Enhancing Intubation devices – Medical Devices That Save Lives

Intubation tubes are one of the most needed devices during comas and anesthesia induced surgeries. Sometimes called an endotracheal tube, an intubation tube is a long catheter with or without a balloon attached to the end, that is inserted into the trachea. It can be inserted through the mouth, or sometimes directly into the throat as a tracheotomy. This procedure is used to primarily establish and maintains a patient’s airway and ensures an adequate flow of oxygen to the patient’s lungs when they cannot breathe on their own. These apparatuses are usually made from polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVP), latex rubber, or silicone elastomer. In 1543, Andreas Vesalius reported intubating an animal, the first documented case of a tracheal intubation. Fast-forward to 1778 when Dr. Charles Kite is credited with developing the first endotracheal tube.¹

However, during the recent pandemic, intubation tubes were considered the very last option for patients in critical condition. Not because they were any less effective than before, but because they caused the patients to drown because of the fluid build-up in their lungs due the Coronavirus. Doctors and surgeons navigated away from using these devices because, once intubated during this stage of the Coronavirus, it caused more damage to the patient’s lungs. Aside from COVID-19, these devices are very lifesaving and necessary.

During surgeries that are anesthesia-induced, the patient is essentially asleep and cannot breathe on their own, therefore the endotracheal tubes are the only device that will allow oxygen to get to the lungs. Fundamentally, this device is breathing for the patient.  Also, if a patient has a blockage in their throat, a tracheotomy can allow a catheter to be inserted into the throat through the larynx, to allow access for oxygen. If these devices were never innovated and constructed, surgeries that required patients to be under anesthesia would not have been possible. As a result, people who were in a coma, would not have lived due to the inability to breathe on their own!

While these devices may seem simple, they are quite essential for lifesaving procedures. These are highly sophisticated devices and require an advanced coating strategy. Catheters with or without balloons must be coated uniformly to keep the integrity of the device. Hydromer®, as the experts in medical hydrophilic coatings and services, has over 40 years of experience with these types of complex devices. Our own founder back in the very early 70’s, invented a feeding tube along with one of the world’s first patented Hydromer® hydrophilic coatings. This new technology allowed his device to effortlessly go into the esophagus without force or friction, causing less tear and easier execution of placement. We have coated devices like these for many years successfully, let us coat your medical devices!

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Citation:

CapnoAcademy. “5 Things to Know about Endotracheal Intubation.” CapnoAcademy, 10 Sept. 2019, www.capnoacademy.com/2017/05/12/5-things-to-know-about-endotracheal-intubation/#:~:text=In%201543%2C%20Vesalius%20reported%20intubating,developing%20the%20first%20endotracheal%20tube