Endotracheal Tube Tethering With Magnetic Soft-Palate Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients often inadvertently remove endotracheal tubes, leading to unplanned extubations, which can be fatal and require redeployment, causing discomfort and resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
An endotracheal tube system with a tether and magnet configuration that secures the tube by positioning the soft palate between the tube and tether, using a magnetically coupled probe to anchor the tube externally, and adapters that decouple from the tube when pulled, preventing unwanted removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the endotracheal tube is left without additional securing mechanisms, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of preventing unplanned extubation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a tether element that contacts the soft palate, a magnet for external positioning, and an anchor for external fixation. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The soft palate acts as an intermediary biological structure that the tether contacts to prevent tube removal. The magnet serves as an intermediary external attachment point that secures the tether without requiring internal anchoring, thereby improving reliability while limiting complexity to externally applied components.
2Reliability
If a tether is advanced through the nasal cavity to contact the soft palate, then the reliability of preventing tube removal is improved, but the ease of operation during deployment becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The magnet is attached to the tether before deployment, preparing the system in advance. The magnet's external placement allows the tether to be positioned through the nasal cavity and anchored to the soft palate before the tube is fully inserted, making the deployment sequence more manageable and reducing operational difficulty.
3Reliability
If the tether is secured externally with an anchor, then the reliability of maintaining airway integrity is improved, but the ease of manufacture increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into manufacture-friendly components: a tube assembly, a tether with magnet, and a separate anchor. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and quality-tested independently, then assembled through relatively simple connections, thereby maintaining reliability while managing manufacturing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively deters patients from removing the tube, reducing unplanned extubations and maintaining airway integrity by blocking further advancement and decoupling adapters to prevent tube extraction.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet coupled to the tether, the magnet being configured to be advanced through the pharynx, through and out the nasal cavity thereby positioning the soft palate of the patient between the tube and the tether
Implementation Method 2
a magnetically coupled probe to anchor the tube externally
Data Source
AI summary
An endotracheal tube can include a tube having a distal end that is configured to be inserted into the trachea of a patient and a proximal end that is configured to be positioned within the mouth of the patient or outside of the patient. The endotracheal tube can include a tether having a first end coupled to the tube, and a magnet coupled to the tether. The magnet can be configured to be advanced through the pharynx, through and out the nasal cavity thereby positioning the soft palate of the patient between the tube and the tether.