US20190021585A9 - Laryngoscope with camera attachment - Google Patents
Laryngoscope with camera attachment Download PDFInfo
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- US20190021585A9 US20190021585A9 US15/649,514 US201715649514A US2019021585A9 US 20190021585 A9 US20190021585 A9 US 20190021585A9 US 201715649514 A US201715649514 A US 201715649514A US 2019021585 A9 US2019021585 A9 US 2019021585A9
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- laryngoscope
- blade
- channel
- probe means
- camera
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/267—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00002—Operational features of endoscopes
- A61B1/00011—Operational features of endoscopes characterised by signal transmission
- A61B1/00016—Operational features of endoscopes characterised by signal transmission using wireless means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00002—Operational features of endoscopes
- A61B1/00043—Operational features of endoscopes provided with output arrangements
- A61B1/00045—Display arrangement
- A61B1/00052—Display arrangement positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00064—Constructional details of the endoscope body
- A61B1/00071—Insertion part of the endoscope body
- A61B1/0008—Insertion part of the endoscope body characterised by distal tip features
- A61B1/00087—Tools
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00064—Constructional details of the endoscope body
- A61B1/00071—Insertion part of the endoscope body
- A61B1/0008—Insertion part of the endoscope body characterised by distal tip features
- A61B1/00101—Insertion part of the endoscope body characterised by distal tip features the distal tip features being detachable
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/04—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/04—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances
- A61B1/044—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances for absorption imaging
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/06—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor with illuminating arrangements
- A61B1/0661—Endoscope light sources
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
- A61M16/04—Tracheal tubes
- A61M16/0488—Mouthpieces; Means for guiding, securing or introducing the tubes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
- A61N5/00—Radiation therapy
- A61N5/10—X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy
- A61N5/1042—X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy with spatial modulation of the radiation beam within the treatment head
- A61N5/1043—Scanning the radiation beam, e.g. spot scanning or raster scanning
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K999/00—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS dummy group
- H05K999/99—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS dummy group dummy group
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00002—Operational features of endoscopes
- A61B1/00025—Operational features of endoscopes characterised by power management
- A61B1/00027—Operational features of endoscopes characterised by power management characterised by power supply
- A61B1/00029—Operational features of endoscopes characterised by power management characterised by power supply externally powered, e.g. wireless
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00002—Operational features of endoscopes
- A61B1/00059—Operational features of endoscopes provided with identification means for the endoscope
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00002—Operational features of endoscopes
- A61B1/00062—Operational features of endoscopes provided with means for preventing overuse
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
- A61B90/08—Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for
- A61B2090/0803—Counting the number of times an instrument is used
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B90/00—Instruments, implements or accessories specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis and not covered by any of the groups A61B1/00 - A61B50/00, e.g. for luxation treatment or for protecting wound edges
- A61B90/08—Accessories or related features not otherwise provided for
- A61B2090/0814—Preventing re-use
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B2560/00—Constructional details of operational features of apparatus; Accessories for medical measuring apparatus
- A61B2560/02—Operational features
- A61B2560/0266—Operational features for monitoring or limiting apparatus function
- A61B2560/0276—Determining malfunction
Definitions
- the present invention relates to medical devices for carrying out internal examination and relates particularly to laryngoscopes that incorporate image capturing means such as a camera to assist intubation of a tracheal tube.
- Insertion of a tracheal tube is an important procedure in providing an airway to an anaesthetist prior to a surgical operation. Tracheal tubes also often need to be inserted in an emergency situation into the airway of an unconscious patient by paramedics or doctors. Insertion of a tracheal tube requires significant skill, and laryngoscopes are generally used to assist the insertion of the tube by restraining the patient's tongue and allowing a clear view of the larynx and the entrance to the trachea. Considerable skill and care is required in carrying out this procedure in order to avoid damage to the patient's teeth and soft tissue of the throat.
- Figures show that in approximately 12% of cases trauma occurs during intubation (which affects a large number of people when you consider there are over 40 million intubations carried out annually). Also, during the 1980s and 1990s, 2500 deaths (or approximately 3 per week) occurred in Europe due to an inability to intubate and these figures have not changed substantially in recent years. Airway problems remain the most frequent cause of death or permanent brain damage associated with anaesthesia.
- laryngoscopes consist of a handle, or body, portion and a blade portion. Certain devices have been developed which incorporate a camera element attached to the blade. However, this has led to issues relating to the cleaning of the laryngoscope before re-use. Obviously in order to use a laryngoscope on a patient, it is important to know that the laryngoscope is cleaned sufficiently and there is no risk of cross contamination between patients. There is evidence to show that standard cleaning procedures are not always fully effective at removing contaminants such as bacteria from the laryngoscope (J R Hall. “Blood contamination of equipment . . . ” Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 1994; 78:1136-9 M D Ester, L C Baines, D J Wilkinson & R M Langford. “Decontamination of Laryngoscopes: a survey of national practice.” Anaesthesia, 1999, 54).
- the blade is soaked and autoclaved.
- the handle can undergo a similar procedure or can simply be wiped down as it does not make contact with the patient as the blade does.
- the cleaning takes a significant amount of time, which means that it is necessary to have a number of handles and blades in rotation to ensure that there are always clean laryngoscopes available if required. This results in a time consuming and costly procedure needing to be put in place.
- the cleaning procedure is significantly more difficult when there is also a camera element that requires cleaning and this can cause significant delays and a cost implication. This means that laryngoscopes incorporating camera elements are rarely used in practice.
- Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to improve upon the products described in the prior art.
- blade should be read in a broad sense to cover not only laryngoscope blades but also to cover speculums or elements that are inserted into body cavities.
- a medical device for carrying out internal examination comprising a body portion and a blade portion, characterised in that the blade portion comprises an at least partially rigid probe means which is at least partially transparent and through which a channel partially runs and wherein an image capture means is provided within the channel.
- the blade portion comprises an at least partially rigid probe means which is at least partially transparent and through which a channel partially runs and wherein an image capture means is provided within the channel.
- an image capture means is provided within the channel.
- rigid should be construed as providing sufficient structural integrity to hold its own form under normal conditions.
- materials such as plastics and metals, rubber materials that are able to hold their own shape, but have some resistance if compressed, i.e., dropped or stood on.
- the entire rigid probe means is transparent.
- At least part of the transparent section of the rigid probe means forms a lens for use with the image capture means.
- lenses can be used to transfer image and/or light through a curved or angled portion of the blade.
- reflecting means can be used to transfer image and/or light through a curved or angled portion of the blade.
- the rigid probe means has a spatulate shape.
- the image capture means is a camera.
- the image capture means is a fibre optic cable that is able to transmit an image.
- the medical device for carrying out internal examination is a laryngoscope.
- a light source is provided in the channel.
- a strengthening element is provided in the channel.
- the strengthening element is in the form of a steel rod which could have any appropriate cross-section.
- the body section is provided with a screen for showing the images captured by the image capturing means and any other information.
- data and power is transferred between the body element and the blade element via contact points present on both the body element and the blade element.
- Radio frequency transfer means Alternatively data is transferred between the body element and the blade element by radio frequency transfer means.
- a rigid probe means for use with medical devices for internal examination characterised in that the rigid probe means is at least partially transparent and has a channel running partially through it.
- the channel runs-in a longitudinal direction.
- the entire rigid probe means is transparent.
- At least part of the rigid probe means forms a lens.
- the rigid probe means has a spatulate shape.
- FIG. 1 shows a drawing of a laryngoscope according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows a drawing of a laryngoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 shows a drawing of the contact strips according to an embodiment of the present invention.
- the medical device is a laryngoscope which can be used for intubation of a tracheal tube.
- a laryngoscope 1 which has a body 2 and a disposable blade 3 .
- the blade 3 is made up from a rigid probe means 3 a that has a spatulate shape.
- the rigid probe means 3 a has an internal channel 6 which has a camera element 7 inserted into it, such that the camera element 7 does not come into contact with the patient.
- the camera element 7 is elongate in form, and has any appropriate cross-section. The end of the camera element 7 that is not inserted into the channel 6 attaches to the body section 2 . As the rigid probe means 3 a fits over the camera element 7 like a sleeve, the camera element 7 will not come into contact with the patient during examination.
- the body 23 is provided with a screen 10 for showing the images captured by the camera element 7 and other information.
- the rigid probe means 3 a covers more of the length of the camera element 7 and attaches to the body section 2 of the laryngoscope 1 directly.
- the rigid probe means 3 a is made from a transparent material, such as plastic or perspex. If additional strength is required, a strengthening element 5 can be inserted into the channel 6 within the rigid probe means 3 a , either as an integral element which can be discarded along with the rigid probe means 3 a after use, or as a reusable element which can optionally be attached to the body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 , such that it can be inserted into the next rigid probe means 3 a that is to be used.
- a strengthening element 5 can be inserted into the channel 6 within the rigid probe means 3 a , either as an integral element which can be discarded along with the rigid probe means 3 a after use, or as a reusable element which can optionally be attached to the body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 , such that it can be inserted into the next rigid probe means 3 a that is to be used.
- the laryngoscope 1 may have a screen 10 , shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 , for showing the images captured by the camera element 7 and any other information.
- the screen 10 may couple to the body section 2 .
- the channel 6 can also be used to house a light source, which can be inserted into the channel 6 in the centre of the rigid probe means 3 a so that a practitioner can visualise a trachea to help in the positioning of a tracheal tube.
- the electrical components which run the camera element 7 or the light can be housed in the body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 or externally to the laryngoscope 1 and the relevant parts can simply be slipped in and out of the channel 6 and of the blade 3 when required. This again means that the blade 3 can be discarded with the expensive lighting or camera elements 7 being kept for further use, without them having ever been in contact with a patient.
- data is transferred wirelessly between the camera element 7 and the body 2 , which contains electrical components that relate to the camera element 7 .
- the wireless transfer is preferably via contact points in the form of contact strips 8 but can also be via optical data transfer methods or radio frequency data transfer methods. This use of wireless data transfer removes the need for a flying lead between the body 2 and blade 3 which make cleaning more difficult and can result in the laryngoscope 1 being clumsy to use.
- the contact points are preferably in the form of conductive contact strips 8 .
- the strips 8 are formed partially on the camera element 7 and partially on the rigid probe means 3 a such that when the camera element 7 is inserted into the rigid probe means 3 a , the strips 8 a and 8 b are brought into contact to form continuous strips 8 .
- there will be four contact strips 8 two for transferring data and two for transferring power ( FIG. 3 ).
- the body 2 containing electrical components which run the camera element 7 is also provided with contact points and these will usually be in the form of retractable bearings 9 or retractable pins or other resiliently biased contact means.
- bearings or pins may also act as a gripping method to hold the blade 3 in place.
- Corresponding ratchet type tracks (preferably conductive) enables the blade 3 to be adjusted in length.
- a camera element 7 In order to miniaturise a camera element 7 , at least part of the transparent section of the rigid probe means 3 a forms a lens 4 , such that the camera element 7 itself does not require a lens, but can simply be slipped into the channel 6 of the blade 3 .
- the lens 4 on the blade 3 acts then acts as a lens 4 for the camera element 7 .
- This inclusion of the lens 4 into the disposable rigid probe means 3 a means that the camera element 7 can be smaller than is typically achievable, making it particularly suitable for use in a medical device, such as a laryngoscope 1 .
- One of the benefits of the disposability of the rigid probe means 3 a part of the blade 3 is that there will be no cross-contamination to patients, and no lengthy cleaning procedures are required.
- a spoiling mechanism between the blade 3 and the body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 .
- the spoiling mechanism can take the form of a breaking of electrical connections when the blade 3 and body 2 are parted, such that if the same blade 3 and body 2 are reconnected, no power is provided to anything inserted into the channel 6 of the blade 3 .
- the blade 3 may comprise protrusions which are able to fix into ingressions in the body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 , such that the protrusions break off when the blade 3 is removed from the body 2 , such that the blade 3 cannot then be reused.
- the current invention has a number of benefits over the prior art and a number of possible uses.
- the examples above relate to a laryngoscope, it can be seen that the concept can be extended to other medical and veterinary devices and still stay within the scope of the present invention.
- the fact that the blade 3 is fully disposable is also of great importance, as it means that practitioners are required to change blades and the product is both simple to use and cheap to manufacture.
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No. 10/554,812, filed Nov. 30, 2006, which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/GB04/01869, filed Apr. 29, 2004.
- The present invention relates to medical devices for carrying out internal examination and relates particularly to laryngoscopes that incorporate image capturing means such as a camera to assist intubation of a tracheal tube.
- Insertion of a tracheal tube is an important procedure in providing an airway to an anaesthetist prior to a surgical operation. Tracheal tubes also often need to be inserted in an emergency situation into the airway of an unconscious patient by paramedics or doctors. Insertion of a tracheal tube requires significant skill, and laryngoscopes are generally used to assist the insertion of the tube by restraining the patient's tongue and allowing a clear view of the larynx and the entrance to the trachea. Considerable skill and care is required in carrying out this procedure in order to avoid damage to the patient's teeth and soft tissue of the throat.
- Often problems occur when a practitioner is attempting to intubate a patient using a laryngoscope as it can be difficult for the practitioner to see what is going on.
- Figures show that in approximately 12% of cases trauma occurs during intubation (which affects a large number of people when you consider there are over 40 million intubations carried out annually). Also, during the 1980s and 1990s, 2500 deaths (or approximately 3 per week) occurred in Europe due to an inability to intubate and these figures have not changed substantially in recent years. Airway problems remain the most frequent cause of death or permanent brain damage associated with anaesthesia.
- Generally, laryngoscopes consist of a handle, or body, portion and a blade portion. Certain devices have been developed which incorporate a camera element attached to the blade. However, this has led to issues relating to the cleaning of the laryngoscope before re-use. Obviously in order to use a laryngoscope on a patient, it is important to know that the laryngoscope is cleaned sufficiently and there is no risk of cross contamination between patients. There is evidence to show that standard cleaning procedures are not always fully effective at removing contaminants such as bacteria from the laryngoscope (J R Hall. “Blood contamination of equipment . . . ” Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 1994; 78:1136-9 M D Ester, L C Baines, D J Wilkinson & R M Langford. “Decontamination of Laryngoscopes: a survey of national practice.” Anaesthesia, 1999, 54).
- Typically, to clean a laryngoscope, the blade is soaked and autoclaved. The handle can undergo a similar procedure or can simply be wiped down as it does not make contact with the patient as the blade does. The cleaning takes a significant amount of time, which means that it is necessary to have a number of handles and blades in rotation to ensure that there are always clean laryngoscopes available if required. This results in a time consuming and costly procedure needing to be put in place. Obviously the cleaning procedure is significantly more difficult when there is also a camera element that requires cleaning and this can cause significant delays and a cost implication. This means that laryngoscopes incorporating camera elements are rarely used in practice.
- In order to try and overcome the issues associated with the use of laryngoscopes and similar medical devices, a number of alternative device products have been suggested or developed. For example, disposable blades are available for use, however, these can be lacking in strength and only allow the most basic airway opening to be achieved due to their relative simplicity of design. Protective sheaths can also be used which slip over a standard laryngoscope blade to act as a guard. While useful, it is optional to a user whether the sheath is used or not. For the user, existing blades perform better without the sheath, which distorts light output and, as a result, existing sheaths are rarely used.
- Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to improve upon the products described in the prior art.
- Throughout this Application the term blade should be read in a broad sense to cover not only laryngoscope blades but also to cover speculums or elements that are inserted into body cavities.
- According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a medical device for carrying out internal examination, comprising a body portion and a blade portion, characterised in that the blade portion comprises an at least partially rigid probe means which is at least partially transparent and through which a channel partially runs and wherein an image capture means is provided within the channel. In an alternative embodiment there may be a light source provided in the channel. This may be associated with the camera element if desired.
- In this instance, rigid should be construed as providing sufficient structural integrity to hold its own form under normal conditions. For example, as well as materials such as plastics and metals, rubber materials that are able to hold their own shape, but have some resistance if compressed, i.e., dropped or stood on.
- Optionally, the entire rigid probe means is transparent.
- Preferably, at least part of the transparent section of the rigid probe means forms a lens for use with the image capture means.
- Optionally, lenses can be used to transfer image and/or light through a curved or angled portion of the blade.
- Optionally, reflecting means can be used to transfer image and/or light through a curved or angled portion of the blade.
- Preferably the rigid probe means has a spatulate shape.
- Preferably the image capture means is a camera.
- Optionally the image capture means is a fibre optic cable that is able to transmit an image.
- Preferably, the medical device for carrying out internal examination is a laryngoscope.
- Preferably a light source is provided in the channel.
- Optionally, a strengthening element is provided in the channel.
- Preferably the strengthening element is in the form of a steel rod which could have any appropriate cross-section.
- Preferably the body section is provided with a screen for showing the images captured by the image capturing means and any other information.
- Preferably data and power is transferred between the body element and the blade element wirelessly.
- Preferably data and power is transferred between the body element and the blade element via contact points present on both the body element and the blade element.
- Alternatively data is transferred between the body element and the blade element by optical transfer means.
- Alternatively data is transferred between the body element and the blade element by radio frequency transfer means.
- According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rigid probe means for use with medical devices for internal examination, characterised in that the rigid probe means is at least partially transparent and has a channel running partially through it.
- Preferably the channel runs-in a longitudinal direction.
- Optionally, the entire rigid probe means is transparent.
- Preferably, at least part of the rigid probe means forms a lens.
- Preferably the rigid probe means has a spatulate shape.
- In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention, embodiments will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the following Figures, in which:
-
FIG. 1 shows a drawing of a laryngoscope according to one embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 2 shows a drawing of a laryngoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 3 shows a drawing of the contact strips according to an embodiment of the present invention. - In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the medical device is a laryngoscope which can be used for intubation of a tracheal tube.
- A laryngoscope 1 is provided which has a
body 2 and adisposable blade 3. In the preferred embodiment, as shown inFIG. 1 , theblade 3 is made up from a rigid probe means 3 a that has a spatulate shape. The rigid probe means 3 a has an internal channel 6 which has a camera element 7 inserted into it, such that the camera element 7 does not come into contact with the patient. The camera element 7 is elongate in form, and has any appropriate cross-section. The end of the camera element 7 that is not inserted into the channel 6 attaches to thebody section 2. As the rigid probe means 3 a fits over the camera element 7 like a sleeve, the camera element 7 will not come into contact with the patient during examination. This means that the camera element 7 that has been inserted into the channel 6 can be re-used while the rigid probe means 3 a, which forms the outer layer, can be discarded. The body 23 is provided with ascreen 10 for showing the images captured by the camera element 7 and other information. - In an alternative embodiment, as shown in
FIG. 2 , the rigid probe means 3 a covers more of the length of the camera element 7 and attaches to thebody section 2 of the laryngoscope 1 directly. - In the preferred embodiment, the rigid probe means 3 a is made from a transparent material, such as plastic or perspex. If additional strength is required, a strengthening element 5 can be inserted into the channel 6 within the rigid probe means 3 a, either as an integral element which can be discarded along with the rigid probe means 3 a after use, or as a reusable element which can optionally be attached to the
body 2 of the laryngoscope 1, such that it can be inserted into the next rigid probe means 3 a that is to be used. - The laryngoscope 1 may have a
screen 10, shown in dashed lines inFIG. 2 , for showing the images captured by the camera element 7 and any other information. Thescreen 10 may couple to thebody section 2. - The channel 6 can also be used to house a light source, which can be inserted into the channel 6 in the centre of the rigid probe means 3 a so that a practitioner can visualise a trachea to help in the positioning of a tracheal tube. The electrical components which run the camera element 7 or the light can be housed in the
body 2 of the laryngoscope 1 or externally to the laryngoscope 1 and the relevant parts can simply be slipped in and out of the channel 6 and of theblade 3 when required. This again means that theblade 3 can be discarded with the expensive lighting or camera elements 7 being kept for further use, without them having ever been in contact with a patient. - In order to allow the
blade 3 andbody 2 to be easily separable, data is transferred wirelessly between the camera element 7 and thebody 2, which contains electrical components that relate to the camera element 7. The wireless transfer is preferably via contact points in the form of contact strips 8 but can also be via optical data transfer methods or radio frequency data transfer methods. This use of wireless data transfer removes the need for a flying lead between thebody 2 andblade 3 which make cleaning more difficult and can result in the laryngoscope 1 being clumsy to use. - The contact points are preferably in the form of conductive contact strips 8. In the preferred embodiment the strips 8 are formed partially on the camera element 7 and partially on the rigid probe means 3 a such that when the camera element 7 is inserted into the rigid probe means 3 a, the strips 8 a and 8 b are brought into contact to form continuous strips 8. In typical cases, there will be four contact strips 8, two for transferring data and two for transferring power (
FIG. 3 ). Thebody 2 containing electrical components which run the camera element 7 is also provided with contact points and these will usually be in the form of retractable bearings 9 or retractable pins or other resiliently biased contact means. - These bearings or pins may also act as a gripping method to hold the
blade 3 in place. Corresponding ratchet type tracks (preferably conductive) enables theblade 3 to be adjusted in length. - In order to miniaturise a camera element 7, at least part of the transparent section of the rigid probe means 3 a forms a lens 4, such that the camera element 7 itself does not require a lens, but can simply be slipped into the channel 6 of the
blade 3. The lens 4 on theblade 3 acts then acts as a lens 4 for the camera element 7. This inclusion of the lens 4 into the disposable rigid probe means 3 a means that the camera element 7 can be smaller than is typically achievable, making it particularly suitable for use in a medical device, such as a laryngoscope 1. - One of the benefits of the disposability of the rigid probe means 3 a part of the
blade 3 is that there will be no cross-contamination to patients, and no lengthy cleaning procedures are required. However, to further ensure that ablade 3 is not reused, it is possible to include a spoiling mechanism between theblade 3 and thebody 2 of the laryngoscope 1. The spoiling mechanism can take the form of a breaking of electrical connections when theblade 3 andbody 2 are parted, such that if thesame blade 3 andbody 2 are reconnected, no power is provided to anything inserted into the channel 6 of theblade 3. Alternatively, theblade 3 may comprise protrusions which are able to fix into ingressions in thebody 2 of the laryngoscope 1, such that the protrusions break off when theblade 3 is removed from thebody 2, such that theblade 3 cannot then be reused. - It can be seen that the current invention has a number of benefits over the prior art and a number of possible uses. Although the examples above relate to a laryngoscope, it can be seen that the concept can be extended to other medical and veterinary devices and still stay within the scope of the present invention. The fact that the
blade 3 is fully disposable is also of great importance, as it means that practitioners are required to change blades and the product is both simple to use and cheap to manufacture. - It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above embodiment has been described by way of example only, and not in any limiting sense, and that various alterations and modifications are possible without departure from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended Claims.
Claims (5)
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