SEDL / STP / STP1111-EB / STP17761S

Laser Resistant Endotracheal Tubes -- Protection Against Oxygen-Enriched Airway Fires During Surgery?

de Richemond, AL
senior project engineer, ECRI, PA

Pages: 11    Published: Jan 1991

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Abstract

The risk of an oxygen enriched airway fire during oropharyngeal surgery with a laser is supposedly minimized by the use of a laser-ignition-resistant endotraoheal tube such as those made by Bivona, Mallinckrodt, Baxter Norton, Sheridan, or Xomed; or Merocel, a tube wrap marketed as laser resistant; or 3M copper, 3M aluminum, or Radio Shack sensing metallic tapes which are commonly used to protect standard tubes. We exposed these devices to CO², Nd:YAG, and KTP laser energy in various oxygen-nitrogen and oxygen-helium atmospheres. Only the Baxter Norton tube and the 3M copper taped tubes did not burn under any test conditions. Other tubes were ignition resistant under some conditions, and the Sheridan and Xomed tubes burned under most test conditions.