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EP-4225124-B1 - LARYNGOSCOPE AND INTUBATION METHODS

EP4225124B1EP 4225124 B1EP4225124 B1EP 4225124B1EP-4225124-B1

Inventors

  • MOLNAR, Robert W.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20211012

Claims (14)

  1. A laryngoscope (100) comprising a handle (112) and a blade (114), wherein the handle (112) has a body with a proximal end (112P) and a distal end (112D) and having a length between the proximal end (112P) and the distal end (112D), wherein the blade (114) is curved for lifting the epiglottis and gaining access to a subject's airway and sized to fit with the contour of a human larynx and wherein the blade (114) has a distal end (114D), a proximal end (114P), a front surface (114F), a back surface (114B), a left flanking surface (114L) and a right flanking surface (114R), and wherein the handle (112) is attached at its distal end (112D) to the proximal end (114P) of the blade (114), and wherein the laryngoscope (100) comprises an endotracheal tube (ETT) channel (116) for positioning an endotracheal tube (406), the ETT channel (116) having a passageway encircled by a wall in the body of at least a portion of the handle length, wherein the ETT channel (116) has a proximal end opening (116P) located at or near the proximal end of the handle (112) and wherein the ETT channel (116) has a distal end opening (116D), and wherein the laryngoscope (100) further comprises a suction/camera channel (120) having a dual function of performing suction while also housing a camera (210), the suction/camera channel (120) being formed as a passageway in the body of the laryngoscope (100), wherein the suction/camera channel (120) has a proximal end opening (120P) located at or near the proximal end (112P) of the handle (112) and wherein the suction/camera channel (120) has a distal end opening (120D) located at or near the distal end (114D) of the blade (114) and wherein the suction/camera channel (120) has a diameter compatible for positioning a camera (210) in the suction/camera channel (120); and wherein the laryngoscope (100) further comprises a connector (122) integrally formed to extend as a part of the body of the handle (112), the connector (122) comprising a lumen (123) enclosed by a wall attached to the body of the handle (112), the lumen (123) opening into the suction/camera channel (120), wherein the connector (122) is a port for connecting the suction/camera channel (120) to an oxygen, suction and/or vacuum source.
  2. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the blade (114) contains a protective flange (115) extending distally from the distal end (114D) of the blade front surface (114F) and wherein the flange (115) is distal to the distal end opening (116D) of the ETT channel (116).
  3. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the ETT channel (116) contains a slit (126) opening the ETT channel (116) onto at least one surface of the laryngoscope (100).
  4. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 3, wherein the slit (126) opens the ETT channel (116) to the left flanking surface (112L and 114L) or to the right flanking surface (112R and 114R) of the laryngoscope (100).
  5. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the ETT channel (116) opens with its distal end (116D) proximally to or at the distal end (112D) of the handle (112).
  6. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the ETT channel (116) from the handle (112) continues through at least a portion of the blade (114) length and wherein the ETT channel (116) opens with its distal end (116D) proximally to or at the distal end (114D) of the blade (114).
  7. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the laryngoscope (100) comprises one or more guide grooves (118) formed as a recess in at least a portion of the wall (109) of the ETT channel (116) and/or one or more guide grooves (818) formed as a recess in one or more external surfaces of the handle (112) and/or the blade (114), and wherein a depth of the guide groove (118) is compatible with placing a bougie (208) in the guide groove (118).
  8. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the laryngoscope (100) further comprises a suction control port (124) located on the handle (120), wherein the suction control port (124) is a lumen in the body of the handle (120) and wherein the lumen is connected to the suction/camera channel (120), and wherein the air pressure inside the suction/camera channel (120) is controllable by opening and closing the suction control port (124).
  9. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 8, wherein the suction control port (124) is located in a proximal portion of the front surface (112F) of the handle (112).
  10. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 8, wherein the suction control port (124) is positioned on the front surface (112F) of the handle (112) and proximally to the connector (122).
  11. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, wherein the laryngoscope (100) further comprises a cuff (202) attached to the distal portion of the blade (114), wherein the cuff (202) is located proximally to the distal end (114D) of the blade (114), and wherein the distal end opening (116D) of the ETT channel (116) and the distal end opening (116D) of the suction/camera channel (116) are located distally to the cuff (202).
  12. The laryngoscope (100) of claim 11, wherein the cuff (202) is inflatable and wherein the laryngoscope (100) further contains a means (204) for inflating the cuff (202).
  13. A system comprising the laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, the system further comprising one or more of the following items: a) a camera adapter (212), wherein the camera adapter (212) is a substantially cylindrical body enclosing a lumen for housing a camera (210); b) a channel adapter (300) having a substantially conical body formed by a wall (302) that encloses a lumen (303), the body having a distal end (302D) and a proximal end (302P) and a length between the distal end (302D) and a proximal end (302P), wherein the conical body has a first diameter (d1) at the distal end and a second diameter (d2) at the proximal end, wherein the first diameter (d1) is smaller than the second diameter (d2), and wherein the first diameter (d1) is smaller than a diameter of the proximal end opening of the suction channel, and wherein the second diameter (d2) is larger than the diameter of the proximal end opening of the suction channel; c) a bougie (208); and/or d) a camera (210).
  14. An assembly comprising the laryngoscope (100) of claim 1, a camera (210) positioned in the suction/camera channel (120) of the laryngoscope (100) and an endotracheal tube (406) positioned in the ETT channel (116) of the laryngoscope (100).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application 63/090,560 filed October 12, 2020 and U.S. patent application 17/215,521 filed March 29, 2021. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to the field of medical devices, including medical devices for managing a patient airway and intubation methods, including laryngoscopes containing a channel for delivering and positioning an endotracheal tube under continuous visualization, at least one camera/suction channel and/or at least one camera/tool channel. BACKGROUND A healthcare professional may use a laryngoscope for gaining access to patient's airway in medical emergency, e.g., a facial trauma, and/or in order to facilitate endotracheal intubation during certain surgical procedures, in general anesthesia and/or under other circumstances when a patient cannot breathe unassisted. Laryngoscopes known in the art comprise a handle attached to a blade. A healthcare professional may insert the blade into the oropharynx by manipulating the handle in order to obtain a view of the vocal cords and the glottis and while attempting to gain access to an airway and further in order to keep the airway accessible in order to position an endotracheal tube or some other airway device which will facilitate breathing and/or deliver a medication. For proper placement of an endotracheal tube and in order to establish ventilation, it is particularly important for a healthcare professional to view the patient's larynx, including vocal cords. However, the airway may be obstructed with vomit, blood, and/or some other bodily secretion. A healthcare professional may use a suction tube in order to aspirate these bodily secretions. Various attempts have been made to combine a laryngoscope with a suction tube, including a suctioning laryngoscope blade to which a suction tube is coupled, as provided in US Patent 6,248,061 or a laryngoscope with integrated and controllable suction, as disclosed in US Patent Publication 2016/0345803. [0005] Various attempts have been also made for adopting a blade of a laryngoscope to delivering an endotracheal tube. For example, U.S. Patent 8,529,442 provides laryngoscopes having an external centrally located channel. For proper placement of an endotracheal tube and in order to establish ventilation, it is particularly important for a healthcare professional to view the patient' s larynx, including vocal cords. Certain video laryngoscopes are known in the art, including U.S. Patent 8,529,442 disclosing a video laryngoscope including a camera and lighting unit located beneath the external channel. US2020/0113427 describes oral airway devices having a tubal body curved anteriorly and comprising a central lumen and one or more peripheral hollow passages for hosting a camera and/or one or more tools including a gastric suction tube, including oral airway devices in which the tubal body ends with a tongue and the wall of the tubal body encircles a central lumen However, there remains a need in the field for a laryngoscope capable of assisting in accurate and expeditious placement of an endotracheal tube. SUMMARY This disclosure helps in addressing the need in the field for a laryngoscope that can reliably, expeditiously, and consistently deliver an endotracheal tube to a trachea under continuous visualization with a camera, including for patients who are difficult to intubate and/or under the circumstances when suction and/or ventilation may be needed during intubation. Accordingly there is provided a laryngoscope as detailed in claim 1. Advantageous features are provided in the dependent claims. The laryngoscope may have the blade which contains a protective flange extending distally from the distal end of the blade front surface and wherein the flange is distal to the distal end opening of the ETT channel. Preferred embodiments of the laryngoscope include those wherein the ETT channel contains a slit opening the ETT channel onto at least one surface of the laryngoscope. In some preferred embodiments, the slit may open the ETT channel to the left flanking surface or to the right flanking surface of the laryngoscope. In some embodiments, the ETT channel may open with its distal end proximally to or at the distal end of the handle. Some preferred embodiments include laryngoscopes wherein the ETT channel from the handle continues through at least a portion of the blade length and wherein the ETT channel opens with its distal end proximally to or at the distal end of the blade. In some preferred embodiments, the laryngoscope may comprise one or more guide grooves formed as a recess in at least a portion of the wall of the ETT channel and/or one or more guide grooves formed as a recess in one or more external (the front (ventral) surface, the back (dorsal) surface, the left flank surface or the right flank surface) surfaces of the handle and/or the blade, and wherein a depth of the guide groove