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1. A hollow cylindrical structure or canal. 2. A hollow cylinder or pipe. SYN: tuba [TA]. [L. tubus]
- Babcock t. a t. in which milk, after treatment with sulfuric acid, is centrifuged and its fat content then determined in a graduated neck.
- Cantor t. a long, single-lumen intestinal t. with a sealed, mercury-filled rubber bag tip; used to decompress and/or stent the small intestine.
- Carlen t. a double-lumen, flexible endobronchial t. used for bronchospirometry, for isolation of one lung to prevent contamination or secretions from the contralateral lung, or for ventilation of one lung.
- cathode ray t. (CRT) an evacuated t. containing a beam of electrons which can be deflected to various parts of a fluorescent screen; used in the cathode ray oscilloscope.
- Celestin t. a plastic t. introduced through a tumor in the esophagus; it permits swallowing of certain substances.
- Coolidge t. an x-ray t., in which the cathode consists of a tungsten wire spiral surrounded by a focusing cup; the tungsten spiral is heated by an electric current; the quantity and quality of the x-rays so generated are regulated by varying the temperature of the cathode and the voltage between cathode and anode.
- Crookes-Hittorf t. a simple evacuated t. containing a cathode, that emitted x-rays from the glass envelope when a current was passed through it; the type used by Roentgen to discover x-rays.
- Durham t. a jointed tracheotomy t..
- endobronchial t. a single- or double-lumen t. with an inflatable cuff at the distal end that, after being passed through the larynx and trachea, is positioned so that ventilation is restricted to one lung; a single-lumen t. is placed in the mainstem bronchus of the lung; a double-lumen t. is positioned at the tracheal carina to permit ventilation of either or both lungs.
- endotracheal t. a flexible t. inserted nasally, orally, or through a tracheotomy into the trachea to provide an airway, as in tracheal intubation SYN: intratracheal t., tracheal t..
- eustachian t. SYN: pharyngotympanic (auditory) t..
- feeding t. a flexible t. passed through the nose and into the alimentary tract, through which liquid food is passed.
- field emission t. an x-ray t. that uses a cold cathode, relying on the t. voltage to pull electrons from it to the anode.
- Geiger-Müller t. Geiger-Müller counter.
- germ t. a young hypha growing out of a yeast cell or spore, the beginning of a mycelium; also used as a rapid test for differentiating Candida albicans from other Candida species.
- Haldane t. a t. for securing human alveolar air samples; consisting of a narrow hosepipe with a mouthpiece from which a t. is attached for the withdrawal of expired air at the end of a sudden, maximal expiration.
- intratracheal t. SYN: endotracheal t..
- Levin t. a flexible t. introduced through the nose into the upper alimentary tract, to facilitate gastric decompression.
- Martin t. a drainage t. with a cross piece near the extremity to keep it from slipping out of a cavity.
- Miescher tubes elongate fusiform or cylindrical bodies forming the encapsulated cystic intramuscular stage of the protozoan Sarcocystis.
- Miller-Abbott t. a t. with two lumens, one ending in a small collapsible balloon and the other in a metallic tip with numerous perforations; used for decompression and stenting of the small intestine. SYN: Abbott t..
- molybdenum target t. an x-ray t. with an anode surface made of molybdenum instead of tungsten, used in mammography.
- Moss t. 1. a triple-lumen, nasogastric, feeding-decompression t. that utilizes a gastric balloon to occlude the cardioesophageal junction, with simultaneous esophageal aspiration and intragastric feeding; 2. a double-lumen, gastric lavage t. that provides continuous delivery of saline via a small bore, with simultaneous aspiration of fluid and some particles via a large bore.
- nasogastric t. a flexible t. passed through the nose and into the gastric pouch to decompress the stomach.
- nephrostomy t. a t. placed in the renal collecting system for drainage, diagnostic tests, or removal of calculi. May be placed through a percutaneous route or during an open surgical procedure.
- neural t. the epithelial t. formed from the neuroectoderm of the early embryo by the closure of the neural groove; by complex processes of cell proliferation and organization the neural t. develops into the spinal cord and brain. SYN: medullary t..
- otopharyngeal t. SYN: pharyngotympanic (auditory) t..
- pharyngotympanic (auditory) t. [TA] a t. leading from the tympanic cavity to the nasopharynx; it consists of an osseous (posterolateral) portion at the tympanic end, and a fibrocartilaginous (anteromedial) portion at the pharyngeal end; where the two portions join, in the region of the sphenopetrosal fissure, is the narrowest portion of the t. (isthmus); the auditory t. enables equalization of pressure within the tympanic cavity with ambient air pressure, referred to commonly as “popping of the ears.” SYN: tuba auditiva [TA], auditory t., tuba auditoria, eustachian t., guttural duct, otopharyngeal t., otosalpinx, tuba acustica, tuba eustachiana, tuba eustachii.
- photomultiplier t. a detector which amplifies a signal (by as much as 106) of electromagnetic radiation by an acceleration of electrons released from a photocathode through a series of dynodes; as each electron strikes a dynode stage, 3–4 electrons are liberated and accelerated to the subsequent dynode.
- Pitot t. a stationary L-shaped t. inserted in a fluid stream, with its opening upstream, and used for measuring the velocity of fluid movement at that point in terms of the pressure developed in the t. by the fluid impinging on it, compared to a second t. opening laterally or downstream.
- pus t. SYN: pyosalpinx.
- rectifier t. an electronic t., used in x-ray transformers, to convert alternating to direct current.
- Rehfuss stomach t. a t. with a calibrated syringe, formerly used for aspiration of stomach contents in gastric analysis; replaced by plastic disposable stomach tubes.
- Robertshaw t. a variation of Carlen t. that eliminates some mechanical disadvantages of the latter.
- roll t. a modification of the plate culture; a seeded medium containing agar is placed in a test t. which is rolled or spun horizontally until the medium solidifies evenly on the interior of the t..
- rotating anode t. a modern x-ray t., in which heat buildup is distributed through a larger volume by rotating the target.
- Ruysch t. a minute tubular cavity opening in the lower and anterior portion of each surface of the nasal septum; best seen in the early fetal period when it is associated with the vomeronasal organ (Jacobson organ).
- Ryle t. a thin rubber t., with about the lumen of a no. 8 catheter, and an olive-tipped extremity, used in the giving of a test meal.
- Sengstaken-Blakemore t. a t. with three lumens, one for drainage of the stomach and two for inflation of attached gastric and esophageal balloons; used for emergency treatment of bleeding esophageal varices.
- Southey tubes obsolete cannulas of small, almost capillary, caliber, thrust by a trocar into the subcutaneous tissues to drain the fluid of anasarca.
- speaking t. a t. with an earpiece at one end and a cone at the other to amplify speech into the cone.
- T t. a t. shaped like a T, the top of which is placed within a tubular structure such as the common bile duct and the stem placed through the skin; used for decompression.
- test t. a t. of thin glass closed at one end, used in the examination of urine and other chemical operations, for bacterial cultures, etc.
- Tovell t. an endotracheal t. with a wire spiral embedded in the wall to prevent obstruction of the lumen when the t. is compressed and kinking or when the t. is bent at a sharp angle.
- Toynbee t. a t. by which one can listen to the sounds in a patient's ear during politzerization.
- tracheal t. SYN: endotracheal t..
- tracheostomy t. a curved t. used to keep the opening free after tracheotomy; may be metal or plastic. SYN: tracheotomy t..
- tracheotomy t. SYN: tracheostomy t..
- tympanostomy t. a small t. inserted through the tympanic membrane after myringotomy to ventilate the middle ear; often used for middle ear effusion.
- uterine t. [TA] one of the tubes leading on either side from the upper or outer extremity of the ovary, which is largely enveloped by its expanded infundibulum, to the fundus of the uterus; it provides the path by which the ovum travels from ovary to uterus where, if it is fertilized in the t., it will implant as a zygote; it consists of infundibulum, ampulla, isthmus, and uterine parts. SYN: tuba uterina [TA], salpinx, fallopian t., gonaduct (2), oviduct, salpinx uterina, tuba fallopiana, tuba fallopii.
- vacuum t. a glass t. from which the air has been removed, containing two or more electrodes, between which passes an electrical current or spark; used in the production of x-rays, or to control circuits. Previously in wide use, the vacuum t. has been supplanted by transistors in electronic circuits.
- Venturi t. a t. with a specially streamlined constriction to minimize energy losses in the fluid flowing through it while maximizing the fall in pressure in the constriction in accordance with Bernoulli law; the basis of the Venturi meter.
- Wangensteen t. SYN: Wangensteen suction.
- x-ray t. x-ray.
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1) a slender channel within a plant or animal body: DUCT see BRONCHIAL TUBE, EUSTACHIAN TUBE, FALLOPIAN TUBE
2 a) an often complex piece of laboratory or technical apparatus usu. of glass and commonly serving to isolate or convey a product of reaction <a distillation \tube>
b) TEST TUBE
3) a soft tubular container whose contents (as toothpaste) can be dispensed by squeezing
4) a hollow cylindrical device (as a cannula) used for insertion into bodily passages or hollow organs for removal or injection of materials
tube vt, tubed; tub·ing to furnish with, enclose in, or pass through a tube <the patient is then anesthetized...and tubed (Anesthesia Digest)>
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n.
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(t
b) [L. tubus] an elongated hollow cylindrical organ or instrument.
Medical dictionary. 2011.