Importance

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Abstract

An endotracheal tube, stethoscope, and thermistor combination is provided to allow simultaneous patient ventilation, vital sounds monitoring, and body core temperature monitoring by a single instrument. The tube includes an inflation cuff adjacent the distal end and a longitudinal pressure conduit to inflate the cuff to seal against the trachea wall. An audio cuff extends at least partially coextensive and concentrically with the inflation cuff and has sufficient resiliency to vibrate in response to the patient's vital sounds. Audio ports face toward the left side, and thus the heart of the patient to receive heart sounds most directly. A thermistor extends longitudinally along the posterior wall of the preferably bowed tube for contact of the transducer with the patient's mucous membrane for accurately monitoring of the body core temperature. The inflation cuff comprises a highly flexible bulb in direct contact with the trachea wall and the audio cuff is a sleeve inside the bulb and spaced peripherally from the tube to allow vibration. The sleeve has integral ribs so as to be sufficiently stable to maintain the desired spacing and thus assure maximum sound pick-up. A pressure conduit and audio conduit extend along the side wall and open into the inflation and audio cuffs, respectively.

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First Claim