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The small, tapered tip of the Parker Flex-Tip™ tube can be introduced into a short, narrow glottic opening easier than the much broader tip of a standard tube. The curved, flexible tip of the Parker tube skis gently down and over the tracheal rings.

 

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The relatively rigid tip of a standard ET tube makes a deep, sharp impression when it is advanced into a soft substance. It tends to tear and scrape airway anatomy. When the same force is applied to advance a Parker Flex-Tip™ tube, its rounded tip flexes upward, leaving little or no impression in a soft substance. The tip returns to its original shape when the force is released.

 

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The 37° bevel of the Parker tube, plus the curve of the tip, enables better visualization of the tip of the tube (as compared to the 45° bevel tip of a standard tube) as it approaches the glottic opening. Compare the tip visibility in the pictures to the right.