Endotracheal introducers, making your own.
A job that is sometimes difficult for anaesthetists is to put an endotracheal tube into a patient to make the anaesthetic safe and possible.
The tubes are reasonably stiff but some times they want to alter their shape slightly to make it easier to get in.
To do this they use what is called an introducer. This is a piece of metal wire that is bendable and will stay in the shape you put it.
They put this into the endotracheal tube, bend it to the shape they need, introduce the tube then pull the introducer out.
It is a reasonably simple job to make your own with the help of a few things.
This tells you how to do it.
1. Get about 300mm of copper wire about 2 mm in diameter.
2. Form a loop on one end large enough to put your finger through.
3. Round off the other end.
4. Silver braze the loop securely or find someone to do it for you. (see picture below)
5. Hang the introducer up by the loop.
6. Heat the other end and apply the silver braze until it forms a natural teardrop.
7. Allow it to cool.
8. Clean and check that the teardrop is smooth and secure.
9. Clean and polish the whole introducer.
The teardrop end it what is called an atraumatic tip, that means that it is designed to be less likely to cause damage if it comes in to contact too hard with the trachea or other parts.
Photos by me.
The maintenance of medical equipment in developing countries. 