TIP LIGHT LARYNGOSCOPE FOR TRANS-TISSUE ILLUMINATION

Abstract

A tip light laryngoscope adapted for the trans-tissue illumination during insertion of the laryngoscope, preferably in the mucosal fold between tongue base and the epiglottis referred to as the vallecula, includes a handle and a blade with a tip at the end of the blade and a distal light source at the tip to enlighten the environment in front of the tip. The tip light laryngoscope is designed to make direct contact with the mucosa.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A tip light laryngoscope, comprising: a handle; and a blade with a tip at the end of the blade and a distal light source at the tip configured to light up an environment in front of the tip, wherein the tip light laryngoscope is configured for trans-tissue illumination during insertion of the tip light laryngoscope in a mucosal fold between tongue base and a epiglottis referred to as a vallecula, and wherein the tip light laryngoscope is configured to make direct contact with the mucosa.

17. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source is positioned at a most distal tip of the tip light laryngoscope in an insertion position of the laryngoscope.

18. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, further comprising: a camera positioned proximal to the tip of the blade towards a perpendicular line of an axis of the handle, wherein the camera is positioned on a side of the blade that is curved convex, and wherein a means of visualization is utilized to view the image from the camera.

19. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein a direction of radiation of the distal light source is adjustable in any direction for targeted tissue illumination.

20. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, further comprising: a secondary proximal light source mounted on the blade to further light up an environment alongside the blade, wherein the secondary proximal light source is positioned proximal from the distal tip.

21. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 20, wherein the distal light source or the secondary proximal light source has a wavelength in a near-infrared region of between 780 nm and 950 nm.

22. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 20, wherein the distal light source or the secondary proximal light source has a wavelength in a visible light region of between 400 nm and 780 nm.

23. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the blade along with any attached components, including the distal light source, are disconnectable from the handle to be cleaned for sanitation or for being disposed.

24. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source is fitted or equipped with an actuator, which is controllable by an actuating element of a control unit to direct a light cone of the distal light source.

25. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source comprises a temperature sensor to configure the operating temperature scale of the distal light source between 35.7° C. and 37.3° C.

26. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 25, further comprising: a temperature compensation unit coupled to the temperature to adapt an operating temperature of the tip light laryngoscope to an environment of the tip light laryngoscope.

27. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source has a diameter less than 1.5 mm and a height less than 1.75 mm.

28. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source includes an aperture with an opening angle less than or equal to 35°.

29. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein a direction of a tip light beam emitted by the distal light source is as a continuation of the blade or in a specific angle bend only in one direction from the blade.

30. The tip light laryngoscope of claim 16, wherein the distal light source includes LED units with different wavelengths or light intensities such that a combination of emitted light wavelength and intensity are variable by setting changes or by a dedicated switch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0074] An advantageous embodiment of an inventive tip light laryngoscope is further explained in detail by a drawing. Specific parts of the embodiment can be understood as separate features that can also be realized in other embodiments of the invention. The combination of features described by the embodiment shall not be understood as a limitation of the invention:

[0075] FIG. 1 a schematic view of the tip light laryngoscope;

[0076] FIG. 2 an illustrated view of the light cone and the central direction of radiation;

[0077] FIG. 3 an illustrated view of the potential directions of the light cone;

[0078] FIG. 4 schematic drawing of an actuated light source; and

[0079] FIG. 5 position of the laryngoscope in a person showing the effect of illumination due to the position of the light source at the tip of the laryngoscope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] An embodiment of an inventive tip light laryngoscope 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-3. The tip light laryngoscope 1 comprises a blade 2, which can preferably comprise a camera 3 for taking an image of a part of the environment alongside and in front of an end segment 4 of the blade 2 with a tip 5 and a distal light source 6 at the tip 5 to light up the environment in front of the tip 5.

[0081] The tip light laryngoscope 1 further comprises a handle 7 and a control unit 8a. The control unit 8a is provided with buttons to operate the camera 3 and the distal light source 6.

[0082] The control unit 8a is further equipped with an actuating element 8b, such as a joystick, to direct the light cone 12 of the distal light source 6 with an equipped actuator 11 in angular directions of preferably up to 45° as illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0083] The effect is broadening the viewing angle in contrast to a non-distal light source.

[0084] The position of the camera 3 is defined to be up to 10% of the total length of the blade 2 measured from the tip 5 towards the perpendicular line of the axis of the handle 7 and on the convex curved side of the blade 2.

[0085] The view of the camera 3 is such that the part of the environment, especially the end segment 4 of the blade 2 an image will be taken of, includes the tip 5 of the blade 2, thus the tip 5 will be constantly visible.

[0086] The camera 3 can be a charged coupled device (CCD) camera equipped to take an image of a part of the environment in front of an end segment 4 of the blade 2 with the tip 5 visible, preferably a video image.

[0087] The camera 3 can comprise a transmission chip for transmitting images and video images taken from the front view of the intubation blade onto an external display screen.

[0088] The control unit 8a can comprise an image recognition software that recognizes typical features of the upper airway by pictures detected by the camera 3.

[0089] The distal light source 6 is defined as being a near infrared emitter light source. Further defined as being fitted centroid and partly spherical forming a spherical front cap 9 of which a direction of radiation 10 forms a normal. This formation is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0090] The distal light source is further defined being fitted with a near infrared emitter light with a direction of radiation 10 preferably of 850 nm, and a low power consumption such as 140 mW maximum in order to achieve the effect of fluorescence on tissue when operating the tip light laryngoscope 1.

[0091] FIG. 1 further shows that in a preferred embodiment the distal light source 6 comprises a temperature sensor 13 to configure its operating temperature scale, preferably between 35.7° C. and 37.3° C.

[0092] FIG. 1 also illustrates that the tip light laryngoscope 1 comprises a temperature compensation unit 14 integrated in the control unit 8a that adapts the distal light source 6 operating temperature to an environment, the laryngeal inlet of a human for example.

[0093] The temperature sensor 13 and temperature compensation unit 14 are matters of safety.

[0094] The blade 2 is defined by a first thickness next and adjacent to the perpendicular line of the axis of the handle 7 and a second thickness at the tip 5 in that way that the first thickness is at least double the size of the second.

[0095] The tip light laryngoscope 1 can be fitted mobile in a way that the blade 2 can be detached from the handle 7 in order to apply variations of blades in shape and size.

[0096] The blade 2 itself can be mobile fitted with an immovable camera 3 and an immovable distal light source 6 fixed at defined positions to the blade 2.

[0097] As an option, the devices consisting of the camera 3 and the distal light source 6 and the actuator 11 can also be fitted mobile.

[0098] The tip light laryngoscope can be fitted with a second light source 15 either mounted on top of the camera 3. Alternatively, the second light source 15 can be fitted behind or sidewise of the camera 3.

[0099] The tip light 5 in FIG. 1 might be describe as cylindrical in the sense that it is aligned along the tip of the blade. It has an aperture with a limited angle.

[0100] The tip light of FIG. 1 might have a distinct opening angle, which should be up to 35° but not more. The scope of this rather narrow cone is to direct the light more into the tissue as shown in FIG. 5 and to avoid escaping into the surroundings.

[0101] The direction of the tip light beam might be as a continuation of the blade, or in a specific angle downwards see FIG. 1 e.g., by 30°.

[0102] The tip light might be equipped with LED units with different wavelengths and the actual combination of emitted light wave length may be variated by the user, either by setting changes or by a dedicated switch. The same might be true for the light intensity.

[0103] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an actuated light source 6, where the light cone can be moved by an actuator such as a partly spherical actuator that is moveable inside a transparent housing in the same manner as a ball-joint. The light source 6, such as an LED, can be connected to this actuator 11 and thus the light cone of the light source can be moved in any suitable direction. The housing can be further provided with the temperature sensor 13 at a position where the light will be guided through the housing, thus heating the housing to a certain amount.

[0104] In a further embodiment, the tip light laryngoscope can be provided with a contact sensor, wherein the tip light is switched on only when the tip is in contact with a tissue, which is the case in FIG. 5. It might be also possible that the tip light can be switched on by a switch at the handle or near the handle of the laryngoscope. For an orientation the environmental light provided by the second light source, for example at the camera, can be always switched on.

[0105] Most preferably the control of the first and the second light source can be done independently from each other as described by the aforementioned examples.

[0106] One further aspect of the current invention is a method for performing guided tracheal intubation in preparation and/or during the introduction of an endotracheal tube on a subject with an inventive tip light laryngoscope.

[0107] The method comprises the step of internally illuminating the tissue of the subject in the region of the subject’s vallecula with the light source at the tip of the laryngoscope that is brought in contact with the tissue, where the illumination is enhanced by the anatomical structure of the subject in this region. This step is provided to facilitate the guiding of an endotracheal tube during its introduction.

[0108] Further according a part of the current invention is a method for performing guided tracheal intubation for the introduction of an endotracheal tube on a subject with the an inventive tip light laryngoscope comprising; internally illuminating the tissue of the subject in the region of the vallecula with the light source at the tip of the laryngoscope that is brought in contact with the tissue in the mucosal fold, where the illumination is enhanced by the anatomical structure of the subject in this region and hence facilitating the guiding of an endotracheal tube.

[0109] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the examples disclosed, and other variations can be derived from these by the person skilled in the art without leaving the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that there is a plurality of possible variations. It is also clear that embodiments stated by way of example are only really examples that are not to be seen as limiting the scope, application possibilities or configuration of the invention in any way. In fact, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete manner, wherein, with the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, the person skilled in the art is able to undertake various changes, for example, with regard to the functioning or arrangement of individual elements stated in an exemplary embodiment without leaving the scope of the invention, which is defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.

REFERENCE NUMERAL

[0110] 1 laryngoscope [0111] 2 blade [0112] 3 camera [0113] 4 end segment [0114] 5 distal tip [0115] 6 distal light source [0116] 7 handle [0117] 8a control unit [0118] 8b actuating element [0119] 9 spherical front cap [0120] 10 direction of radiation [0121] 11 actuator [0122] 12 light cone [0123] 13 temperature sensor [0124] 14 temperature compensation unit [0125] 15 secondary proximal light source [0126] 16 trans-tissue illumination