Video Laryngoscope Modular Control and Blade Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video laryngoscopes lack ergonomic design and efficient user interface features, leading to difficulties in handling and operation, especially during intubation procedures, where precise control and clear visualization are critical.
Innovation Solution
A laryngoscope system with a control unit and blade unit design that includes a control button positioned ergonomically for easy access, a tactile protrusion for button location, and a battery status indicator, along with a camera unit that separates light and image sensors to enhance image quality, allowing for improved grip and reduced obstruction during use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional video laryngoscope design is used, then basic intubation function is achieved, but ergonomic design and user interface efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The laryngoscope is divided into separate functional modules: a reusable control unit and a disposable blade unit. This segmentation allows the complex control electronics to be isolated in the control unit while the blade unit remains simple and easy to handle, resolving the contradiction between operational ease and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A connector is introduced as an intermediary element that couples the control unit and blade unit. This connector simplifies the interface between modules, providing intuitive connection and disconnection mechanisms that enhance ease of operation without adding significant complexity.
2Ease of operation
If controls are added to the laryngoscope, then user interface functionality is improved, but grip obstruction and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control button is positioned on the lateral surface of the handle rather than on the top surface. This dimensional relocation allows the button to be accessible laterally without interfering with the primary grip on top of the handle, thus improving user interface functionality while maintaining ergonomic handling.
3Manufacturing precision
If a single integrated laryngoscope design is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but image quality and light separation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the light emitter and image sensor into different modules (light emitter in control unit, image sensor in blade unit), the patent achieves precise alignment through the connector interface while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular assembly processes.
4Ease of operation
If controls and displays are integrated into the handle, then operational control is improved, but visual obstruction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control button is relocated to the lateral surface of the handle, positioning it outside the primary visual field. This allows operators to access controls without moving their line of sight from the monitor, thereby improving control accessibility while maintaining visual field clarity.
Data Source
AI summary
A laryngoscope assembly including a blade having a distal part extending to the distal end and including a first surface, wherein the distal part is adapted to be inserted into a patient's oral cavity with the first surface facing the patient's tongue. The laryngoscope assembly further includes a control unit including a body portion having a first body portion and a second body portion, the first body portion being couplable to the blade. The control unit and the blade, when being coupled, collectively form a laryngoscope. The control unit being adapted to receive image data from an image sensor as the image data is being generated by the image sensor, wherein, at least when the control unit is coupled to the blade, the image data is indicative of a view from the distal part of the blade in a direction at least partly towards the distal end.