Patent ID: 8343036
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A surgical intubation sheath and balloon for insertion into a body of an animal or human patient comprising, a tubular sheath that is made of a thin flexible flaccid and membranous material and is open at both ends to permit the passage of fluids and surgical instruments therethrough, an annular inflation balloon on a circumference of a distal end of the sheath, wherein both the sheath and balloon comprise thin walled flexible and membranous and flaccid material that is difficult to insert into the body, the annular inflation balloon at a distal end of the sheath surrounding the distal mouth of the sheath that is constructed and arranged when inflated to expand the distal mouth of the sheath within the body of the patient by forming a stiffening ring structure in an otherwise collapsed portion of the sheath proximate the distal mouth to thereby spread, stiffen and hold open the mouth inside the patient's body when the sheath is in a desired location for facilitating the passage of surgical instruments therethrough into or out of the body of the patient, wherein flexibility of the distal end of the sheath adjacent the balloon enables the sheath to collapse until inflation of the balloon produces the stiffening ring structure at the distal end of the sheath for spreading and holding the sheath open at its distal end during a medical procedure, an extraneous inflation tube as an entity separate throughout from the sheath connected in fluid communication with the balloon to inflate or deflate the balloon with an inflation fluid or gas as desired, an obturator for providing a vacuum through an aperture in the obturator which is located at or proximate a distal end of the obturator, and a connector comprising a sheath portion overlapping the aperture that is attached to the obturator by a suction force when a vacuum is applied securing a distal end of the sheath to the distal end of the obturator when pushing the open distal end of the sheath into the body, whereby the sheath and balloon is easily placed in a body opening.