A new device for cricothyroidotomy.

A new instrument for coniotomy was developed and tested with cadaver experiments. The instrument should be simple, easy to handle, and should not have the various drawbacks of the existing devices. The new instrument was tested by 17 medical students and medical doctors on fresh human cadavers. We measured the time necessary for performing a successful experiment. It lasted 5-28 sec (mean value 22 sec) depending on the experience of the people carrying out the tests. This time is much shorter than with other existing instruments tested under experimental conditions. The instrument consists of a tube and a trocar with a small knife on the tip. The knife is used to incise the skin over the cricothyroid ligament and to perforate this ligament in sagittal position. The tube is provided with a plastic stripe, which limits the depth of the entrance of the instrument into the larynx and can also be used to attach the tube to the neck of the patient. After entering the larynx, the tube can be connected to an inflating bag. The correct seat of the tube was tested by inflation, with a calibrated probe or with laryngoscopy. The results of our tests encourage the development of this new instrument for industrial production. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.