Patent ID: 7036510

Claim:
An apparatus for providing an airway through a tracheal wall of a patient, comprising: a balloon catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, said balloon catheter including an inflatable balloon at said distal end, said balloon adapted to atraumatically dilate a portion of said tracheal wall upon inflation; and a tracheal tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a bore extending longitudinally therethrough, said tracheal tube and said balloon catheter aligned such that a portion of said balloon catheter extends through said tracheal tube bore and a proximal end of the inflatable balloon is distal to and spaced from said distal end of said tracheal tube by a distance not exceeding about 2 cm, said tracheal tube adapted to provide said airway following said atraumatic dilation of said tracheal wall, wherein said apparatus is advanceable into said trachea without relative axial movement between said balloon catheter and said tracheal tube.