Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
General product information only, not medical advice and not instructions for using any device on a patient.
Short answer
Oropharyngeal airways (OPAs) are sold in a few design families: Guedel-style, Berman-style and specialty intubating airways. In one manufacturer’s catalogue the Guedel family has four variants and the Berman family two. FDA regulates all of them under one classification: Class I, product code CAE, 21 CFR 868.5110. The type differences are catalogue and design distinctions, not regulatory ones.
Definition and scope
FDA’s regulation defines the device: “An oropharyngeal airway is a device inserted into a patient’s pharynx through the mouth to provide a patent airway.” It is a short device and not a tube that enters the trachea (see endotracheal tubes). This page compares types for readers who write specifications or stock lists. It does not cover technique, and size-by-length details are on the oral airway sizes page.
Oropharyngeal airway types in a manufacturer catalogue
The table is built only from the product groupings and wording on Teleflex’s oral airways page (checked 2026-10-31). Other manufacturers may group products differently.
| Design family | Catalogue variant | What the manufacturer says |
|---|---|---|
| Guedel | Color-Coded | “Color-coded for easy identification”; smooth finish and rounded edges; reinforced bite block |
| Guedel | Soft Clear | “Soft, smooth finish for maximum patient comfort”; flexible design; color-coded bite block |
| Guedel | Traditional | Rigid plastic; size identified on the flange |
| Guedel | Cath-Guide | Flexible vinyl with a reinforced bite block; Guedel-style with three internal channels |
| Berman | Color-Coded | “Color-coded for easy size identification” |
| Berman | Dual Channel | “Two-channel, Berman design”; semi-rigid, nontoxic polyethylene |
| Specialty | Ovassapian | “Intubating airway designed for use with a fiber optic endoscope”; tubular proximal half functions as a bite block |
Guedel-style airways
This is the largest group in the catalogue. The variants differ in material and finish (rigid plastic, soft clear, flexible vinyl) and in features such as colour coding, a reinforced bite block or internal channels.
Berman-style airways
The catalogue lists Berman airways in a colour-coded version and a two-channel version. Its colour-coded Berman table lists sizes 00 to 6 (40 to 110 mm), while its traditional rigid Guedel table lists sizes 0 to 5 (50 to 100 mm). That is one manufacturer’s range, not a rule for the type.
Specialty (intubating) airways
The Ovassapian is listed under “Specialty Airways and Bite Blocks”, with a stated fit for endotracheal tube sizes 8.0 to 9.0 mm ID. Bite blocks are listed beside it as separate products (see bite blocks).
How FDA classifies all of them
The openFDA classification record (checked 2026-10-31) lists the device name “Airway, Oropharyngeal, Anesthesiology”, product code CAE, class 1, regulation number 868.5110, review panel AN, and not an implant. The regulation says the device is “exempt from the premarket notification procedures in subpart E of part 807 … subject to the limitations in § 868.9.” Guedel, Berman and specialty designs are not separate FDA categories in these records, so a regulatory record alone cannot tell the types apart.
What to check on a spec sheet
This checklist comes from what the catalogue itself states for each product:
- Design family and variant name (Guedel, Berman, specialty).
- Material as the manufacturer describes it (rigid plastic, flexible vinyl, semi-rigid polyethylene).
- Bite-block feature, and whether channels are described.
- Size range, with the length in mm and the “ISO standard size” column the catalogue tables show.
- Colour coding or flange size marking, and the packaging (the catalogue lists individually packaged items).
Common misunderstandings
- “Type” does not mean FDA category. All designs above fall under one product code.
- Oropharyngeal is not nasopharyngeal. A nasopharyngeal airway is a different device (see nasopharyngeal airway sizes).
- An airway is not a supraglottic device. Laryngeal mask airways are covered in laryngeal mask airway types.
- A bite block is not an airway. The catalogue lists bite blocks as separate products.
FAQ
What are the main types of oropharyngeal airway?
Guedel-style and Berman-style designs, plus specialty intubating airways such as the Ovassapian, as grouped in the Teleflex oral airways catalogue (checked 2026-10-31).
How does FDA classify an oropharyngeal airway?
Class I (general controls), product code CAE, 21 CFR 868.5110, exempt from 510(k) subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 868.9.
Is there one standard colour code for all manufacturers?
The regulation and classification record do not set one. Colour coding is described product by product in manufacturers’ catalogues, so check each supplier’s own size table.
Sources
- eCFR, 21 CFR 868.5110 Oropharyngeal airway, version dated 2026-10-01, checked 2026-10-31: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/part-868/section-868.5110.
- openFDA device classification API, product code CAE, checked 2026-10-31: https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=product_code:CAE.
- Teleflex, Oral Airways product page, checked 2026-10-31: https://www.teleflex.com/la/en/product-areas/anesthesia/airway-management/oral-and-nasal-airways/oral-airways/.
