Video stylet with directable tip

• US 8,652,033 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg), Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Endovision, Inc. (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Berci, George, Barry, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MERENE, JAN CHRISTOP L
• Application Number:
  US12/889,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20120078055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 600/120, 600185-200, 600/112, 128/200.26, 348/77
• US Class Current: 600/199
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00082 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/044 for absorption imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements

Abstract

A video intubation system that provides for multiple image streams to be simultaneously presented to a user, the first image stream generated by a video laryngoscope and the second image stream generated by a video stylet. The video stylet is provided with a deflection section for ease of introducing an ETT into the trachea of a patient, the video stylet having a pistol-type grip and a control interface in the form of a trigger-type lever to facilitate comfortable griping and manipulation by the user.

Claims

1. A video intubation system comprising:

a video laryngoscope having a video laryngoscope imager generating laryngoscope image data;

a video stylet having;

a housing having a distal and a proximal end, said housing comprising a control interface;

a shaft including a distal and a proximal end, the proximal end of the shaft coupled to the distal end of said housing and the distal end of said shaft comprising a deflectable section;

wherein deflection of the deflectable section is controlled by the control interface;

an illumination source generating illuminating light for illuminating an area ahead of the distal end said shaft;

a video stylet imager generating video stylet image data of an area ahead of the distal end said shaft;

a video stylet storage having use or maintenance data for said video stylet saved thereon;

a control unit detachably coupled to said video laryngoscope via a first cable and said video stylet via a second cable, said control unit receiving the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data via the first and second cables respectively;

wherein said illumination source is positioned in said control unit and illuminating light is transmitted to said video stylet via the cable connection;

a display detachably coupled to said control unit; and

wherein said control unit processes the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data such that the laryngoscope image data and the video stylet image data are received by and presented on a display

wherein said control unit comprises a control unit storage, separate from the video stylet storage, provided to store the received video stylet image data, wherein said control unit storage comprises configuration data for configuration of said control unit.

2. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said video stylet imager is positioned in the deflectable section of said shaft.

3. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said video stylet imager is positioned in a video stylet camera detachably coupled to said housing.

4. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said video stylet imager is selected from the group consisting of:

a CMOS device, a CCD and combinations thereof.

5. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said illumination source comprises an LED.

6. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said control unit comprises a configurable control unit, such that, upon connection of the video stylet with the control unit, the control unit automatically identifies the particular video stylet and is configured based on an identification.

7. The video intubation system according to claim 6 wherein upon connection of the video laryngoscope with the control unit, the control unit automatically identifies the particular video laryngoscope and is configured based on the identification.