Video stylet with directable tip

• US 20120078055A1
• Filed: 09/23/2010
• Published: 03/29/2012
• 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: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Berci, George, Barry, James P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,652,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/188
• 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 including a video stylet for inserting into an ETT and a video laryngoscope generating laryngoscope image data, the video stylet comprising:

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 image data of an area ahead of the distal end said shaft;

a display coupled to and receiving the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data;

wherein both the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data are simultaneously displayed on said display.

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 further comprising a control unit coupled between said video stylet camera and said display.

5. The video intubation system according to claim 4 wherein the image data generated by said video stylet imager is transmitted to said control unit via a cable connection.

6. The video intubation system according to claim 5 wherein said illumination source is positioned in said control unit and illuminating light is transmitted to said video stylet via the cable connection.

7. The video intubation system according to claim 4 wherein the image data generated by said video stylet imager is wirelessly transmitted to said control unit.

8. The video intubation system according to claim 7 wherein said illumination source is positioned in said housing.

9. The video intubation system according to claim 8 further comprising a battery providing electrical power to said video stylet imager and to said illumination source.

10. The video intubation system according to claim 7 wherein when said video stylet is brought within a predefined radius of said control unit, said video stylet automatically wirelessly connects with said control unit.

11. The video intubation system according to claim 4 further comprising a storage positioned on said video stylet, said storage including video stylet information, wherein when said video stylet is coupled to said control unit, said control unit automatically identifies the video stylet and adjusts operational settings to function with the identified video stylet.

12. The video intubation system according to claim 11 wherein said control unit sends updated use and/or maintenance data to said video stylet, which is stored on said storage.

13. The video intubation system according to claim 4 further comprising a storage coupled to said control unit and both the image data generated by said video stylet imager and the image data generated by the laryngoscope imager are stored on said storage as combined image data.

14. The video intubation system according to claim 13 wherein the combined image data is annotated and saved on the storage by the user, the annotation being selected from the group consisting of:

text, audio, symbols, marking, highlighting, tagging and/or combinations thereof.

15. The video intubation system according to claim 13 wherein said control unit is coupled to a network and said video intubation system further comprises a remote storage, wherein said combined image data is transmitted via said network and saved on said remote storage.

16. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said control interface comprises a trigger-type lever.

17. The video intubation system according to claim 16 wherein said trigger-type lever comprises a closed loop into which a user may insert a finger.

18. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said display presents the image data generated by said video stylet imager in a first frame and the image data generated by the laryngoscope imager in a second frame, and the size of each frame is adjustable.

19. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said display comprises a touch screen, wherein control commands for controlling said video stylet are entered by activating said touch screen.

20. 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.

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

22. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein both the video stylet image data and the laryngoscope image data are simultaneously presented on said display as a split screen.

23. The video intubation system according to claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a pistol-type grip.