claims of endotracheal tube

An endotracheal tube comprising: a) a tubular member including a distal end and a proximal end; and b) a plurality of visually distinct regions at a proximal portion of the tubular member, wherein each of the distinct regions comprises a respectively different color. 2. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 further comprising: c) an adapter coupled to the proximal end. 3. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the plurality of visually distinct regions comprises at least three visually distinct regions. 4. Theendotracheal tubeof claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of visually distinct regions comprise at least one color selected from the group consisting of blue, red, green, orange, yellow, and brown. 5. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the endotracheal tube is adapted for use with an infant or a premature infant. 6. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the tubular member has a length less than about 20 centimeters. 7. Theendotracheal tubeof claim 1 wherein the plurality of visually distinct regions comprises a plurality of different colored lines, each line representing a different endotracheal tube insertion depth for patients of different weight. 8. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the plurality of visually distinct regions includes a first distinct region spaced about 6.5-7.0 cm from the distal end, a second distinct region spaced about 7.5-8.0 cm from the distal end, and a third distinct region spaced about 8.5-9.0 cm from the distal end. 9. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the plurality of visually distinct regions includes a first distinct region spaced about 6.5-7.0 cm from the distal end, a second distinct region spaced about 7.5-8.0 cm from the distal end, a third distinct region spaced about 8.5-9.0 cm from the distal end, and a fourth distinct region spaced about 9.5-10.0 cm from the distal end. 10. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 wherein the plurality of visually distinct regions includes a first distinct region spaced about 6.5 cm from the distal end, a second distinct region spaced about 7.5 cm from the distal end, a third distinct region spaced about 8.5 cm from the distal end, and a fourth distinct region spaced about 9.5 cm from the distal end. 11. The endotracheal tube of claim 1 further comprising a safety marking closer to the distal end than the proximal end, wherein the safety marking is adapted for alignment adjacent to a patient's vocal cords. 12. A method of inserting an endotracheal tube in a patient, the method comprising: a) obtaining an endotracheal tube comprising a tubular member including a distal end and a proximal end, and a plurality of visually distinct regions at a proximal portion of the tubular member, wherein each of the distinct regions comprises a respectively different color; b) inserting the distal end of the endotracheal tube into a patient; and c) aligning one visually distinct region of the visually distinct regions with an anatomical structure of the patient. 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: d) securing the endotracheal tube to the patient after c). 14. The method of claim 12 further comprising d) securing the endotracheal tube to the patent using tape after c). 15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: d) selecting one visually distinct region prior to b). 16. The method of claim 12 further comprising: d) determining a weight for the patient; and e) using the determined weight for the patient to select the one visually distinct region, wherein d) and e) are performed before b).