Patent ID: 7360540

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: A. a tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending though the member from the proximal end to the distal end, the member defining a first zone and a second zone, the first zone having a first attachment portion, a second attachment portion, and an interior portion disposed between the first and second attachment portions, the first attachment portion having a first outer diameter, the second attachment portion having a second outer diameter, the interior portion having an interior portion outer diameter, at least a portion of the second zone having a second zone outer diameter, said first, second and interior portion outer diameters each being smaller than the second zone outer diameter, the first and second zones being configured for insertion into a trachea of a human patient; B. an inflatable cuff attached to the first and second attachment portions of the tubular member, a thickness of the cuff being smaller than a difference between the second zone outer diameter and each of the first, second, and interior portion outer diameters, the cuff extending over the interior portion.