Patent ID: 8453648

Claim:
An endotracheal tube with intrinsic suction within and beyond as well as above-the-cuff suction outside the tube, the endotracheal tube comprising: an outer tube, the outer tube having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen, wherein the outer tube approximates an inner diameter of a body passage to be intubated; an inflatable cuff, encircling the outer tube near the distal end, and adapted to provide a seal; an intrinsic suction channel integrally formed within the lumen of the outer tube, the intrinsic suction channel spanning from above the proximal end to the distal end of the outer tube and having an opening at the distal end and a plurality of openings along a length of the intrinsic suction channel, the intrinsic suction channel configured to allow a plurality of fluids to be suctioned into the intrinsic suction channel from an area surrounding the distal end of the outer tube and from an area within the lumen of the outer tube; and an above-the-cuff suction channel integrally formed within the lumen of the outer tube, the above-the-cuff suction channel spanning from above the proximal end of the outer tube to immediately above the cuff and having a plurality of holes disposed immediately above the cuff and which open from the above-the-cuff suction channel to an outside of the outer tube at the above-the-cuff suction channel farthest distal extent and adapted to remove secretions which accumulate above the cuff within the trachea and outside of the outer tube.