Abstract: A laryngeal mask airway is described which is fitted with an evacuation or drainage tube which passes through the back of the mask and terminates concentrically within an inflatable-cuff formation at the distal end of the mask. In the case of a laryngeal mask which relies on an inflatable ring to establish a seal around the laryngeal inlet, the inflatable-cuff formation results from sealed passage of the evacuation tube through the distal region of the inflatable ring, the distal end of which is centrally apertured and reentrantly folded into sealed junction with the distal end of the tube. When the mask is inflated, its distal end establishes a cuff, sealing the tube against the upper oesophageal sphincter.

Abstract: An artificial airway device, for use in place of an endotracheal tube to facilitate lung ventilation in an unconscious patient, is in the form of a laryngeal mask comprising a tube opening into the interior of a mask portion whose periphery, which may be inflatable, is adapted to seal around the inlet to the larynx, thus securing the patient's airway, permitting spontaneous or controlled ventilation and preventing inhalation of extraneous matter.