Smiths Medical has launched the Portex Blue Line Ultra tracheostomy tubes with thin-walled inner cannulae for adult patients in the EU. The new thinner inner cannulae walls allow increased respiratory airflow and help improve the patient’s work of breathing while maintaining patency and airway hygiene, according to the company.
The product is now available in the EU and will be available in other markets later this year, the company says.
Tracheostomy tubes with small outer diameters are easier to insert into a patient’s trachea and remove through the stoma, but smaller tubes often have too small of an inner diameter to allow enough airflow for the patient, the company says. The new thinner inner cannulae walls of the Blue Line Ultra tubes allow patients to have up to a 19% increase in airflow without changing their ease of insertion since the outer diameter of the tubes is the same, according to Smiths Medical.
Blue Line Ultra tracheostomy tubes are made from thermo-sensitive material, which offers initial rigidity for insertion and conforms to the patient’s upper respiratory tract at body temperature. They include an optional Soft-Seal cuff designed to reduce bulk and help smooth transition of the tracheostomy tube through the stoma. They are also available with suction above the cuff to help remove pooled secretions and reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Portex Blue Line Ultra tracheostomy tubes are available separately for surgical placement, in tube kits to help patient care, and in percutaneous tracheostomy kits which can be used for both in-patient and out-patient settings.
More information is available on the Smiths Medical website.
