Endotracheal Tube Stylet Ratchet Curvature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endotracheal tube stylets either require interruptions during intubation for curvature adjustments or cause airway trauma due to fixed rigidity, and flexible articulating stylets necessitate continuous thumb button depression for curvature maintenance, limiting the intubation grip.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, articulating stylet with a ratchet mechanism allows for selective and maintainable curvature without continuous thumb button depression, enabling a pencil-like grip during intubation and remote release of curvature for easy tracheal passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a malleable stylet is used to impart curvature to the endotracheal tube, then the tube can be directed into the larynx, but the fixed curvature may be too great to allow passage down the straight trachea, requiring interruption of the intubation attempt for curvature adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a dynamic curvature adjustment mechanism where the stylet's curvature can be continuously modified during the intubation procedure. The stylet includes a flexible portion that can be bent to different degrees, allowing the curvature to be adapted from a greater initial curvature for larynx entry to a reduced curvature for tracheal passage, eliminating the need to interrupt the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the curvature parameter of the stylet during the intubation process. The stylet is designed to allow continuous modification of its curvature by manipulating the flexible portion, enabling the operator to adjust the curvature parameter in real-time to match the anatomical requirements at different stages of intubation.
2Ease of operation
If a malleable stylet is used to maintain tube curvature, then optimal control is achieved during intubation, but the rigidity can be quite traumatic to the airway anatomy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic rigidity control mechanism where the stylet transitions from a relatively rigid state for control during positioning to a more flexible state for safe passage through the trachea. The flexible portion of the stylet allows this dynamic adjustment, reducing airway trauma while maintaining operational control when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the rigidity parameter of the stylet during the procedure. By bending the flexible portion, the operator changes the rigidity from high (for control) to low (for safety), allowing the stylet to adapt to different operational requirements and minimize harm to the airway.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible articulating stylet with continuous curvature adjustment is used, then curvature can be varied as desired, but the thumb button must be continuously depressed to maintain the desired curvature, requiring a fist-grip that prevents optimal pencil-like grip control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the curvature control function from the distal end of the stylet and relocates it to the proximal end. The flexible portion that enables curvature adjustment is positioned such that the operator can manipulate it while maintaining the advantageous pencil-like grip on the tube's mid-section, separating the control function from the grip location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spatial dimension of curvature control by moving the adjustment mechanism from the distal end (requiring fist-grip) to the proximal end (accessible during pencil-like grip). This dimensional relocation allows simultaneous optimization of both curvature adaptability and grip control.
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible articulating style for an endotracheal tube is provided with a ratchet mechanism whereby to selectively set and maintain a desired curvature of the style, and hence the tube, so that the intubationist may hold the stylet-curved tube with a pencil-like grip at its mid-section for optimal control during intubation.