Abstract: An airway device includes an airway tube having a first end surrounded by a laryngeal cuff which includes a back dorsal portion, a front face portion and a tip portion. The front face portion is shaped to form an anatomical fit over the laryngeal inlet of a patient, and to form a seal with the laryngeal inlet of the patient. The tip portion includes an annular sealing bulge which is adapted to wedge into an upper esophagus region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge improves sealing of the tip of the laryngeal cuff in the upper esophageal region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge is preferably formed from a soft polymeric or other plastics material with a Shore hardness of between 40 and 000 on the A scale, and allows for better sealing with a more variable range of upper esophageal anatomical features.

Abstract: An airway [(10, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 710, 1810, 2010, 2110, 2210, 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810, 2910, 3010, 3110, 3210, 3310, 3810) device for human or animal use, the device includes an airway tube (12) having a first end (14) and a second end (16), wherein the device further includes a shoulder (26), the shoulder extends laterally from and substantially perpendicular to the airway tube, the shoulder is adapted to contact the faucial pillars of the human or animal patient to prevent over-insertion of the device in use.

Abstract: An airway device includes an airway tube having a first end surrounded by a laryngeal cuff which includes a back dorsal portion, a front face portion and a tip portion. The front face portion is shaped to form an anatomical fit over the laryngeal inlet of a patient, and to form a seal with the laryngeal inlet of the patient. The tip portion includes an annular sealing bulge which is adapted to wedge into an upper oesophagus region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge improves sealing of the tip of the laryngeal cuff in the upper oesophageal region of the patient. The annular sealing bulge is preferably formed from a soft polymeric or other plastics material with a Shore hardness of between 40 and 000 on the A scale, and allows for better sealing with a more variable range of upper oesophageal anatomical features.

Abstract: An airway [(10, 310, 410, 510, 610, 710, 810, 1110, 1210, 1310, 1410, 1510, 1610, 710, 1810, 2010, 2110, 2210, 2310, 2410, 2510, 2610, 2710, 2810, 2910, 3010, 3110, 3210, 3310, 3810) device for human or animal use, the device includes an airway tube (12) having a first end (14) and a second end (16), wherein the device further includes a shoulder (26), the shoulder extends laterally from and substantially perpendicular to the airway tube, the shoulder is adapted to contact the faucial pillars of the human or animal patient to prevent over-insertion of the device in use.

Abstract: There is disclosed a water trap suitable for use in a mechanical ventilation circuit. The water trap comprises a cap (10) having formed therein an inlet (11) and an outlet (12), a fluid collection vessel (30) engageable with the cap (10), and a rotatable closure (20) interposed between the cap (10) and the fluid collection vessel (30) which includes at least one aperture (22, 23). The arrangement of the water trap is such that the fluid collection vessel (30) is operably linked to the closure (20) such that engagement or disengagement of the fluid collection vessel (30) from the cap (10) causes the closure (20) to be rotated.

Abstract: An exhalation valve (10) is disclosed for use with an exhalation port (14) of a respiratory circuit. The exhalation valve comprises a hermetically sealed gas chamber (20,120), a gas inlet (22,122) for supplying gas to the gas chamber, and a membrane (24,124) of flexible material that defines at least part of a wall of the gas chamber. The membrane is deformable by a change in the pressure differential between the gas within the gas chamber and the gas within the exhalation port between an inoperative configuration and an operative configuration in which the membrane restricts the flow of gas from the exhalation port to a greater extent than in said inoperative configuration. The membrane is inherently planar but is mounted within the exhalation valve such that deformation of the membrane to its operative configuration occurs substantially without increase of the surface area of the membrane.