Video Laryngoscope Camera Extraction for Fogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laryngoscopes are bulky, difficult to use in emergency situations, and have ineffective video capabilities due to camera placement issues, such as fogging and occlusion by bodily fluids, which hinder clear visualization of the patient's throat.
Innovation Solution
A video laryngoscope design featuring a camera positioned on the inner or outer surface of a tube with a field of view beyond the distal end, allowing for direct line-of-sight insertion while capturing and transmitting video images to a display, enabling clear visualization and ease of use in challenging environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the camera is positioned at the leading insertion end of the laryngoscope, then video capture capability is achieved, but the camera lens fogs up when inserted into the warmth of the throat and is prone to occlusion by bodily fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is extracted from the leading insertion end and repositioned to the handle portion of the laryngoscope. This removes the camera from the harmful thermal and fluid environment at the distal end, eliminating fogging and occlusion issues while preserving video capture functionality through optical pathways that route images from the distal end to the camera at the handle.
2Loss of information
If a monitor is used for viewing the patient's throat, then video visualization is achieved, but the monitor is subject to glare and requires use in all situations
Solution Approach 1:
The laryngoscope is designed with dual viewing capabilities: direct visual observation through the optical pathway and video capture for electronic display. This multi-functionality allows users to switch between direct viewing (which avoids glare issues) and video monitoring depending on the situation, making the system universally applicable in all clinical scenarios without the limitations of a single viewing method.
3Loss of information
If the laryngoscope includes video capture and monitor capabilities, then visualization is improved, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to use in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The camera and monitor components are extracted from the main body of the laryngoscope and positioned separately - the camera in the handle portion and the monitor externally connected. This extraction reduces the bulkiness of the insertion portion, making the laryngoscope more maneuverable and easier to use in emergency situations while preserving full video capture and visualization capabilities through external monitoring equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A laryngoscope is described. The laryngoscope has a handle, a tube, and a camera. The handle has proximal and distal ends. The tube has a proximal end, a distal end, a length extending between the proximal end and the distal end, and a first longitudinal axis along the length. The proximal end is connected to the proximal end of the handle. The tube has an inner surface defining a lumen internal space along the length. The lumen internal space creating a line of sight along a longitudinal axis through the tube. The camera is positioned on the inner surface of the tube to have a field of view out of the distal end of the tube. The camera has a second longitudinal axis offset from the first longitudinal axis of the tube, such that the line of sight along the first longitudinal axis through the tube is maintained.