Appeal No. 1999-0283 Page 2
Application No. 08/451,811
BACKGROUND
The appellants' invention relates to a method of intubating a patient with an endotracheal
tube comprising directing electromagnetic or sound energy between and/or around the vocal
cords of the patient, sensing the energy so transmitted and thereby locating the vocal cords of
the patient, and routing the distal end of the endotracheal tube through the located vocal cords
and correctly placing it in the trachea. As illustrated in Figure 3, this method is performed by
transmitting energy (28) from a source (27) through a fiber optic
cable (34) outside the patient's neck, the energy emitted from the distal end of the fiber optic
cable (34) penetrating into the trachea below the vocal cords and traveling, at least in part, in
the cephalad direction between the vocal cords and past the epiglottis (31). That energy is3
transmitted through an energy guide (10) disposed in an endotracheal tube situated with its
distal end in the patient's pharynx and then through a fiber optic cable (16) and is then sensed
by an energy sensor (14). The energy sensor transmits a signal in response to the energy
sensed to a processing and steering system (15) which indicates in which direction the operator
must advance the stylet system of the endotracheal tube to pass it between the vocal cords into
the trachea. After the endotracheal tube has been passed into the trachea, the fiber optic cables
(...continued)2
examiner should take appropriate action to have that amendment clerically entered.
This is understood to denote a direction toward the patient's head (Webster's New World Dictionary,3
Third College Edition (Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1988).
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007