Endless possibilities in academia
Endless possibilities in academia
A novel nasopharyngeal airway set-Nasal Pharyngeal Set-flexible
Chenglong Zhu1, Wenyun Xu1,2, Zui Zou1
1School of Anesthesiology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China. 2Department of Anesthesiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200003, China.
Address correspondence to: Zui Zou, School of Anesthesiology, Naval Medical University, 168 Changhai Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai 200433, China. E-mail: zouzui@smmu.edu.cn.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61189/156428jxplrz
Received October 26, 2024; Accepted January 7, 2025; Published September 30, 2025
Many patients, such as those who are obese, are prone to hypoxia during anaesthesia induction, painless gastroenteroscopy, and ICU sedation, which can lead to severe organ damage [1]. The traditional nasopharyngeal airway can effectively alleviate this problem, but it also introduces complications such as epistaxis [2]. NaPSflex (Nasal Pharyngeal Set-flexible) is a novel nasopharyngeal airway set developed by our team, designed to address difficult airways safely and simply. It has been registered as a medical device in China (Zhejiang Medical Device Registration Approval No. 20232081212).
NaPSflex consists of a reinforced catheter, a spring core, a restrictive nose plug, and an adapter (Figure 1). The reinforced catheter has small holes underneath for ventilation. With an outer diameter of only 4 mm, it prevents nasopharyngeal compression damage during catheter retention. The catheter is made of a flexible material to reduce the risk of nasal mucosa abrasion. The spring core is flexible, allowing easy access to the nasopharyngeal lumen. The restrictive nose plug regulates the catheter’s depth into the nasal cavity and helps secure it in place. Additionally, the catheter can be connected to either a nasal cannula or an anaesthesia machine’s breathing line via the adapter for oxygenation.
Several randomized controlled studies, approved by the Ethics Committee of the Naval Medical University and currently in the process of data collection, may provide robust evidence of its safety and efficacy. We believe that the new nasopharyngeal airway set can be widely adopted by anesthesiologists due to its potential in airway management.
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