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Biomedical subjects

B R Fink

Publications and source records attributed to B R Fink.

95 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Quantification of intralaryngeal pressure exerted by endotracheal tubes.

Prolonged endotracheal intubation in critically ill patients has become an accepted routine. One notable consequence of this form of management is injury to the posterior aspect of the glottis, apparently an injury caused by the presence of an endotracheal tube. Utilizing two types of sensing devices, the pressure exerted by endotracheal tubes was measured in the canine larynx via a laryngofissure approach. Pressure in excess of 200 mm Hg was consistently noted in the region of the arytenoid cartilage. A variety of tubes were tested with similar results.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Biomechanics of the human epiglottis.

The mechanism that folds the epiglottis down over the closed larynx in the course of swallowing has been unclear. Measurements of the force needed to fold the epiglottis in cadaver specimens exceed the estimated force available from the aryepiglottic muscle. Frame-by-frame analysis of cinefluorograms reveals that deglutitional epiglottic downfolding occurs at the time of maximal elongation of the hyoepiglottic ligament. The observations lead us to propose a conical model of epiglottic downfolding which also explains the conical shape of the epiglottis usual in early infancy. The infant shape may be part of a protective partially closed entrance adaptive to suckling, while maturational widening of the opening adapts to the growing respiratory demands of increasing physical exertion.

Adult↗