Patent ID: RE39508

Claim:
A method for blindly intubating a patient's trachea comprising: inserting into the patient's throat an element having a tube guiding surface and an associated supporting edge, the element being sized to be received in the throat in the vicinity of the larynx and contoured to mate against reciprocal anatomical contours of and adjacent the larynx; advancing the element into the throat until the reciprocal contours of the element and adjacent anatomy are mated together with the supporting edge of the tube guiding surface contiguous with at least the posterior edge of the larynx to effectively define an upward extension thereof such that the tube guiding surface is aimed into the larynx over the posterior edge thereof so that an intubation tube sliding along the tube guiding surface will be directed into the larynx and trachea; and advancing an intubation tube along the tube guiding surface and into the larynx and trachea.