NASAL AND ORAL CANNULA HAVING TWO CAPABILITIES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME

摘要

A method of forming a cannula from a cannula mandrel assembly comprising a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels and a mating facepiece mandrel. The facepiece mandrel has a pair of conical holes, in an intermediate section thereof, for receiving a leading end of one mouthpiece/nasal mandrel. The conical holes allow the facepiece mandrel to slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the conical holes abut with respective mating tapering conical sections and prevent further sliding movement along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels. Following assembly, the assembly is heated, at least one coating of a polymeric material is applied thereto and heat from the assembly at least partially cures the polymeric material on the assembly. Following curing, the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are removed therefrom. Lastly, the facepiece mandrel is removed from the formed cannula.