GB2575110A

GB2575110A - Endoscope

Info

Publication number: GB2575110A
Application number: GB201810749A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Eave Dylan; Tertius De Villiers Christiaan; Albert De Villiers Jacques; Briedenhann Jeandré
Original assignee: Disatech Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Disatech Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-29
Filing date: 2018-06-29
Publication date: 2020-01-01
Also published as: WO2020003192A1; GB201810749D0; ZA202100626B

Abstract

An endoscope, preferably a laryngoscope 10, has a handle with an attached blade 16 or other insertion member. A camera 18 on the blade views the distal tip region. A chamber 24 in the handle houses a transmitter 28 and a battery (30, figure 8). The transmitter is coupled to the camera by a cable 32 and is operable to wirelessly transmit images from the camera to a mobile device such as a smart phone 34 and/or to a remote supervision station (106, figure 15). The cable preferably sits in a groove 56 in the outer surface of the handle. The base of the handle may be inclined at an angle towards the blade side of the endoscope. The blade may narrow towards its distal end to provide a wedge, and in part may have a stepped cross-section. The endoscope may be manufactured by injection moulding.

Description

ENDOSCOPE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to endoscopy and to laryngoscopy.

More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to an endoscope for facilitating intubation of a mammal.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Endoscopy is a procedure used in the medical field to look inside the human or animal body. Laryngoscopy is one form of endoscopy and comprises a medical procedure wherein endoscopy of the larynx is performed. The larynx is an organ (sometimes referred to as the voice box) near the top of the neck of a mammal. Laryngoscopy may for example be utilised to obtain a view of the vocal cords and the glottis. This is often required to facilitate tracheal intubation during general anaesthesia or during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Laryngoscopes may also be used for other surgical procedures on the larynx or to obtain a view of other parts of the throat. Due to its inherent uncomfortable nature, laryngoscopy is usually only performed on patients that are unconscious. Two of the known methods of performing laryngoscopy are direct laryngoscopy and indirect laryngoscopy.

Direct laryngoscopy is performed with a patient lying on his or her back and generally requires bending the patient’s neck backwards which may result in an inadvertent hyperextension of the patient’s neck. The laryngoscope is then inserted into the patient’s mouth and the tongue is moved away in an effort to obtain a direct line of sight to the glottis, so that intubation may be performed. Direct laryngoscopy may only be performed in some circumstances, and is sometimes not possible at all, for example in cases where the patient’s anatomy prevents or inhibits the required backward bending or hyperextension of the neck. Direct laryngoscopy is also not possible when the patient’s neck has been injured or a neck injury is expected, because the neck is either braced or must be kept as still as possible to prevent further damage to the neck.

Indirect laryngoscopy is performed when the patient is intubated without a direct line of sight to the glottis or trachea. Other means of obtaining a view of the glottis is then provided, such as a mirror or a video camera. A video laryngoscope provides video feedback to a user thereof, to guide the user towards the glottis and trachea when for example inserting an artificial ventilation tube into the trachea during an intubation procedure. However, some of the known video laryngoscopes are tethered and have one or more wires emanating from their handles, which is cumbersome and inhibits the user from moving the laryngoscope freely while performing laryngoscopy. Other known video laryngoscopes have video displays permanently mounted to their handles, however these displays may get in the way while performing laryngoscopy and the display also adds to the cost of the device. The tethered and/or permanently mounted display arrangements may also inhibit insertion of the laryngoscope when a patient has an abnormally large chest or neck. Known video laryngoscopes are notoriously expensive, often prohibitively so. This means that, especially in developing countries, not enough of these video laryngoscopes are available. The known tethered video laryngoscopes also generally require a fixed power source and are usually not provided in mobile environments such as ambulances or elsewhere in the field where laryngoscopy may be required. In some instances, and due to their high cost, only one video laryngoscope is provided for an entire hospital if one is available at all.

There is scope to address the aforementioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems.

The preceding discussion of the background to the invention is intended only to facilitate an understanding of the present invention. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgment or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge in the art as at the priority date of the application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided an endoscope comprising a body that includes a handle and an insertion member extending from the handle and provided with a camera which observes a field of view at a tip of the insertion member remote from the handle, wherein the handle has a chamber that houses a transmitting module that includes a wireless transmitter and a power source, the transmitting module being coupled to the camera and operable to wirelessly transmit images recorded by the camera.

Further features provide for the endoscope to be in the form of a laryngoscope; and for the insertion member to be curved or angled.

Still further features provide for the handle to be a straight tubular or hollow section of the body having an axis; and for the insertion member to curve or to be angled to a first side of the handle’s axis; and for the handle to have a rim which opens into the chamber, wherein at least a portion of the rim extends in a plane that is angled between 30 and 60 degrees towards the first side of the handle’s axis.

A yet further feature provides for a wedge to be provided adjacent the tip of the insertion member.

Further features provide for the body to be elongate and to extend in a plane and to have a width perpendicular to that plane, the width of the insertion member decreasing towards its tip so as to form the wedge adjacent the tip.

Still further features provide for the handle to include a groove provided along an outer surface of the handle for receiving a cable that connects the transmitting module to the camera; and for the groove to include one or more gripping formations for gripping the cable when it is inserted into the groove.

Yet further features provide for the insertion member to include a first section and a second section that are angled relative to each other; and for the second section to include a mount for holding the camera; and for a cover to be provided at the mount for operatively shielding the camera.

Further features provide for one or both of the first and second sections to include a guide for operatively enabling an intubation member to pass through the guide; and for the guide to be provided in an outer surface of one of the first and second sections.

Still further features provide for a cross section of one of the first and second sections to be at least partially Z-shaped, or to be at least partially inverted Z-shaped, so as to enable the laryngoscope to operatively apply pressure to soft tissue with one side of the cross section while enabling the intubation member to pass on the other side of the cross section; and for the guide to be defined by at least part of the Z-shaped or inverted Z-shaped cross section.

A yet further feature provides for the power source to be a battery.

Further features provide for the wireless transmitter to be a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth transmitter capable of transmitting to a mobile device.

A still further feature provides for a light to be provided at or near the tip for illuminating the field of view of the camera.

Yet further features provide for the body to be made by an injection moulding process; and for the body to be made of a single part which is formed by the injection moulding process, for example by using a mould having two main parts; and optionally for the mould to include a third part which is inserted between the two main parts to form the chamber in the handle during the moulding process, or alternatively for the chamber in the handle to be formed by one of the two main parts of the mould; and for the body to be made of a material comprising one of a polymer, a plastic and a polycarbonate.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a system including a memory for storing computer-readable program code and a processor for executing the computer-readable program code, the system including the endoscope as defined above and a mobile device in wireless data communication with the transmitting module, the mobile device having a display which is operable to display the images recorded by the camera.

Further features provide for the system to include a central server; and for the mobile device to be in data communication with the server; and for a purpose-created mobile application to be downloadable and installable on the mobile device to facilitate operation of the system.

Still further features provide for the system to include a remote supervision station in data communication with the server and/or with the mobile device, the remote supervision station including a supervision display configured to display the field of view of the camera in real time or near real time, to enable a remote supervisor to supervise and/or to provide assistance to a user of the endoscope.

Yet further features provide for the endoscope to be in the form of a laryngoscope; and for the mobile device to be operable to receive a data stream of the images recorded by the camera.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of manufacturing an endoscope as defined above, wherein the method may comprise: forming an endoscope comprising a body that is made of a single part and that includes a handle and an insertion member extending from the handle; providing the insertion member with a mount for a camera near a tip of the insertion member remote from the handle; and forming a chamber in the handle for housing a transmitting module.

Further features provide for the endoscope to be in the form of a laryngoscope; and for the manufacturing method to be an additive manufacturing method (for example utilising one of the 3D printing technologies), ora subtractive manufacturing method (for example machining or other material-removing processes), ora manufacturing method that utilises a mould (such as injection moulding or casting), or a combination of these methods.

Still further features provide for the step of forming the laryngoscope to comprise: providing a mould having at least two main parts, and moulding the laryngoscope by utilising the at least two parts of the mould; and for the step of forming the chamber to comprise inserting a third part of the mould between the at least two main parts of the mould to form the chamber in the handle during the moulding process; or alternatively, forming the chamber utilising one of the at least two main parts of the mould, or forming the chamber in the handle after the laryngoscope has been moulded, by subtractive manufacturing such as machining, drilling or any other material-removing process.

A yet further feature provides for the step of moulding the laryngoscope to be an injection moulding process.

A further feature provides for the method to include the step of inserting the transmitting module into the chamber.

Still further features provide for the method to include the steps of: mounting or installing the camera to the mount; providing a cable to couple the camera to the transmitting module; placing the cable into a groove provided along an outer surface of the handle; and coupling the camera to the transmitting module with the cable.

In order that the above and other features of the invention may be more fully understood various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a high level diagram of a system including a laryngoscope and a mobile device in wireless data communication with a transmitting module of the laryngoscope;

Figure 2	is a side view of the laryngoscope showing a handle having an axis and an insertion member extending from the handle and a groove provided along an outer surface of the handle;
Figure 3	is an opposing side view of the laryngoscope of Figure 2, showing a guide in the insertion member;
Figure 4	is a sectional view of the insertion member of the laryngoscope along line A-A in figure 3;
Figure 5	is a front view of the laryngoscope showing a mount for a camera;
Figure 6	is a three dimensional view of the laryngoscope, showing the device in more detail;
Figure 7	is a three dimensional view of the laryngoscope, seen from the opposite side than in Figure 6, and also showing a cable installed;
Figure 8	is a top view of the laryngoscope, showing a transmitting module, the cable and a camera installed;
Figure 9	illustrates an approximate orientation of the laryngoscope prior to insertion of the insertion member into a patient;
Figure 10	illustrates example movements of the laryngoscope, performed during insertion of the insertion member into the patient;
Figure 10A	illustrates a further example movement of the laryngoscope, performed during insertion of the insertion member into the patient;
Figure 11	illustrates an example orientation of the laryngoscope after the insertion member is inserted into the patient;
Figure 12	is the sectional view of Figure 4, but also showing a diagrammatic representation of how pressure is applied to soft tissue utilising the laryngoscope;

Figure 13 is a rear view of the laryngoscope, showing the guide in more detail;

Figure 14 is a side view of the laryngoscope similar to Figure 3, however with the laryngoscope rotated 90 degrees and showing an intubation member passing through a part of the guide;

Figure 15 is a high level block diagram of the system of Figure 1, also including a backend server and a remote supervision station;

Figure 16 is a diagrammatic representation of a method of manufacturing the laryngoscope, showing a mould for use in the method; and

Figure 17 is a three dimensional view of the laryngoscope after it has been moulded, showing a feeding gate used in the injection moulding process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

An endoscope (10) in accordance with the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 17, a system (100) including the endoscope is shown in Figures 1 and 15, and a method (500) of manufacturing the endoscope is shown in Figures 16 and 17. Throughout the figures, like features are referenced with like numerals. In the present embodiment of the invention, the endoscope is in the form of a laryngoscope (10), however it should be appreciated that the invention extends to other forms or types of endoscopes.

Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the laryngoscope (10) comprises a body (12) that includes a handle (14) and an insertion member (16) extending from the handle and provided with a camera (18) which observes a field of view (20) at a tip (22) of the insertion member (16) remote from the handle (14). As is shown in Figures 5 to 8, the handle (14) includes a chamber (24) therein, for housing a transmitting module (26) that includes a wireless transmitter (28) and a power source (30). As is shown in Figure 8, the transmitting module (26) is coupled with a cable (32) to the camera (18) and is operable to wirelessly transmit images recorded by the camera (18). In the embodiment shown, the transmitting module (26) is operable to wirelessly transmit a video stream of the field of view (20) observed by the camera to a mobile device (34) for display on a display (35) associated with the mobile device (34). The transmitting module (26), the wireless transmitter (28) and the camera (18) are powered by the power source (30), which is preferably in the form of a battery. The wireless transmitter (28) may utilise Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless technology capable of transmitting to the mobile device (34). A light is provided at or near the tip (22) for illuminating the field of view (20) of the camera (18). The light may for example be one or more light-emitting diodes (LED’s) arranged side by side with the camera (18). The camera and LED’s may form part of a borescope or fiberscope which may be pre-manufactured prior to installation into the laryngoscope (10). The light may be arranged to provide a source of heat to the camera, which may provide the advantage of inhibiting fog, mist or moisture from forming on a lens of the camera (18) during insertion.

Referring to Figure 2, the handle (14) is a straight tubular or hollow section of the body (12), and extends along an axis (36). The insertion member (16) is curved or angled to a first side (38) of the handle’s axis (36) and the handle has a rim (40) which opens into the chamber (24). At least a portion (42) of the rim extends in a plane (45) that is angled between 30 and 60 degrees towards the first side (38) of the handle’s axis (36). In the embodiment shown, the portion (42) of the rim (40) is angled at 40° relative to the axis (36), or stated differently, the portion (42) of the rim (40) is disposed at an angle (43) which is 50° relative to a line (44) perpendicular to the axis (36) of the handle. The body (12) is elongate and extends in a plane (46) (shown in Figures 5 and 8). The body (12) of the laryngoscope (10) has a width (48, 50) perpendicular to the plane (46). As shown in Figure 8, the width of the insertion member (16) decreases from a first width (48) to a second (and smaller) width (50) at the tip (22) so as to form a wedge (52) adjacent the tip (22).

The handle (14) includes a groove (56) provided along an outer surface of the handle for receiving the cable (32) that connects the transmitting module (26) to the camera (18). In the embodiment shown, the groove includes one or more gripping formations (58) for gripping the cable (32) when it is inserted into the groove (as shown in Figure 1). The insertion member (16) includes a first section (60) and a second section (62) that are angled relative to each other. A passage (63) (shown in Figure 6) is provided in the insertion member (16), for receiving the cable (32), to enable it to pass through the body (12) as is shown in Figure 8. The second section (62) includes a mount (64) for holding the camera (18). A cover (66) is also provided at the mount (64) for operatively shielding the camera (18), which may protect the camera (18) when the laryngoscope (10) is inserted as discussed below. A guide (68) is provided in an outer surface of the first and second sections (60, 62), to operatively enable an intubation member (70) to pass through the guide (68) (or to pass through part of the guide as shown in Figure 14). It should be appreciated that the intubation member does not necessarily exit the guide at the same angle or parallel to the second section (62) of the insertion member (16), which may be advantageous when performing intubation. Referring to Figure 4, a cross section of the first and second sections (60, 62) is at least partially in the shape of an inverted Z. This inverted Z-shape facilitates an insertion procedure of the laryngoscope (10) as will be discussed in more detail below. One or more recesses (69) (shown in Figure 2) may be provided in the laryngoscope (10) and it is expected that these recesses may, in use, become dirty and thereby dissuade a user (74) from using the laryngoscope (10) more than once, because it may be intended for the laryngoscope (10) to be a single-use laryngoscope (10) which may be disposed after being used.

Referring to Figures 9 to 14, to insert the insertion member (16) of the laryngoscope (10), a patient (72) may be positioned to lie flat on their back. The laryngoscope (10) is then positioned by the user (74), typically a medical practitioner, to about the orientation shown in Figure 9, with the plane (46) (shown in Figures 5 and 8) more or less perpendicular to a long axis (76) of a body of the patient (72). The medical practitioner would normally stand behind the patient’s head while performing the insertion procedure, however other arrangements are possible. Next, the user (74) introduces the tip (22) of the laryngoscope (10) into the patient’s mouth (78) and utilises the wedge (52) to pry apart the patient’s teeth and/or jaws as indicated by the arrows (80) in Figure 9. Once the tip (22) of the laryngoscope (10) is inside the patient’s mouth (78), pressure is applied to the patient’s tongue (82) (and/or other soft tissue) to move the tongue to one side of the inverted Zshaped cross section as is illustrated by the diagrammatic representation in Figure 12. To facilitate this movement of the tongue, or soft tissue (82), the user (74) moves the laryngoscope deeper into the mouth (78) as indicated by a first directional arrow (86) in Figure 10, while also rotating the laryngoscope in a direction towards the long axis (76) of the patient’s body as indicated by a second directional arrow (84) in Figure 10. A corner (87) (shown in Figure 6) provided in the second section (62) of the insertion member (16) may also facilitate the movement of the tongue (82). The insertion and rotational movement (86, 84) is then continued until the laryngoscope (10) is in about the orientation depicted in Figure 10A. Next, the laryngoscope (10) is rotated in the direction of a third directional arrow (89) shown in Figure 10A until it reaches the orientation shown in Figures 1,11 and 15, with the patient’s tongue abutting the first and second sections (60, 62) of the insertion member (16). It should be appreciated that insertion of the laryngoscope (10) when a patient has an abnormally large chest or neck is facilitated by the angled portion (42) of the rim (40) of the handle (14), so that the laryngoscope may be manipulated to the orientation shown in Figure 10A. This orientation would not be possible, or would at least be inhibited by prior art devices that the applicant is aware of.

Referring to Figures 1 and 8, before insertion, the user (74) switches on the transmitting module (26) for example by pressing a button (75) provided thereon, and performs a pairing step which pairs the laryngoscope to the mobile device (34). Transmission of the video stream of the field of view (20) may then be initiated. During the insertion procedure described above, the user (74) is hence enabled to observe the video stream (or video feed) of the field of view (20) captured by the camera (18) which is wirelessly transmitted and displayed on the mobile device (34). The user may utilise the video displayed on the mobile device to guide the tip (22) of the laryngoscope to an epiglottis (88) of the patient (72), so that a view of the glottis (90) and/or trachea (92) may be obtained, to facilitate intubation. While performing this procedure, the tip (22) of the laryngoscope (10) may be positioned into a vallecula (99) adjacent the epiglottis (88), so that a base of the epiglottis may be moved and/or the epiglottis (88) itself may be moved out of the way, so as to reveal the vocal cords (97), the glottis (90) and/or the trachea (92) in the field of view of the camera (18). While the soft tissue (82) is moved and/or biased to one side of the inverted Z-shaped cross section in the insertion member (16), the intubation member (70) is also enabled to pass on the other side of the cross section through the guide (68) as is shown in Figure 14. The intubation member (70) may for example be in the form of a tracheal tube, such as an endotracheal tube which is well known in the art (but other intubation members may be used when performing other forms of endoscopy). The intubation member (70) may be moved past the guide (68) in a direction of a fourth directional arrow (73) at an angle (71) relative to the second section (62).

Referring to Figures 1 and 15, there is shown a system (100) that includes the laryngoscope (10) and the mobile device (34) in wireless data communication with the transmitting module (26). The mobile device includes the display (35) which is operable to display the images recorded by the camera (18). The images are received wirelessly by the mobile device as a video stream of the field of view (20) observed by the camera, so that the field of view of the camera may be displayed in real time or in near real time to the user (74). In the embodiment shown in Figure 15, the system (100) also includes a central backend server (102) in data communication with the mobile device (34), via a communications path, for example via the Internet (104). A purpose-created mobile application may be downloadable and installable on the mobile device (34) to facilitate operation of the system (100). The mobile application may also facilitate the pairing step between the laryngoscope (10) and the mobile device (34), or enable the pairing step to be performed automatically once the transmitting module (26) is switched on within wireless range of the mobile device (34) executing the mobile application. The system (100) may further be provided with a remote supervision station (106) in data communication with the server (102) and/or with the mobile device (34), in this embodiment also over the Internet (104). The remote supervision station (106) includes a remote computing device (114) and a supervision display (108) whereon the field of view (20) of the camera (18) of the laryngoscope (10) may be displayed in real time or near real time, to enable a remote supervisor (110) to supervise and/or to provide remote assistance to the user (74) of the laryngoscope (10). A communication facility (112) may also be provided to enable the remote supervisor (110) to give verbal instructions or to otherwise direct the user (74) while performing the aforementioned insertion procedure and/or intubation of the patient (72). The communication facility (112) may be provided by a separate device (such as a smartphone) at the remote supervision station (106), or may be provided as a facility forming part of the application which may also be downloadable and installable onto the remote computing device (114).

It is further envisaged that implementations of the system (100) are possible wherein the application or other purpose-built software may be utilised to, in real time, analyse the field of view (20) observed by the camera and to utilise artificial intelligence (Al) and/or pattern recognition technologies to identify parts of the anatomy of the patient (72). For example the mobile device (34) may be utilised to guide the user (74) to the glottis (90) by displaying names of parts of the anatomy when they are recognized by the Al software. A form of augmented reality or virtual reality may also be used. The Al and/or the pattern recognition may also be utilised to identify potential problems in the anatomy of the patient.

In Figures 16 and 17 there is shown an example of a method (500) of manufacturing the laryngoscope (10). A mould (502) is provided, the mould (502) having at least two main parts referred to as an A-side (504) and a B-side (not shown). A plurality of further mould parts or inserts (506) are provided for forming cavities in the body (12) of the laryngoscope (10), including the chamber (24) in the handle (14), the passage (63) for the cable (32), and the mount (64) for the camera (18). After configuring the mould parts, the laryngoscope (10) is moulded, for example utilising an injection moulding process whereby the material of the body (12), for example polycarbonate, is injected in between the mould parts via a sprue (not shown) a runner (508) and/or a gate (510). It should be appreciated that other arrangements or configurations for injecting the material may also be used. A parting line (512) may be provided between the two main parts of the mould (502). The parting line (512) may be provided on the plane (46) shown in Figure 5, but the parting line may also deviate from this plane due to practical considerations. For example at the guide (68), the parting line (512) may be curved away from the plane (46) in a direction towards the mount (64), to facilitate separation of the two main parts of the mould (502). After the injection of the material is finished, and the material has cooled down, the plurality of further mould parts (506) and the B-side are removed and the laryngoscope is removed from the A-side (504) (for example by means of ejector pins, as are known in the art), to yield the laryngoscope (10) shown in Figure 17, as a single part, or a part of unitary construction. The material of the body (12) formed at the sprue (508) and gate (510) is then removed, for example by machining.

Some of the finer details of the laryngoscope (see Figures 2, 3, 6 and 7 in this regard) have been omitted from Figures 16 and 17, however these finer details may also be formed during the moulding process (500). It is envisaged that the chamber (24) may alternatively be formed by utilising one of the at least two main parts (A-side (504) and B-side) of the mould, or by forming the chamber in the handle after the laryngoscope (10) has been moulded, by subtractive manufacturing such as machining, drilling or any other material-removing process. It should also be appreciated that embodiments of the laryngoscope (10) may be possible wherein the chamber (24) is in the form of a slot or other cavity formed in the handle (14).

After the body (12) laryngoscope has been manufactured, the transmitting module (26) is inserted into the chamber (24) and the camera (18) is installed into the mount (64). Next, the cable 32 is connected or coupled to the transmitting module (26) and to the camera (18) (arrangements where the camera, the light and the cable are pre-manufactured and assembled are also possible, for example when utilising a borescope). The cable (32) is also inserted or placed into the groove (56) and passed through the passage (63). The gripping formations (58) are arranged in a staggered fashion, to grip the cable firmly, so that it remains in the groove (56) during use of the laryngoscope (10). Referring again to Figures 5 to 8, a notch (94) is provided in the rim (40) of the handle (14) to enable the cable (32) to pass through the notch and into the chamber (24). It is envisaged that the arrangement of the groove (56), the passage (63), and the notch (94) provides for a streamlined configuration which may enable the user (74) to move the laryngoscope (10) freely without being inhibited by tethered wires or bulky attached screens as is the case with prior art devices. After assembly, the laryngoscope (10) may be sterilised or otherwise cleaned, for example by irradiation and may be packaged in a sterilised container.

It will be appreciated that the laryngoscope and its method of manufacture may provide a singleuse or disposable product which may be available at a lower price than previously available devices. As mentioned earlier in this specification, the invention extends to other forms of endoscopy and is not limited to the laryngoscope depicted in the accompanying representations. The endoscope disclosed herein may be used on any mammal and it is also envisaged that animals may be intubated and/or endoscopy may be performed on animals or humans. For example, artificial insemination of mammals may be facilitated, or the endoscope may be used to perform other types of endoscopy such as, but not limited to, gastroscopy, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD or OGD) also called Panendoscopy (PES), and upper gastrointestinal (Gl) endoscopy.

The inverted Z-shaped cross section depicted may be at least partially inverted Z-shaped or may be at least partially Z-shaped. Laryngoscopy is performed on the patient depicted in the accompanying representations, with the patient lying flat on his or her back, but the laryngoscope may also be utilised in other positions for example with the patient in a sitting position, such as after a motor vehicle accident. It is envisaged that the laryngoscope disclosed herein enables the user to perform laryngoscopy in situations where time is of the essence, for example during an asthma attack, in a vehicle accident scenario, and when the patient has a difficult anatomy (having a large neck and/or chest, or having restricted neck movement). The laryngoscope may be inserted without requiring a backwards bend of the patient’s neck.

It should also be appreciated that the laryngoscope or endoscope disclosed may be compatible with any mobile device which may be available at the time when intubation is required. A further mount near the handle may in some circumstances be provided for the mobile device, or the mobile device may be mounted, placed or held elsewhere that is convenient to the user. The streamlined design between the cable and the body of the laryngoscope may also facilitate insertion and use. The wedge is in the drawings depicted as being formed by the width of the insertion member decreasing towards the tip relative to the plane, but the width of the insertion member may also decrease relative to other planes. The wedge provides a user with the functionality of prying apart the teeth of the patient without requiring an additional device, which may be useful especially when the patient’s jaw is clinched for some reason.

It will further be appreciated that the endoscope disclosed herein may, as an alternative to injection moulding, also be made by a manufacturing method such as an additive manufacturing method (for example utilising one of the 3D printing technologies), or a subtractive manufacturing method (for example machining or other material-removing processes), ora combination of these methods. The body of the endoscope may be made of a material comprising one of a polymer, a plastic and a polycarbonate or of other materials. The material may be recyclable.

The foregoing description has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure.

Any of the steps, operations, components or processes described herein may be performed or implemented with one or more hardware or software units, alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, a software unit may be implemented with a computer program product comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium containing computer program code, which can be executed by a processor for performing any or all of the steps, operations, or processes described. Software units or functions described in this application may be implemented as computer program code using any suitable computer language such as, for example, Java™, C++, or Perl™ using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques. The computer program code may be stored as a series of instructions, or commands on a nontransitory computer-readable medium, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive, or an optical medium such as a CDROM. Any such computer-readable medium may also reside on or within a single computational apparatus, and may be present on or within different computational apparatuses within a system or network.

Flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments are used herein. Each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, may provide functions which may be implemented by computer readable program instructions. In some alternative implementations, the functions identified by the blocks may take place in a different order to that shown in the flowchart illustrations.

The language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Throughout the specification and claims unless the contents requires otherwise the word ‘comprise’ or variations such as ‘comprises’ or ‘comprising’ will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An endoscope comprising a body that includes a handle and an insertion member extending from the handle and provided with a camera which observes a field of view at a tip of the insertion member remote from the handle, wherein the handle has a chamber that houses a transmitting module that includes a wireless transmitter and a power source, the transmitting module being coupled to the camera and operable to wirelessly transmit images recorded by the camera.

2. An endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endoscope is in the form of a laryngoscope.

3. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein the insertion member is curved or angled.

4. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handle is a straight tubular or hollow section of the body having an axis and the insertion member curves or is angled to a first side of the handle’s axis.

5. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 4, wherein the handle has a rim which opens into the chamber, and at least a portion of the rim extends in a plane that is angled between 30 and 60 degrees towards the first side of the handle’s axis.

6. A laryngoscope as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein a wedge is provided adjacent the tip of the insertion member.

7. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 6, wherein the body is elongate and extends in a plane and has a width perpendicular to that plane, the width of the insertion member decreasing towards its tip so as to form the wedge adjacent the tip.

8. A laryngoscope as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the handle includes a groove provided along an outer surface of the handle for receiving a cable that connects the transmitting module to the camera.

9. A laryngoscope as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the insertion member includes a first section and a second section that are angled relative to each other and wherein the second section includes a mount for holding the camera.

10. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 9, wherein one or both of the first and second sections includes a guide in an outer surface of one of the first and second sections for operatively enabling an intubation member to pass through the guide.

11. A laryngoscope as claimed in claim 10, wherein a cross section of one of the first and second sections is at least partially Z-shaped, or at least partially inverted Z-shaped, so as to enable the laryngoscope to operatively apply pressure to soft tissue with one side of the cross section while enabling the intubation member to pass on the other side of the cross section, and wherein the guide is defined by at least part of the Z-shaped or inverted Z-shaped cross section.

12. A laryngoscope as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to transmit the images recorded by the camera to a mobile device.

13. A system including a memory for storing computer-readable program code and a processor for executing the computer-readable program code, the system including an endoscope comprising a body that includes a handle and an insertion member extending from the handle and provided with a camera which observes a field of view at a tip of the insertion member remote from the handle, wherein the handle has a chamber that houses a transmitting module that includes a wireless transmitter and a power source, the transmitting module being coupled to the camera and operable to wirelessly transmit images recorded by the camera; and a mobile device in wireless data communication with the transmitting module, the mobile device having a display which is operable to display the images recorded by the camera.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the system includes a central server in data communication with the mobile device and wherein a purpose-created mobile application is downloadable and installable on the mobile device to facilitate operation of the system.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the system includes a remote supervision station in data communication with the server or with the mobile device, the remote supervision station including a supervision display configured to display the field of view of the camera in near real time, to enable a remote supervisor to provide remote assistance to a user of the endoscope.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the endoscope is in the form of a laryngoscope.

17. A method of manufacturing an endoscope as claimed in claim 1.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the endoscope is in the form of a laryngoscope.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the method includes the steps of forming the laryngoscope by providing a mould having at least two main parts; and moulding the laryngoscope by utilising the at least two main parts of the mould.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein an injection moulding process is utilised and wherein the step of forming the chamber comprises inserting a third part of the mould between the at least two main parts of the mould before injection moulding the laryngoscope.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the step of forming the chamber in the handle comprises utilising one of the at least two main parts of the mould to form the chamber, or forming the chamber in the handle after the laryngoscope has been moulded by utilising subtractive manufacturing.

22. A method as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the method includes the steps of: inserting the transmitting module into the chamber; and providing the cable to couple the camera to the transmitting module.