A nasally or orally intubated device with cuff

摘要

An intubated device comprises an airway tube 10 a distal end of which is surrounded by an inflatable cuff 11 which is shaped and dimentioned so that it may permit introduction to the throat via the nose and may span the oro-pharynx between the soft palate and the laryngeal inlet posteriorly of the patatopharyngeal folds. When inflated the cuff has roughly the shape of the frustum or a four-sided pyramid with rounded corners and tapers away from it's distal end. The distal end of the tube 10 is recessed into the distal end of the cuff so that the latter is an annular protrusion 13 adapted to straddle the upper region of but not surround the elliptical epiglottis 14 and to fill the piriform fossae (15) on either side thereof. Additionally the devise may comprise a one-way inflation valve, a pressure-relief valve and a combined bite block and connector element and mouth surround element.