Patent ID: 6463927
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A medical tube assembly comprising:a medical tube; a bendable rod of circular cross section, said cross section having a diameter with first and second ends, said rod having a preferred plane of bending defined parallel to said diameter and extending along the length of said rod, said first and second ends defining first and second sides of said rod; a first array of indentations extending along said first side of said rod; a second array of indentations extending along said second side of said rod, said first and second arrays cooperating to confer on said rod said preferred plane of bending, and a flexible, plastic sheath encasing said rod wherein said sheath has an inner wall in contact with the surface of said rod, said inner wall having crenellations interdigitating with and in contact with said indentations of said rod; wherein said rod is formed from a material different from said sheath, said rod is manually bendable to a set bend co-planar with said preferred plane of bending, and wherein said rod retains said set bend.