Laryngoscopes having separable blades
View Patent ↗A laryngoscope having a separable blade that includes parts that are separable from the laryngoscope so that a user can remove the laryngoscope from a patient while a medical device extending through the separable blade remains in place within the patient. In some embodiments, the separable blade includes a protective passageway that receives a medical device therethrough and protects patient tissue surrounding the laryngoscope when the laryngoscope has been inserted into a patient, and the parts of the separable blade separate from one another to open the protective passageway along its longitudinal axis. A laryngoscope of the present disclosure may include one or more features, such as a removable handle, a lighting system, and a camera system, among others. A method of using a laryngoscope having a separable blade is also disclosed.
1 . A laryngoscope, comprising:
a separable blade that includes:
a distal end that is configured to be located proximate to a glottis of a patient during a laryngoscopy procedure;
a proximal end spaced from the distal end along a longitudinal axis, wherein, between the proximal and distal ends, the separable blade has a curvature along the longitudinal axis and in a plane containing the longitudinal axis;
a protective passageway having a proximal opening at the proximal end and a distal opening at the distal end, wherein the protective passageway extends within the separable blade from the proximal opening to the distal opening along the longitudinal axis, wherein the protective passageway is configured to receive an elongate medical device therein during the laryngoscopy procedure; and
a pair of laterally separable parts releasably secured to one another so that a user can separate the pair of laterally separable parts from one another laterally in a direction perpendicular to the plane while the separable blade remains in the patient and, following the separating, can remove the pair of laterally separable parts from the patient while the elongated medical device, previously inserted into the patient via the protective passageway, remains in the patient.
2 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the protective passageway is configured to provide 360° protection, relative to the longitudinal axis, to tissue of the patient surrounding the separable blade from the elongate medical device when the separable blade is present within the patient and the elongate medical device is inserted into the protective passageway.
3 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the distal end includes a beak region that includes an epiglottal hook.
4 . The laryngoscope of claim 3 , wherein the separable blade has a pair of spaced- apart lateral sides, and the epiglottal hook includes a pair of horns extending laterally beyond the spaced-apart lateral sides of the separable blade.
5 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein:
the distal end includes a beak region having a tip;
the distal opening is spaced from the tip of the beak region; and
the protective passageway includes an inflection point proximate to the distal opening and at which a curvature of the protective passageway changes from an upward curvature to a downward curvature.
6 . The laryngoscope of claim 5 , wherein the beak region, the inflection point, the downward curvature, and the distal opening are configured so that, when the tip is engaged with an epiglottis during the laryngoscopy procedure, the protective passageway directs the elongate medical device toward a glottic opening of the patient.
7 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the pair of laterally separable parts includes a pair of blade halves that are substantially mirror images of one another.
8 . The laryngoscope of claim 7 , wherein the friction fit is effected by a plurality of mating friction-fit structures on each of the pair of laterally separable parts.
9 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the pair of laterally separable parts are releasably secured to one another by friction fit.
10 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the pair of laterally separable parts are releasably secured to one another by interference fit.
11 . The laryngoscope of claim 10 , wherein the interference fit is effected by a plurality of mating interference-fit structures on each of the pair of laterally separable parts.
12 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , wherein the pair of laterally separable parts are releasably secured to one another using one or more magnets.
13 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a releasable securing means for releasably securing the pair of laterally separable parts to one another.
14 . The laryngoscope of claim 13 , wherein the releasable securing means is selected from a group consisting of a mechanical mechanism, an electronic mechanism, and an electromechanical mechanism.
15 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , further comprising an onboard lighting system.
16 . The laryngoscope of claim 15 , wherein the onboard lighting system includes a light source located at the distal end of the separable blade.
17 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , further comprising a removable handle removably engaged with the separable blade so that removal of the handle from the separable blade frees the pair of laterally separable parts so that the user can laterally separate the pair of laterally separable parts from one another.
18 . The laryngoscope of claim 1 , further comprising an onboard camera system designed, configured, and located for imaging a region adjacent to the separable blade.
19 . The laryngoscope of claim 18 , wherein the region is a glottal region of the patient.
20 . A method of performing a laryngoscopy procedure on a patient having a mouth, the method comprising:
inserting a laryngoscope having a separable blade into the patient through the patient's mouth, wherein the separable blade has a length and an upward curvature along the length;
inserting an elongate medical device into the patient through the separable blade; and
while a portion of the elongate medical device is present within the separable blade, removing the separable blade from the patient by laterally separating parts of the separable blade from one another in a direction perpendicular to the upward curvature and withdrawing the parts from the patient through the mouth so as to leave the elongate medical device in the patient.
21 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising, after inserting the laryngoscope, performing a direct laryngoscopy by gazing under the bottom of the separable blade.
22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the patient further has a glottic opening and an epiglottis and the method further includes retracting the epiglottis away from the glottic opening using a beak region of the separable blade.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the beak region is configured to provide an epiglottal hook.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the separable blade has a pair of lateral sides spaced from one another, and the epiglottal hook includes a pair of horns extending laterally beyond respective ones of the lateral sides.
25 . The method of claim 20 , wherein separating parts of the separable blade includes separating the parts in a lateral direction.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the parts include a pair of blade halves.