Patent ID: 6751818
Filing Date: 2004-06-22
Classification: A61G

Abstract:
An Airway Management Apparatus (AMA) for aiding in aligning an obese individual's oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes by reducing an amount of force required to move an obese individual's diaphragm when the individual is placed on top of the AMA in an approximately supine position, said AMA comprising:a head and neck support for raising the individual's head and neck above a base surface, said head and neck support having an upper surface that contacts the back of the individual's head and neck, said head and neck support having a height between approximately five inches and eight inches; and an upper-body support coupled to the bead and neck support, said upper-body support having a substantially planar top surface that slopes downward from the upper surface of the head and neck support to the base surface, said upper-body support having a height between approximately two inches and six inches and forming an angle between approximately five and twenty-five degrees from horizontal, said upper-body support supporting the individual's upper body at an angle; wherein the AMA aids the alignment of the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes by raising the individual's head and neck, and supports the upper body at an angle sufficient to cause the individual's abdominal mass to fall away from the diaphragm, thereby reducing the amount of force required to move the individual's diaphragm.