Fig. 1

Second-generation sealing disc (medical-grade silicone; USP Class VI). (a) The sealing disc consists of a disc placed intraluminally in the trachea, sealing a tracheostomy; the tail exits the stoma for fixation and permits removal by unwinding into a single silicone strand. The insertion tube consists of a hollow tube and a piston (See Methods for insertion/removal details.). (b) The sealing disc is placed in the insertion tube, ready for insertion. Pushing the piston into the insertion tube will deploy the sealing disc.