VIDEO LARYNGOSCOPE

• US 20110270038A1
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Li Ding
• Original Assignee: Li Ding
• Inventors: Jiang, Wenqiang, Ding, Li
• Granted Patent: US 8,894,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/188
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00073 with externally grooved shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes

Abstract

A video laryngoscope has a handle and a groove on one side of the handle. The groove is used for guiding a guide wire when the larynogoscope is placed in a patient'"'"'s mouth. A video camera located near the end of the handle is used to view the area around the glottis. When the guide wire is properly positioned near the glottis, the upper part of the guide wire is disengaged from the groove so as to allow an endotracheal tube to be slipped over the guide wire and to be inserted into part of the trachea through the glottis. When the tube is properly inserted for intubation, the guide wire is removed from the tube. An illuminating light source such as an LED lamp can be installed at the end of the handle to provide illumination for the video camera.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A laryngoscope, comprising:

a handle having a first handle end and a second handle end;

a camera disposed on the second handle end; and

a groove located on one side of the handle, the groove comprising a groove end adjacent to the camera, the groove dimensioned for guiding a guide wire through the groove to reach the groove end.

11. The laryngoscope according to claim 10, wherein the guide wire comprises a first wire end and an opposing second wire end, the second wire end arranged to reach the groove end after the guide wire is guided through the groove, said laryngoscope further comprising:

a tube comprising a tube end, the tube dimensioned to slip over the guide wire such that the tube end is at least located near the second wire end.

12. The laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the camera comprises a video camera, and the tube end is dimensioned for insertion into a trachea through a glottis, said laryngoscope further comprising

a light source arranged to provide illumination at least when the video camera is used to view an area around the glottis.

13. The laryngoscope according to claim 10, further comprising:

an image display arranged to display images acquired by the camera.

14. The laryngoscope according to claim 13, wherein the image display is mounted on the first handle end.

15. The laryngoscope according to claim 11, wherein the groove is further dimensioned such that the first wire end is at least partly disengaged from the groove so as to allow the tub to be slipped over the guide wire.

16. A method comprising:

providing a groove on a laryngoscope, the laryngoscope comprising a handle having a first handle end and a second handle end, the second handle end arranged to be placed near a glottis, the groove located on one side of the handle, the groove comprising a groove end adjacent to the second handle end, and

the groove dimensioned to guide a guide wire through the groove to reach the groove end.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the guide wire comprises a first wire end and an opposing second wire end, said method further comprising:

providing a video camera at the second handle end, the video camera arranged for viewing an area around the glottis at least when the second wire end of the guide wire reaches the groove end.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

providing illumination to the area around the glottis at least when the video camera is arranged to view the area.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

slipping a tube over the guide wire from the first wire end to the second wire end.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

disengaging the first wire end of the guide wire from the groove before said slipping.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

providing an image display on the first handle end, the image display arranged to display images acquired by the video camera.

22. A method of operating a laryngoscope when inserting a tube into a trachea through a glottis, the laryngoscope comprising a handle having a handle end, said method comprising:

placing the handle end near an oral cavity in a mouth to expose the glottis, the handle comprising a groove located on one side of the handle, the groove comprising a groove end located near the handle end;

inserting a guide wire having a first wire end and an opposing second wire end into the groove until the second wire end at least reaches the groove end.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the laryngoscope comprises a video camera located near the handle end, said method further comprising:

operating the video camera for viewing an area around the glottis at least when the second wire end reaches the groove end.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the tube comprises a tube end, said method further comprising:

disengaging the first wire end of the guide wire from the groove; and

slipping the tube over the guide wire from the first wire end until the tube end reaches at least the second wire end.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising:

moving the tube over the guide wire toward the glottis until the tube end is inserted into at least part of the trachea through the glottis.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

removing the guide wire from the tube.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

removing the laryngoscope from the mouth.