Background of the Invention:

The procedure of sedating young or adult patients is conducted in the same method and uses the same equipment. The procedure starts with applying the sedation mask on the mouth and nose area to provide a certain amount of oxygen loaded with sedative until the patient goes to sleep; then injecting the patient with the anaesthetic via the veins in order to stop the feeling of pain in the body. Next, the patient is injected with another material to preserve the functions of certain body organs, such as the heart, the lungs and other organs that keep the patient's body alive; thus ending the first stage of any surgical operation, which is anaesthezing the patient. However, this method may not be suitable for all ages. Until now, and despite the huge technical and scientific development, surgeons still meet certain unsolved problems, such as anaesthezing baby patients in order to perform a certain surgery. Babies view doctors as a source of pain and annoyance and burst into crying - sometimes hysterically - merely for seeing the doctor; not to mention a group of doctors in a place full of equipment. The first thing that comes into the baby's mind is to cry, seek help from his/her parents or even try to escape; which impedes applying the sedation mask on the baby's mouth. Most surgeons tend to use force to fix the baby in place, apply the sedation mask on the baby's mouth to force the baby to inhale the oxygen loaded with sedative until the baby goes to sleep, then complete the rest of the procedure.

The tranquility and psychological stability of the patient help doctors to operate quietly and without any mistakes that may cause fatalities, such as during applying the sedative to the patient. However, baby patients may not provide for such necessary tranquility, which may result in undesirable mistakes.

Summary of the Invention:

The idea of the present invention resulted from using a method familiar to the baby, such as inserting the pacifier in the baby's mouth when he cries, in the procedure of sedation. Such

pacifier should be connected to a means for spraying oxygen near the patient's nose until the baby inhales enough quantity to put him to sleep, and consequently overcome the aforementioned problems with the old methods of sedation. The Baby is used to the pacifier; he stops crying and becomes quiet when he takes it; and that is what surgeons need at this stage.

The present invention is related to a sedation pacifier comprising a bulging plastic, nipple shaped piece to be inserted into the baby's mouth to give the baby the feeling of sucking his/her mother's breast. Such plastic piece is attached and snuggly fitted to a solid plastic base to prevent any leakage of the contained quantity of air. To prevent the baby from inserting the whole pacifier into his mouth, the pacifier is fitted with an arch shaped plastic barrier mainly attached to the surface of the pacifier base in such a way to constitute a partition between the flexible plastic piece and the base. On the opposite side, a suitable holder is fitted to hold the pacifier.

The present invention comprises connecting the base of the plastic pacifier to the source of oxygen through a tube from one side. On the opposite side, there is a hole or two relatively spaced apart and connected to the oxygen tube in such a way that such holes spray the oxygen to be inhaled through the nose only. That is the safe and secure procedure for the patient since it is well known in medicine that inhaling oxygen through the mouth may result in undesirable results. Therefore, the present invention provides an optimized method for sedating babies at the age of three, and younger, who are difficult to anaesthetize; such as mentally retarded or growth retarded patients.

In another embodiment of the invention, the two holes are provided with conducting tubes where part of each of such tubes is hidden inside the base, and the other part is protruding from the opposite side of the holes. By pushing the protruding parts of the tubes, the tubes are raised up to enter the patient's nostrils, or at least reach the vicinity of the nose, to ensure the patient shall inhale directly through his nose the minimum amount of oxygen needed to put him to sleep.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

Fig. 1 : A side view of the pacifier showing the tips of the gas conducting tubes to the gas cylinder and to the patient's nose. Fig. 2: A cross sectional view of the method of conducting the tubes to the pacifier.

Fig. 3: A view of the holder of the pacifier.

Detailed Description:

The idea of the present invention may be applied in several shapes and different methods as will be apparent to the skilled person in this field from the following description; therefore t only the most preferred embodiment of the invention will be illustrated. Figure 1 shows a baby pacifier comprising a plastic piece (1) that takes the shape of the nipple of the breast for insertion in the mouth of the patient, an arch shaped mouth cover (3) taking the shape of the mouth and a holder (6) for the handle (8) of the pacifier. Such pacifier with its components was previously known and has existed in the markets for a long time. The idea underlying the pacifier according to the present invention is using it for sedating baby patients for performing any surgery that needs full anaesthesia because the baby is used to the pacifier that is his/her main pacifying tool; unlike the sedation mask that may worry and frighten the baby. Therefore, the present pacifier was fitted with two tubes (2) for conducting the gas to the nose. Such tubes have certain elevation and are fitted to two movable bases for smooth insertion of the tubes inside the patient's nostrils. From each base (4), tube (7) extends outwards, figure 2, until it connects with tube (9) that is attached to the source of the sedative; mainly an oxygen cylinder comprising a sedating material. The movable parts are covered with a suitable cover (5), figure 3, that comprises a holder (6) for the pacifier handle. The cover (5) may be movable; it can be removed and refitted by pressing; and may be connected to the pacifier irre- movably. The cover (5) has been removed from figure 2, and separated in figure 3, to explain the function of the two movable bases (4) and clarify the function of the present invention.

To operate the invention, insert the pacifier's nipple (1) into the baby's mouth to pacify him/her, move the two movable bases to the left or to the right to match the distance between the baby's nostrils and direct the two gas conducting tubes (2) opposite to the baby's nostrils. Use tube (9) to connect the source of the sedative gas and oxygen mixture with the two conducting tubes (7); whereas the other ends of tubes (7) are connected to gas conducting tubes (2) opposite to the nostrils of the baby to be sedated.

Such two conducting tubes (7), that are connected form the far end to gas conducting tubes (2) opposite to the nostrils of the baby to be sedated, are designed in such a way to be removed from the two movable bases (4) and replaced with two new tubes, if needed. Thus, the

same pacifier may be sterilized and reused for another patient after replacing the tubes (7); or a new sterilized pacifier may be sued with its own tubes for other patients to ensure sterility and non-transfer of infection.

It is well known that this invention may be executed in different forms and using different materials than those shown in illustrations and description in such a way to serve the objective of the present invention.