Segmented Intubation Bougie for Atraumatic Difficult Intubation

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing intubation bougies are unsuitable for difficult intubation situations, often causing trauma, limited controllability, and high costs, with a risk of respiratory distress and complications for patients.

Innovation Solution

An intubation bougie with a distal portion comprising three segments of increasing flexibility, articulated segments, and longitudinal slots, allowing for improved controllability, agility, and atraumatic use, manufactured through a cost-effective thermoplastic injection process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional rigid intubation bougies are used, then structural strength is maintained, but trauma to patient tissues occurs and controllability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient traumaVSAvoidcontrollability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The bougie is divided into multiple segments (typically 3-5) along its length, with each segment having different flexibility characteristics. The proximal segments are more rigid for stable handling, while distal segments are more flexible foratraumatic navigation. This segmentation allows the bougie to maintain overall structural integrity while enabling gentle adaptation to anatomical structures, resolving the contradiction between strength and trauma prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bougie incorporates dynamic flexibility characteristics where different portions of the device have varying degrees of rigidity. The proximal portion remains relatively rigid for operator control, while the distal portion becomes progressively more flexible to conform to anatomical pathways. This dynamic flexibility profile allows the single device to simultaneously provide controllability and minimize tissue trauma.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If highly flexible distal portions are used, then agility and ease of navigation improve, but structural control and stability are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveagilityVSAvoidstructural control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The bougie is divided into multiple segments (typically 3-5) along its length, with each segment having different flexibility characteristics. The proximal segments are more rigid for stable handling, while distal segments are more flexible foratraumatic navigation. This segmentation allows the bougie to maintain overall structural integrity while enabling gentle adaptation to anatomical structures, resolving the contradiction between strength and trauma prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the bougie are designed with locally optimized properties: the proximal portion has higher rigidity for operator control and stability, while the distal portion has progressively increased flexibility for navigation. This local differentiation of mechanical properties allows the device to simultaneously achieve structural control where needed and agility where required, without compromising either function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If complex multi-segmented flexible bougies are manufactured, then device performance and safety improve, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice safetyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The flexibility characteristics of the bougie segments are achieved by varying material parameters (such as durometer, wall thickness, or material composition) rather than using entirely different materials for each segment. This parameter-based differentiation allows the manufacture of multi-segmented flexible bougies with optimized performance characteristics while maintaining cost-effectiveness through streamlined manufacturing processes and material selection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12508380B2Intubation bougie

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 PRODOL MEDITEC

AI summary

The invention relates to an intubation bougie (10) comprising a body (11) and a distal portion (12) formed by at least three elastomer segments (121, 122, 123) with increasing flexibility from one end of said distal portion (12), which is integral with the body (11), to a free end of said distal portion (12) intended to enter the upper airways of a patient. These segments are preferably articulated to one another. A sheath (200) surrounding the segments (121, 122, 123) and a ball end (210) advantageously complement said distal portion (12). The invention also relates to a method for producing such an intubation bougie (10).