| US 7,506,648 B2 | ||
| Laryngeal mask airway device | ||
| Archibald I. J. Brain, Les Bons Villers (Belgium) | ||
| Assigned to The Laryngeal Mask Company Ltd., Victoria, Mahe (Seychelles) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 29, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/193,525. | ||
| Application 11/193525 is a division of application No. 09/412954, filed on Oct. 05, 1999, granted, now 7,156,100. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 9821771.4 (GB), filed on Oct. 06, 1998. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0274383 A1, Dec. 15, 2005 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61M 25/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/04 (2006.01); A62B 9/04 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 128—207.15 [128/207.14; 128/200.26; 604/96.01] | 15 Claims |
| 1. A laryngeal-mask airway device comprising:
(a) an inflatable cuff;
(b) a backplate attached to the cuff establishing separation between a laryngeal-chamber region and a pharyngeal region, the
cuff and backplate being insertable through a mouth of a patient to an inserted location within the patient, the laryngeal-chamber
region being in communication with a laryngeal inlet of the patient when the cuff is inflated and when the cuff is at the
inserted location, the backplate including a tube-joint disposed in the pharyngeal region, the device defining an indentation
proximate the tube joint, the indentation being accessible by a finger of a person when the person is inserting the cuff and
backplate through the mouth of the patient; and
(c) an airway tube extending from the tube joint to a proximal end, the proximal end of the airway tube being disposed outside
the patient's mouth when the cuff is at the inserted location, a continuous artificial airway extending from the proximal
end of the airway tube to the laryngeal-chamber region;
wherein the backplate further includes a passageway for communication between said pharyngeal and laryngeal-chamber regions,
said backplate having a longitudinal distal rib for longitudinally supporting the distal region of said cuff, wherein the
distal rib is narrower than the diameter of the passageway.
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