Variable Diameter Endotracheal Tube for Injury-Free Replacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional endotracheal intubation replacement can cause injury to the throat, vocal cords, and trachea due to friction, leading to discomfort and increased infection risk, as patients often lack a continuous oxygen supply during the replacement process.

Innovation Solution

An endotracheal intubation with a hollow intubation body of variable outer diameter, allowing the new intubation to be inserted in a retracted state within the old one, which serves as a protective layer, and then expanded to complete replacement without direct contact with the throat, vocal cords, and trachea, ensuring uninterrupted oxygen supply through a bifurcated tube.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional endotracheal intubation is replaced quickly to meet oxygen supply needs, then productivity is improved, but the throat, vocal cords and trachea are easily injured due to friction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplacement speedVSAvoidinjury to throat, vocal cords and trachea

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The new endotracheal intubation is inserted in a retracted state within the old intubation body, utilizing the old intubation as a protective channel. This nesting approach allows the new intubation to reach the trachea without direct friction against the throat and vocal cords, while the old intubation serves as a temporary protective barrier during the exchange process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The intubation body is designed with variable outer diameter, transitioning from a retracted state during insertion to an expanded state for oxygen supply. This dynamic structure allows the intubation to adapt its size according to the operational phase, facilitating injury-free replacement while maintaining functional effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the old hollow intubation body is used as a protective layer during replacement, then injury to the trachea is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinjury to tracheaVSAvoidintubation structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The old endotracheal intubation body serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective layer during replacement, maintains the airway open, and continues to facilitate oxygen supply. By making the old intubation multi-functional, the need for additional protective devices is eliminated, and the complexity increase is minimized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The old intubation body is not discarded but recovered and utilized as a protective channel during the replacement process. This approach extends the functional life of the old intubation beyond its primary purpose, reducing the need for additional protective measures and simplifying the overall system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the new hollow intubation body is inserted in a retracted state, then the replacement process causes less friction and injury, but the oxygen supply may be interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefriction during replacementVSAvoidoxygen supply continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The new endotracheal intubation is prepared in a retracted state before insertion, allowing it to be introduced through the old intubation body without causing friction. The retracted configuration is maintained throughout the insertion process, and only expanded after the new intubation is properly positioned, ensuring continuous oxygen supply pathway maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The old endotracheal intubation body acts as an intermediary channel that facilitates the insertion of the new intubation. It provides a protected pathway through which the new intubation can pass without direct contact with the throat and vocal cords, while both intubations work together to maintain oxygen supply continuity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20230277790A1Endotracheal intubation for preventing injury to throat, vocal cords, and trachea

Publication Date: 2023.09.07 NAT TAICHUNG UNIV SCI & TECH

AI summary

The invention is an endotracheal intubation for preventing injury to throat, vocal cords and trachea. The endotracheal intubation comprises a hollow intubation body with a variable outer diameter. The hollow intubation body comprises a front end and a tail end, an inner intubation wall and an outer intubation wall, and having a retracted state with a smaller outer diameter and an expanded state with a larger outer diameter. When the endotracheal intubation inserted into a patient’s trachea needs to be replaced, as long as the hollow intubation body of the new endotracheal intubation is in the retracted state, it can be inserted into the hollow intubation body to be replaced, and when reaching the position, the hollow intubation body to be replaced is withdrawn, and finally the new hollow intubation body is changed into the expanded state, i.e. the replacement operation of the endotracheal intubation is completed.