for receiving an endotracheal tube and an auxiliary opening at each side of the notch-like opening, a pair of bite block tubes projecting from the rear face of the plate each in open communication with a respective auxiliary opening of said face plate and each adapted to receive a special purpose tube, said face plate notch-like opening extending through one edge of the face plate at a point midway between the bite block tubes, and being closed at the opposite edge at the central portion of the face plate body to provide a seat for an endotracheal tube when disposed in said opening, whereby the face plate may be slid into supporting engagement with an endotracheal tube inserted in the mouth of a patient without shifting the face plate laterally in the direction of either bite block tube.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-11-26	1977-05-28	1977-11-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-11-26	1981-05-28	1981-11-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-11-26	1985-05-28	1985-11-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Endotracheal tube holder and airway

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