LARYNGOSCOPE

• US 20100312059A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien AG (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Aircraft Medical Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Mcgrath, Matthew John Ross
• Granted Patent: US 9,414,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/188
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0488 Mouthpieces; Means for guiding, securing or introducing the tubes guiding or introducing with laryngoscopes A61B1/267; holding devices on the body A61M25/02

Abstract

Disclosed is a laryngoscope comprising a handle and an insertion section which extends from the handle, wherein the insertion section comprises a tube guide for retaining and guiding an endotracheal tube during intubation, wherein the handle comprises at least one external tube engaging formation, such as a tube guiding member or tube retaining member. There is also disclosed a laryngoscope having a handle and insertion section which adapted to detachably retain and guide an endotracheal tube along a lateral side of the insertion section and handle such that a retained endotracheal tube is continuously curved, and preferably under flexural tension, from the most proximal location where the handle contacts the retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the insertion section contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube.

Claims

1. A laryngoscope comprising a handle and an insertion section which extends from the handle, the insertion section comprising a tube guide for retaining and guiding an endotracheal tube during intubation, wherein the handle comprises at least one external tube engaging formation.

2. A laryngoscope according to claim 1 wherein at least one external tube engaging formation is a tube guiding member arranged to guide along the handle an endotracheal tube which is received within the tube guide.

3. A laryngoscope according to claim 2, wherein the at least one tube guiding member comprises a groove on the external surface of the handle of the laryngoscope.

4. A laryngoscope according to claim 3, wherein the at least one groove is configured so that a guided endotracheal tube remains at least partially exposed along at least the majority of the handle.

5. A laryngoscope according to claim 3, wherein the at least one groove is configured so that either the most inferior or the most superior point on the surface of a guided endotracheal tube remains exposed along at least the majority of the length of the handle.

6. A laryngoscope according to claim 3, adapted for use in the intubation of human adults, wherein the depth of the at least one groove is less than 6 mm at its deepest point.

7. A laryngoscope according to claim 2, wherein at least one tube guiding member is an elongate tube guiding wall.

8. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the handle is configured so that it can be grasped during intubation with the intubaters hand in contact with the endotracheal tube.

9. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tube engaging formation is arranged such that a retained and/or guided endotracheal tube is contactable by a user where the endotracheal tube is retained on and/or guided along the handle, whilst the user grips the handle.

10. A laryngoscope according to claim 9, wherein the at least one tube engaging formation is arranged such that a retained and/or guided endotracheal tube is pinchable by a user where the endotracheal tube is retained on and/or guided along the handle, whilst the user grips the handle.

11. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least one external tube engaging formation is a tube retaining member arranged to detachably retain on the handle an endotracheal tube which is received within the tube guide.

12. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, configured such that the endotracheal tube can be detached from the at least one tube retaining member without the endotracheal tube being advanced or withdrawn within the tube guide.

13. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, configured such that a retained endotracheal tube can be detached from the at least one tube retaining member without removing the retained endotracheal tube from the tube guide, such that the retained endotracheal tube is fully exposed proximally of the most proximal part of the insertion section which contacts the retained endotracheal tube.

14. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the at least one tube retaining member comprises a tube retaining surface.

15. A laryngoscope according to claim 14, wherein the at least one tube retaining surface is located on the handle at a location such that an endotracheal tube brought into tube retaining contact with at least one tube retaining surface is retained by virtue of flexural tension in the endotracheal tube.

16. A laryngoscope according to claim 15, wherein at least one tube retaining surface is typically located such that a tube received within the tube guide of the insertion section has to be curved by more than its integral curvature to be brought into tube retaining contact with the at least one tube retaining surface.

17. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the at least one tube retaining surface is arranged to detachably retain an endotracheal tube without guiding the endotracheal tube.

18. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the at least one tube retaining surface defines a tube guiding formation.

19. A laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the at least one tube retaining member comprises at least one tube retaining protrusion which protrudes from the handle.

20. A laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the at least one tube retaining protrusion protrudes laterally from the handle.

21. A laryngoscope according to claim 19, wherein the at least one tube retaining protrusion comprises a video screen support for displaying images received from a video camera which is located within or attached to the insertion section.

22. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tube engaging member is configured so that a retained endotracheal tube remains at least partially exposed along at least the majority of the length of the handle.

23. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tube engaging member is configured so that either the most inferior or most superior point on the surface of a retained endotracheal tube remains exposed along at least the majority of the length of the handle.

24. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, where at least one of the said at least one tube engaging members is located within, or extends into, the proximal half of the handle.

25. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least one tube engaging formations comprise a tube guiding member which protrudes from the handle to contact the inferior or superior surface of a retained endotracheal tube.

26. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, which is arranged to keep an endotracheal tube retained in the tube guide continuously curved from the most proximal location where the laryngoscope contacts a retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the laryngoscope contacts the superior surface of retained endotracheal tube.

27. A laryngoscope according to claim 26, wherein the insertion section is preferably continuously curved at least from the proximal location where it contacts a retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where it contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube.

28. A laryngoscope according to claim 26, for use in the intubation of adults wherein the straight line distance from the most proximal location where the laryngoscope contacts a retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the laryngoscope contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube is at least 200 mm.

29. A laryngoscope according to claim 26, arranged such that a retained endotracheal tube, of at least one external diameter within an operating range of external diameters, is curved by at least 90°

between the most proximal location where the laryngoscope contacts a retained endotracheal tube and the most distal location where the laryngoscope contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube.

30. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, arranged such that the path described by a retained endotracheal tube from the tube guide to the most proximal location where it contacts the handle is substantially within a plane.

31. A laryngoscope according to claim 30, arranged such that the path described by a retained endotracheal tube from the tube guide to the most proximal location where it contacts the handle is substantially parallel to the centre line of the laryngoscope.

32. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, adapted to be used in a single intubation.

33. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the tube guide is arranged to hold a section of an endotracheal tube so that it extends along at least some and preferably at least the majority of the length of the insertion section and the tube guide is a laterally opening tube guide from which a retained endotracheal tube may be removed in a generally lateral direction.

34. A laryngoscope according to claim 33, wherein the insertion section comprises an elongate member having a lateral tube guide extending laterally therefrom and the at least one tube retaining formation is provided on the same side of the laryngoscope as the lateral tube guide.

35. A laryngoscope according to claim 1, wherein the insertion section extends at an angle of at least 20°

to the central axis of the handle.

41. A kit of parts comprising a insertion section and a laryngoscope body which comprises a handle, wherein the laryngoscope body and the insertion section comprise co-operating formations to enable the insertion section to be removeably attached to the body, wherein the insertion section comprises a tube guide for retaining and guiding an endotracheal tube during intubation and the handle comprises at least one tube engaging formation, the laryngoscope body and insertion section being arranged to form a laryngoscope according to claim 1, when the insertion section is removeably attached to the body.

42. A method of preparing a laryngoscope for an intubation procedure, comprising fitting an endotracheal tube to the tube guide of a laryngoscope according to claim 1, and engaging the tube guide with the at least one tube engaging formation of the laryngoscope body.

43. A method according to claim 42, wherein at least one of the external tube engaging formations is a tube guiding member.

36. A laryngoscope comprising a handle and an insertion section which extends from a distal end of the handle, the handle and insertion section being adapted to detachably retain and guide an endotracheal tube along a lateral side of the insertion section and handle such that a retained endotracheal tube is continuously curved from the most proximal location where the handle contacts the retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the insertion section contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube.

37. A laryngoscope according to claim 36, arranged such that, for endotracheal tubes with a range of external diameters within an operating range of endotracheal tube external diameters, a retained endotracheal tube is held in flexural tension from the most proximal location where the laryngoscope contacts the superior surface of a retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the laryngoscope contacts the superior surface of a retained endotracheal tube.

38. A laryngoscope according to claim 36, wherein the insertion section and handle each comprise external tube guiding members which detachably retain and guide an endotracheal tube along a lateral side of the insertion section and handle such that a retained endotracheal tube is continuously curved from the most proximal location where the handle contacts the retained endotracheal tube to the most distal location where the insertion section contacts the superior side of a retained endotracheal tube.

39. A laryngoscope according to claim 38, wherein the insertion section includes at least two external tube guiding members, one of which is arranged to contact and guide the superior surface of a received endotracheal tube and one or which is arranged to contact and guide the inferior surface of a received endotracheal tube, and the handle comprises at least one of the external tube guiding members.

40. A laryngoscope according to claim 38, wherein the tube guiding members are arranged to enable a retained endotracheal tube to be separated from the handle and insertion section within a patient without the laryngoscope being withdrawn.

44. A method of preparing a laryngoscope for an intubation procedure, comprising fitting an endotracheal tube to the tube guide of a laryngoscope according to claim 36.