Extendable lighted intubation stylet
View Patent ↗An extendable lighted intubation stylet enables a clinician or emergency medical personnel to introduce a breathing tube into a person's trachea. The extendable lighted intubation stylet includes a handle, a switch, a sheath, an extension member, and a light source. The extension member can be extended or retracted relative to the sheath thereby increasing or decreasing the length of the extendable lighted intubation stylet. The light source provides for superior visualization of the airway compared to a standard laryngoscope bulb. In its extended configuration, the extendable intubation stylet is immediately available in the case of an unanticipated difficult airway and can be used as a bougie. The extendable stylet is lightweight and convenient because it can be folded and placed in a pocket or in a space critical location such as a field kit or portable airway bag.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a sheath member having a proximal end and a distal end, the sheath member having a length in a range of forty centimeters to sixty centimeters, the sheath member having an outside diameter of less than seven millimeters:
an extension member having a proximal end and a distal end, the extension member being slidably mounted relative to the sheath member so that the distal end of the extension member telescopes from the distal end of the sheath member, the extension member having a length in a range of ten centimeters to forty centimeters, wherein the extension member has a distal end portion that is relatively more bendable than a distal end portion of the sheath member: and
a Light Emitting Diode (LED) disposed upon the distal end portion of the extension member: wherein the sheath member includes a first conductive track and a second conductive track, wherein the extension member includes a first sliding contact and a second sliding contact, and wherein the first sliding contact slidably engages the first conductive track as the extension member is extended from the sheath member.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sliding contact does not engage the first conductive track if the extension member is fully extended with respect to the sheath member.