Induction coil sensing

1. A laryngoscope apparatus comprising:

a laryngoscope handle with a coupling region; and

a laryngoscope blade, the laryngoscope handle and the laryngoscope blade being adapted to be releasably operatively connectable at a coupling region of the laryngoscope blade to the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle to form a laryngoscope;

wherein:

the laryngoscope handle comprises a sensing coil arranged at the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle, and a sensing circuit connected to the sensing coil;

the laryngoscope blade comprises:

a detection coil arranged at the coupling region of the laryngoscope blade, and via interaction of the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle and the coupling region of the laryngoscope blade to thereby associate the sensing coil and the detection coil;

an elongate extension insertable into a mouth of a patient when the laryngoscope is in use; and

a tubular coupling arrangement containing the detection coil, into which the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle can be positioned to form the laryngoscope, the laryngoscope blade being configured to be disposable after use;

the sensing circuit is configured:

during connection of the laryngoscope blade to the laryngoscope handle to form the laryngoscope, to detect coupling of the laryngoscope handle to the laryngoscope blade through a change in an electrical signal imparted upon the sensing coil caused by electromagnetic interaction of the detection coil with the sensing coil; and

when the laryngoscope is formed and in use, to detect a force applied to the laryngoscope blade according to changes in an electromagnetic coupling between the sensing coil and the detection coil, the laryngoscope blade being configured such that when the force is applied to the laryngoscope blade, the force changes the electromagnetic coupling between the detection coil and the sensing coil relative to the force;

the coupling region of the laryngoscope handle is cylindrical and contains the sensing coil and a lamp, the lamp being energizable upon detecting coupling of the laryngoscope blade to the laryngoscope handle; and

the laryngoscope handle further comprising an indicator device comprising an arrangement of LEDs, the arrangement of LEDs being electrically associated with the sensing circuit to provide a user of the laryngoscope with an indication of the detected force applied to the laryngoscope blade relative to a determined threshold.

2. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electrical signal comprises an oscillation imparted upon the sensing coil and having an oscillation power modified at least by electromagnetic coupling of the sensing coil with the detection coil.

3. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the laryngoscope handle further comprises an arrangement which is configured such that the oscillation power is further modified in response to detection of the force beyond a predetermined value being imparted upon the laryngoscope blade.

4. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the laryngoscope blade comprises at least one switch connected electrically to the detection coil to change loading of the coupling between the sensing and detection coils, the at least one switch being actuable in response to the force.

5. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the laryngoscope handle further comprises a capacitance arranged in parallel with the sensing coil to form a tuned load, the sensing circuit comprising an oscillator arrangement configured to form the electrical signal in the tuned load and a detection arrangement configured to detect a magnitude of oscillation, wherein the oscillator arrangement comprises an oscillator circuit outputting to and having a magnitude determined at least by the tuned load and wherein the detection arrangement comprises at least one comparator for comparing a corresponding voltage reference against a voltage that varies with a power consumed by the electromagnetic coupling between the sensing coil and the detection coil.

6. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the oscillator arrangement comprises a switch arranged to supply current to energize the sensing coil to a measurable value, the switch being operable to cease supply of the current to cause the tuned load to thereby oscillate forming the electrical signal with a decreasing magnitude, and the detection arrangement comprises a processor circuit for determining a magnitude of oscillation of the electrical signal.

7. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the processor circuit comprises a means for sampling the electrical signal and from samples measuring the magnitude of oscillation, and a comparator arrangement for comparing the magnitude of oscillation measured by the processor circuit against a first reference for indicating an operative coupling between the laryngoscope handle and the laryngoscope blade, and for comparing the magnitude of oscillation against at least a second reference for indicating the force in excess of the predetermined value being applied to the laryngoscope blade.

8. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising the indicator device indicates when the force exceeds the second reference.

9. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the detection arrangement comprises a first comparator arrangement for indicating an operative coupling between the laryngoscope handle and the laryngoscope blade, and a second comparator arrangement for indicating the force is in excess of the predetermined value being applied to the laryngoscope blade.

10. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising the indicator device indicates when the force exceeds the predetermined value.

11. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the laryngoscope blade includes a barrel associated with the coupling region of the laryngoscope blade upon which the detection coil is formed, the barrel being movable relative to the sensing coil in response to the force to change the coupling between the sensing and detection coils.

12. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one switch comprises two electrical contact layers separated by a perforated insulating layer, the two electrical contact layers contacting each other through the perforated insulating layer when subjected to the force.

13. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the coupling of the laryngoscope handle to the laryngoscope blade provides for the sensing coil and the detection coil to be substantially co-axial and the sensing coil to be positioned within the detection coil.

14. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a charger module, the charger module comprising a power supply connected to a tuned circuit,

wherein:

the laryngoscope handle further comprises a power circuit connected to the sensing coil, the power circuit being configured to charge a battery of the laryngoscope handle upon sensing a current induced in the sensing coil; and

the laryngoscope handle is configured to be removably retained by the charger module, the power supply providing the current induced in the sensing coil by interaction of the sensing coil with the tuned circuit of the charger module when the laryngoscope handle is retained by the charger module.

15. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the power circuit is configured to operate such that the current induced in the sensing coil when the laryngoscope handle is inserted into a charger module, is received, rectified and used to charge the battery of the laryngoscope handle.

16. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the laryngoscope handle further comprises at least one electrical load controllably energized by the battery and operable upon detection of coupling of the laryngoscope handle to the laryngoscope blade.

17. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the at least one electrical load comprises a lamp arranged to emit light from the laryngoscope blade when the laryngoscope is formed.

18. The laryngoscope apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection coil comprises a single closed turn.