Importance

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Abstract

One end of an endotracheal tube is encircled by an inflatable cuff, to which is connected a tubule that extends toward the opposite end of the tube and into a valve housing having an air inlet bore from which passages extend to the tubule and to an inflatable member. The bore contains valve means normally closing off the inlet of the bore, and means for opening the valve to admit air under pressure or to release it therefrom to inflate and deflate the cuff and inflatable member. A constant pressure means is disposed in the housing for exerting a substantially constant bias against the inflatable member throughout a predetermined range of expansion of the inflatable member to maintain preset air inflation pressures within the inflatable member and the cuff substantially constant, even though their respective inflation volumes may vary. An additional feature resides in the fact that the inflatable member is enclosed in the housing and the housing is sealed for expansion and contraction of the inflatable member within the sealed housing, and another tubule communicates the interior of this sealed housing with the interior of the endotracheal tube thereby preventing collapse of the inflated cuff when gas pressures within the endotracheal tube exceed the cuff inflation pressure.

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First Claim