Imaging scope

• US 20050182297A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Melker, Richard J., Lampotang, Samsun, Gravenstein, Dietrich
• Application Number:
  US10/982,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182297A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00167 Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0017 Details of single optical fibres, e.g. material or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an intubation imaging stylet for intubating a patient by use in a tube/imaging stylet combination, said imaging stylet comprising: a malleable stylet having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end and a distal end; a flexible image guide having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end and a distal end, said image guide being connected to said stylet such that a portion of said image guide runs parallel to a portion of said stylet along the longitudinal axis of said stylet and such that the distal end of said image guide is co-extensive with the distal end of said stylet; and at least one flexible illumination fiber having a proximal end and a distal end, said illumination fiber being connected to said stylet such that a portion of said illumination fiber runs parallel to a portion of said stylet along the longitudinal axis of said stylet and such that the distal end of said illumination fiber is co-extensive with the distal end of said stylet; such that in use, said imaging stylet is disposed within a tube for intubating a patient thereby forming an imaging stylet/tube combination which in use is held by gripping the tube in a pen-like fashion. The imaging stylet/tube combination is thus in use held in one hand, freeing the other hand of the user for other tasks if necessary, as well as permitting intubation in the conventional manner. To facilitate this, the center of gravity of the imaging stylet/tube combination is located in essentially the same location along the tube as with a conventional stylet/tube combination.

Claims

1. A device for intubating a human or other animal, comprising a tube and a channel formed in the wall of said tube, said channel running substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said tube.

2. An intubating device according to claim 1, wherein said tube is selected from the group consisting of endotracheal tubes, laryngeal mask airways, intubating laryngeal mask airways, cuffed oropharyngeal airways, gastric tubes, chest tubes, drainage tubes, and urethral tubes.

3. An intubating device according to claim 2, wherein said tube is selected from the group consisting of endotracheal tubes, laryngeal mask airways, intubating laryngeal mask airways, and cuffed oropharyngeal airways.

4. An intubating device according to claim 3, wherein said tube is an endotracheal tube.

5. An intubating device according to claim 1, wherein said channel is on the interior wall of said tube.

6. An intubating device according to claim 2, wherein said channel is on the interior wall of said tube.

7. An intubating device according to claim 3, wherein said channel is on the interior wall of said tube.

8. An intubating device according to claim 4, wherein said channel is on the interior wall of said tube.

9. An intubating device according to claim 4, wherein said channel is on the exterior wall of said tube.

10. An intubating device according to claim 2, wherein said channel is on the exterior wall of said tube.

11. An intubating device according to claim 3, wherein said channel is on the exterior wall of said tube.

12. An intubating device according to claim 4, wherein said channel is on the exterior wall of said tube.

13. An intubating device according to claim 5, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

14. An intubating device according to claim 6, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

15. An intubating device according to claim 7, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

16. An intubating device according to claim 8, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

17. An intubating device according to claim 9, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

18. An intubating device according to claim 10, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

19. An intubating device according to claim 11, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.

20. An intubating device according to claim 12, further comprising an image guide disposed in said channel.