An bronchial blocker (also called endobronchial blocker) is a device which can be inserted down a

tracheal tube A tracheal tube is a catheter that is inserted into the trachea for the primary purpose of establishing and maintaining a patent airway and to ensure the adequate exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Many different types of tracheal tubes are ...

after

tracheal intubation Tracheal intubation, usually simply referred to as intubation, is the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the trachea (windpipe) to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs. It is frequentl ...

so as to block off the right or left main

bronchus A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchu ...

of the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side ...

in order to be able to achieve a controlled one sided

ventilation Ventilation may refer to: * Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation ** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing *** Ventilator, a m ...

of the lungs in

thoracic surgery Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity — generally treatment of conditions of the heart (heart disease), lungs (lung disease), and other pleural or mediastinal stru ...

. The lung tissue distal to the obstruction will collapse, thus allowing the surgeon's view and access to relevant structures within the

thoracic cavity The thoracic cavity (or chest cavity) is the chamber of the body of vertebrates that is protected by the thoracic wall (rib cage and associated skin, muscle, and fascia). The central compartment of the thoracic cavity is the mediastinum. There ...

. Bronchial blockers are used to achieve lung separation and one lung ventilation as an alternative to double-lumen endotrachealtubes (DLT) and are the method of choice in children and paediatric patients for whom even the smallest DLTs might be too big.

Types

Univent tube

Made by Fuji Systems, Tokyo, Japan, is a tracheal tube with a second lumen that contains a coaxial, balloon tipped catheter which can be advanced under fiber optic

bronchoscopy Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic technique of visualizing the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. An instrument (bronchoscope) is inserted into the airways, usually through the nose or mouth, or occasionally through a trac ...

and blocked in either bronchus.

Arndt endobronchial blocker

Produced by Cook Critical Care, Bloomington, USA, is a catheter with a balloon tip and inner lumen which contains a flexible wire which is coupled to a fiber optical bronchoscope to guide the device into the desired bronchus.

Cohen endobronchial blocker

By Cook Critical Care, is a catheter shaft with a distal soft nylon flexible tip and balloon which can be deflected by 90° to guide the device into either bronchus.

Coopdech bronchial blocker

By Smith Medical, Rosmalen, NL, has a preformed angulation at the distal tip to aid placement in the desired bronchus.

EZ‐blocker

By Teleflex Inc., USA, a Y-shaped bronchial blocker with two distal extensions to be placed in both main stem bronchi.

References

{{Reflist Medical equipment Anesthetic equipment